This is a drummer’s record but not a record about drum solos. Musically, however, it’s about a lot of other things, like rhumba, West African, reggae, Moroccan, Afro-Cuban, funk-fusion and, finally jazz. You May Also Like: Daniel Carter, William Parker, Matthew Shipp – Seraphic Light, Live at Tufts University (2018)Read More

by Mark Saleski Reviewers sometimes get too caught up playing the label game: jazz, pop, world (ah, the ambiguous catch-all label), rock, ambient. Whenever a writer struggles with material that lacks a definite musical anchor, I am reminded of the transformation seen through Miles Davis’ electric years. You May AlsoRead More

Bassist Matt Geraghty found the perfect name for his new contemporary jazz release, since Departure moves so very far outside of the expectations for labels like “contemporary jazz.” You May Also Like: Pre-Fame Bob Dylan Struck a Rebel’s Pose, But Not Woody Guthrie’s Avishai Cohen’s Melodic, Masterful Gently Disturbed WasRead More

by S. Victor Aaron Avishai Cohen, the trumpet player, was last seen nearly two years ago in conjunction with his 2008 release Flood, a sparsely configured work where he sought to push against the outer boundaries of jazz using just his trumpet accompanied by only piano and percussion. This year’sRead More

by S. Victor Aaron A record that truly lives up to its title, composer, arranger and horn player Rafi Malkiel creates a stew of orchestral klezmer jazz, Latin jazz, classical, and European folk music that is themed around H2O. Throughout every cut, water can be heard as a percussion instrument,Read More