Michael Formanek Quartet – ‘Pre-Apocalyptic’ (2020)
Whatever band Michael Formanek, Tim Berne, Craig Taborn or Gerald Cleaver are in is usually a very good one. When they are in the same band, it’s special.
Articles by: S. Victor Aaron
Dan Rosenboom – ‘Points on an Infinite Line’ (2020)
No matter how Dan Rosenboom makes music, it’s always going to be bold, thrilling and teeming with musicianship.
Bill Frisell – ‘Valentine’ (2020)
Sublime simplicity comes from attention to detail, a Bill Frisell hallmark found all over ‘Valentine.’ It’s another fine entry point into his massive discography.
Maria Schneider Orchestra – ‘Data Lords’ (2020)
Maria Schneider wanted to send a strong message about the threat of a mass manipulation with ‘Data Lords.’ She gets the message across in perhaps the grandest way possible.
Michael Olatuja – ‘Lagos Pepper Soup’ (2020)
After a long layover from a lead role, the superb bassist and composer Michael Olatuja makes ‘Lagos Pepper Soup’ well worth the wait.
Endless Field, “White Pond Sun” (2020): Something Else! Video Premiere
This is the video premiere of Endless Field’s “White Pond Sun,” from the recently released ‘Alive In the Wilderness’ album.
Mark Helias’ Open Loose – ‘The Third Proposition’ (2020)
Just as his instincts on bass are superb, Mark Helias showed good instincts about cutting loose this long, forgotten recording of an Open Loose club date when all cylinders were firing.
Brian Krock’s liddle – ‘Viscera’ (2020)
For the live document ‘Viscera,’ Brian Krock lays out tall orders for his band and they always produce. His liddle quartet is indeed little in size but the ambitions are ‘orchestra big.’
David Philips, “Bliss (A Quarantine Song)” (2020): One Track Mind
Over in Barcelona, Spain, David Philips found his own sunny angle, a silver lining to all this despair: Mother Nature is getting a much-needed break.
Jeff Cosgrove, with John Medeski + Jeff Lederer – ‘History Gets Ahead of the Story’ (2020)
Being around William Parker has left a deep impression on drummer Jeff Cosgrove, and some of Parker’s creative flair has apparently rubbed off on him, too.
