Articles by: S. Victor Aaron

Joel Frahm, "Thinking of Benny" from 'The Bright Side' (2021): Something Else! video premiere

Joel Frahm, “Thinking of Benny” from ‘The Bright Side’ (2021): Something Else! video premiere

Here is the video premiere of swinging “Thinking of Benny,” a song tenor sax ace Joel Frahm wrote honoring one of his saxophone heroes, the living icon Benny Golson.

Claudio Scolari Project - 'Cosmology' (2021)

Claudio Scolari Project – ‘Cosmology’ (2021)

As is always the case on a Claudio Scolari Project album, the looseness in their approach on ‘Cosmology’ guarantees a freshness and fluidity in the music that refuses to be stifled by rigid structures.

Gregg Belisle-Chi - 'Koi: Performing the Music of Tim Berne' (2021)

Gregg Belisle-Chi – ‘Koi: Performing the Music of Tim Berne’ (2021)

A solo performance of rare wisdom like ‘Koi’ is what happens when the mighty composing pen of Tim Berne meets a mighty insightful guitar of Gregg Belisle-Chi.

Garage A Trois - 'Calm Down Cologne' (2021)

Garage A Trois – ‘Calm Down Cologne’ (2021)

Charlie Hunter, Stanton Moore and Skerik of Garage A Trois are the old veterans of the whole jam-band, funk-jazz scene, but in all the right ways, ‘Calm Down Cologne’ sounds as if this is their debut album, because it’s got that new-band freshness to it.

Larry Coryell - 'Last Swing With Ireland' (2021)

Larry Coryell – ‘Last Swing With Ireland’ (2021)

Larry Coryell most likely didn’t know that he wouldn’t do another recording date when he made ‘Last Swing In Ireland’ but he left it all in the studio, anyway.

Wadada Leo Smith, with Bill Laswell + Milford Graves - 'Sacred Ceremonies' (2021)

Wadada Leo Smith, with Bill Laswell + Milford Graves – ‘Sacred Ceremonies’ (2021)

Wadada Leo Smith’s ‘Sacred Ceremonies’ is a divine communion among legends, but it’s also yet another ambitious statement from an artist who produces lofty works with so many different accomplices on a regular basis.

Tim Berne, Chris Speed, Reid Anderson + Dave King - 'Broken Shadows' (2021)

Tim Berne, Chris Speed, Reid Anderson + Dave King – ‘Broken Shadows’ (2021)

There’s a lot of appealing melodicism built into harmolodics, and the ‘Broken Shadows’ quartet of Tim Berne, Chris Speed, Reid Anderson and Dave King succeed in driving that point home.

Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio - 'Moon On the Lake' (2021)

Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio – ‘Moon On the Lake’ (2021)

Satoko Fujii’s Tokyo Trio as heard on ‘Moon On the Lake’ is not a conventional jazz trio but a Fujii ensemble in every sense, with the grace, sophistication, surprise and ingenuity found in her other groups.

Butcher Brown, "For My Love" from 'Encore' EP (2021): Something Else! sneak peek

Butcher Brown, “For My Love” from ‘Encore’ EP (2021): Something Else! sneak peek

Check out the crushed velvet-smooth slow jam “For My Love” advance single from Butcher Brown’s upcoming ‘Encore’ EP.

BLOAR [Sam Weinberg, Andrew Smiley, Henry Fraser + Jason Nazary] - 'Another Candy Bar From G.I. Joe' (2021)

BLOAR [Sam Weinberg, Andrew Smiley, Henry Fraser + Jason Nazary] – ‘Another Candy Bar From G.I. Joe’ (2021)

Reborn as a quartet, Sam Weinberg’s BLOAR is still making stimulating experimental jazz-rock that’s wild, acerbic and sometimes mathematical.