Articles by: S. Victor Aaron

Vinyl

Ches Smith and These Arches – Hammered (2013)

Ches Smith’s These Arches boasts a line-up so powerful I had to check the statute books to see if this grouping was even legal. You May Also Like: The Sunny Four [David Torn, Aurora Nealand, Ches Smith + Tim Berne] – ‘MYSTIC’ (2023) Ches Smith – ‘Laugh Ash’ (2024) SunRead More

Vinyl

Hiromi – Move (2013)

What do you get when you cross the discriminating refinement of a piano jazz trio with the ferocious impact of a power trio? You get Hiromi’s latest, dangerous little combo. You May Also Like: Hiromi, “Spectrum” from ‘Spectrum’ (2019): One Track Mind

Vinyl

Eberhard Weber – Résumé (2013)

Good improvisers can bolster a melodic development. The really great ones can make up a whole new one out of thin air. You May Also Like: Eberhard Weber – ‘The Colours of Chloe’ (1974, 2023 hi-res reissue) Jan Garbarek Surged Out of a Quieter Era With the Explorative ‘Dresden’

Vinyl

Steely Dan Sunday, “Girlfriend” (1994)

<<< BACKWARD (“Cringemaker”) ||| ONWARD (“My Waterloo”) >>> *** STEELY DAN SUNDAY INDEX *** There are some things I don’t like about “Girlfriend” and other things I just love. You May Also Like: Walter Becker, “Cringemaker [Swamp Version]” (circa 1994)

Vinyl

One Track Mind: Jussi Reijonen, “Naima” (2013)

John Coltrane’s “Naima” is very likely his most covered song, and for good reason. The term “tone poem” gets tossed around a lot in the vicinity of any pretty, graceful melody, but this composition is the epitome of that term, and the beauty of it is evident in every coverRead More

Vinyl

Next Collective – Cover Art (2013)

One of the striking features of the current crop of jazz stars poised to dominate the scene is how so plugged in they are with their contemporaries on the rock, RnB and hip-hip side of music. You May Also Like: Christian Scott Confirmed His Vision for Jazz With ‘Live atRead More

Vinyl

Ehud Asherie, with Harry Allen – Lower East Side (2013)

As like-minded practitioners of traditional jazz, pianist Ehud Asherie and tenor saxman Harry Allen have gotten together to play duets in NYC’s famed jazz clubs such as Small’s. You May Also Like: Eric Revis – Sing Me Some Cry (2017)

Vinyl

Hadden Sayers – Rolling Soul (2013)

Hadden Sayers, the hard luck Houston, Texas bluesman, made an inspired comeback after a series of personal setbacks made him all but retire from the music business by the late 2000s. You May Also Like: Rolling Stones – Blue and Lonesome (2016)

Vinyl

David Weiss & Point of Departure – Venture Inward (2013)

Sometimes, a good thing is worth repeating. In 2010, Weiss released Snuck In, a souvenir from a club date in NYC two years earlier (additional tracks from that gig were issued the following year as Snuck Out). You May Also Like: David Weiss and Point of Departure – Wake UpRead More

Vinyl

Antonio Sanchez – New Life (2013)

When I attended a Pat Metheny Unity Band concert last October, I often focused on what the drummer Antonio Sanchez was doing. Not so much when he soloed but his drumming from behind the front lines. You May Also Like: Pat Metheny, “You Are” from ‘From This Place’ (2019): OneRead More