Articles by: S. Victor Aaron

Vinyl

Jerry Granelli, feat. Bill Frisell and Robben Ford – Dance Hall (2017)

At a young seventy-six years old, Jerry Granelli still pushes forward even when his muse beckons him back, as it does for the Bill Frisell/Robben Ford reunion ‘Dance Hall.’

Vinyl

Vinnie Sperrazza Apocryphal – Hide Ye Idols (2017)

Vinnie Sperrazza and his audacious crew once again stretch jazz across multiple red lines and force people to rethink what defines that idiom.

Vinyl

The Wood Brothers, “River Takes the Town” from One Drop Of Truth (2018): One Track Mind

Right at the time southeastern Texas was beset by a major hurricane in late summer of 2017, the Wood Brothers recorded a song that perfectly captures that catastrophic time in their signature folksy manner.

Vinyl

Dan Blacksberg – Radiant Others (2017)

Dan Blacksberg’s ‘Radiant Others’ is a fresh, nontraditional take on traditional melodies that happens to be Jewish in origin. You don’t need to be an ethnomusicologist to enjoy this one.

Vinyl

Rez Abbasi – Unfiltered Universe (2017)

Rez Abbasi and his potent Invocation band have demonstrated with ‘Unfiltered Universe’ that creativity and originality is more than just ideas and knowledge, it’s about vision.

Vinyl

Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band – Body And Shadow (2017)

Always putting spirituality above improvisation, Brian Blade and The Fellowship Band connects to listeners in a way uncommon for jazz musicians, and ‘Body And Shadow’ continues a remarkable consistency of mission and quality spanning two decades.

Vinyl

Marcus Randolph and My Peeples Peeple – Transplant (2017)

Marcus Randolph’s debut album ‘Transplant’ is heartfelt but also very loose, and it’s both of those qualities together make it a fun listen.

Vinyl

Tim Kuhl, “The Neon Design” from Sky Valley (2018): One Track Mind

Tim Kuhl’s new single “The Neon Design” begins tamely and ends a little ferociously.

Vinyl

Jason Stein Quartet – Lucille! (2017)

Jason Stein’s ‘Lucille!’ is another fun-filled jazz history lesson on the connection between Charlie Parker and Ornette Coleman.

Vinyl

Ivo Perelman, Matthew Shipp, Jeff Cosgrove – Live In Baltimore (2017)

On ‘Live In Baltimore,’ drummer Jeff Cosgrove doesn’t disrupt Ivo Perelman’s and Matthew Shipp’s simpatico; he enhances it.