by S. Victor Aaron Last month, percussionist Sameer Gupta presented a CD that was one of the more creative fusions of East Indian and jazz music ever attempted. His keyboardist Marc Cary played a key role in that endeavor but the productive partnership extends to Cary’s own records, too. LiveRead More

Posi-Tone Records delivered a rare new album by NYC-based pianist Art Hirahara in 2010, called Noble Path. “Lyrical” is an adjective I’ve seen ascribed to Hirahara, and it’s one he lives up to on this trio date, his Posi-Tone debut. Though he hadn’t been very prolific leading sessions, Hirahara hasRead More

by S. Victor Aaron A side project of hip-hop artist Madlib, the music is pretty much what the ensemble’s name advertises. It’s loose, trippy and stretched out. There isn’t a whole lot of standout improvisation going on, because this is more of a groovy vibe based affair. But as farRead More

by S. Victor Aaron Shipp is one of the currently reigning giants of whack jazz, so that’s a good-sized hole we proud avant garde types left on this site. My short mention of his latest is merely a down payment to rectify that gap. This latest release, by the way,Read More

by S. Victor Aaron Guitar whiz Buckethead has built a loyal following primarily by virtue of his fretted pyrotechnics. Among the several records he makes every year are the mellower, dulcet types that range from ambient to instrumental pop. In some ways , this toned-down record by a fiery guitaristRead More

S. Victor Aaron I haven’t heard this band prior to this album, but was curious about them after reading they were some sort of a jam band, like Phish, Dave Matthews or Humphrey’s McGee. Man of The World doesn’t really conjure up memories of those bands at all except toRead More

by S. Victor Aaron This one’s not dropping until April 13 and I’ve listened to it only a few times, but I think it’s a pretty easy album to peg. This is one Jeff Beck long player where there’s a lot more emotion happening than commotion. The stomping blues-rock fusionRead More

by S. Victor Aaron Here’s a trio of African-Americans playing bluegrass, vintage country, jug and other hillbilly styled music, played the old-fashioned way. But just listen to the music and you’ll realize the appeal isn’t at all in the novelty of this setup. No, it’s because they play it soRead More

by S. Victor Aaron Vocalist Lucia Pulido is perhaps not well known in America, but she when it comes to the traditional music of her native Columbia, she’s a real keeper of the flame. Her new CD, the third of hers as a leader, uses both originals and traditional songsRead More

by S. Victor Aaron James Taylor went through most of his career without putting together records that have a strong, overall theme to them. That’s changed of late: in 2006 there was a Christmas album and last year it was a live album with little accompaniment. This time out, it’sRead More