Bobby Watson, over a career that began with his meteoric rise to musical director in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers at the turn of the 1980s, hasn’t shied away from the political. You May Also Like: Midnight North – Stayin’ Single, Drinkin’ Doubles EP (2015) On Eric Weissberg, Doc Watson andRead More

Here’s my look at jazz guitar records that didn’t get their due. You May Also Like: How John McLaughlin’s First 4th Dimension Album Brought Things Back in Focus John McLaughlin – Black Light (2015) John McLaughlin’s Shakti – ‘This Moment’ (2023)

This double-album set features late-period performances by the Jazz Messengers found years after Art Blakey passed away.

by Nick DeRiso You hear Beatles songs remade by jazz musicians with notable frequency, some more successful (Jaco Pastorius‘ glorious reading of the oft-covered “Blackbird” from “Word of Mouth”; a just-right “All My Loving” on “Basie’s Beatles Bag”; Ramsey Lewis‘ underrated “Hard Day’s Night” from “Finest Hour”) than others (almostRead More

Funky and tough, the Jazz Messengers were, until the very end, a group best heard blasting away on stage as vital, hard bop pioneers. That made this the definitive late-period release from Art Blakey. “Art Collection” features two celebrated tracks with Wynton and Branford Marsalis, as well as one withRead More

by Nick DeRiso Imagine a swinging Chopin, or Chick Corea with a case of classical gas. That’s the vision of James L. Mack — and it comes into focus on “Pride of Lions,” featuring a slew of stars from Tony Williams and Roy Hargrove, to Bobby Watson and Philip Bailey.Read More

by S. Victor Aaron My look at jazz guitar records that didn’t get their due. You May Also Like: Pat Martino + Jim Ridl, “The Phineas Trane” from Nexus (2015) How John McLaughlin’s First 4th Dimension Album Brought Things Back in Focus John McLaughlin – Black Light (2015)