Articles by: S. Victor Aaron

Vinyl

Will Martina – The Dam Levels (2011)

Erik Friedlander and Tom Cora are two legends of jazz cello, true pioneers and standouts as there are so few cellists with such an improvisational jazz bent and fewer still who regularly have gone for the jugular as those two. You May Also Like: George Crotty Trio – ‘Chronotope’ (2022)Read More

Vinyl

Steely Dan Sunday, “Everyone’s Gone to the Movies” (1971, 1975)

It’s pure coincidence that we reach this song about enticing young boys to go watch a porno flick shortly after a child molestation scandal broke open at Penn State University, and nothing about this topic is any laughing matter. But Becker and Fagen have long treated the topic of humanRead More

Vinyl

Le Boeuf Brothers – In Praise Of Shadows (2011)

The Le Boeuf Brothers, like many of the younger jazz musicians today, crave bashing up jazz of their formal training with the Bjork, Radiohead and Sufjan Stevens of their iPod playlists. And as I’ve come to realize, this often has great results. But these identical twins, Romy (reeds) and PascalRead More

Vinyl

Jake Saslow – Crosby Street (2011)

Born in Soho and raised mostly at Long Island, the sights, sounds and ways of the Big Apple were never foreign to tenor specialist Jake Saslow. You May Also Like: Jake Hertzog – Well Lit Shadow (2016)

Vinyl

One Track Mind: Alex Brown, "Prologue" (2011)

Twenty-two year-old Alex Brown presented his debut album Pianist a couple of months ago with a big boost from his mentor of the last four years, Cuban-American sax giant Paquito D’Rivera. Sure enough, this record has the unmistakable flavor of Cuba You May Also Like: The Crazy World of ArthurRead More

Vinyl

Half Notes: Cedar Walton – The Bouncer (2011)

There’s not a whole lot of jazz performers who first started out recording in the 50s and are still doing so today, but as I listen to Cedar Walton’s latest The Bouncer, I’m a lot more apt to think how vibrant he still sounds than how long the 77 yearRead More

Vinyl

Half Notes: Rob Garcia 4 – The Drop And The Ocean (2011)

When I listen to Rob Garcia’s new album The Drop And The Ocean, the same adjectives come to me as they did for his prior album, Perennial, which are “seductive,” “lyrical,” “well-conceived,” “well-designed,” and Garcia’s drumming being “sensitive” and “delicate.” What I’d probably could add to that is Garcia’s drummingRead More

Vinyl

Steely Dan Sunday, "Doctor Wu" (1975)

> *** STEELY DAN SUNDAY INDEX *** “Doctor Wu,” supposedly a tale of a breach of trust between a physician and patient, represents one of the finest examples of Steely Dan’s signature mastery of an intricate yet soulful harmonic progression. You May Also Like: Steely Dan, “Glamour Profession” from ‘NortheastRead More

Vinyl

Greg Ward – Greg Ward's Phonic Juggernaut (2011)

About a year ago saxophonist Greg Ward was leading a quartet that was preparing to do a recording session for a jazz radio station when the pianist was unable to make it. You May Also Like: Greg Ward – Touch My Beloved’s Thought (2016)

Vinyl

Nils Petter Molvær – Baboon Moon (2011)

I had come into writing this review thinking I had already reviewed the prior release by pioneering fusion jazz trumpeter Nils Petter Molvær, Hamada (2009), but found that I hadn’t. You May Also Like: Eivind Aarset 4tet – ‘Phantasmagoria, or A Different Kind of Journey’ (2021)