Before he mined the rich tonal terrain afforded by improvisation, Milan’s Stefano Battaglia gained international notice as a classical pianist, building his reputation through the European festival circuit. You May Also Like: Marcin Wasilewski Trio feat. Joe Lovano – ‘Arctic Riff’ (2020)
Ches Smith’s These Arches boasts a line-up so powerful I had to check the statute books to see if this grouping was even legal. You May Also Like: The Sunny Four [David Torn, Aurora Nealand, Ches Smith + Tim Berne] – ‘MYSTIC’ (2023) Ches Smith – ‘Laugh Ash’ (2024) SunRead More
Something like blues, something like R&B, something like pre-Beatles rock. James Hunter is simply something else, and this soul-lifting, groove-tastic lead track from his forthcoming album only confirms it. You May Also Like: No related posts.
What do you get when you cross the discriminating refinement of a piano jazz trio with the ferocious impact of a power trio? You get Hiromi’s latest, dangerous little combo. You May Also Like: Hiromi, “Spectrum” from ‘Spectrum’ (2019): One Track Mind
Kim Wilson, in detouring through the slow-simmering joys of R&B on this new Fabulous Thunderbirds recording, has allowed himself a remarkable depth of feeling. It is, to my ear, the best he’s ever sung. You May Also Like: Tony De Meur, of the Fabulous Poodles: Something Else! Interview
Good improvisers can bolster a melodic development. The really great ones can make up a whole new one out of thin air. You May Also Like: Eberhard Weber – ‘The Colours of Chloe’ (1974, 2023 hi-res reissue) Jan Garbarek Surged Out of a Quieter Era With the Explorative ‘Dresden’
Even during the height of her early-1970s singer-songwriter successes, when the radio was shag-carpeted with Carole King songs, I never could get past the idea that another singer would have done better by those lyrics. You May Also Like: Brecker Brothers – ‘Live and Unreleased’ (2020)
BeauSoleil’s first studio recording since 2009’s Alligator Purse finds Michael Doucet’s frisky amalgam retracing Louisiana music’s journey from West Africa to the swamps of south Louisiana You May Also Like: Eric Bibb – ‘Global Griot’ (2018)
Gloriously free of the spit-shine that’s turned so much of Nashville’s product into pop pap, Old Yellow Moon has a homey, lived-in feel — like a conversation amongst old friends, with everyone showing their scars. You May Also Like: Rod Harris Jr., “I Can’t Tell You Why” from Exits andRead More
John Coltrane’s “Naima” is very likely his most covered song, and for good reason. The term “tone poem” gets tossed around a lot in the vicinity of any pretty, graceful melody, but this composition is the epitome of that term, and the beauty of it is evident in every coverRead More
