feature photo: Bryan Murray Now boasting a remarkable ten albums over twenty years, Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York today takes another step forward with Fukushima (Libra Records), the first new recordings from Satoko Fujii’s American large ensemble project since 2014’s Shiki. The best big band leaders know how to exploitRead More

Though tim Berne’s Snakeoil band lives and thrives dangerously, ‘Incidentals’ never goes off the rails; there’s a constant sense of surprise but coupled with a sense of purpose.

Inspired by Susan Alcorn’s pedal steel guitar, ‘Away With You’ keeps Mary Halvorson’s idiosyncratic ideas fresh and pushes forward her boundless conception of jazz on the frontier.

It’s by far the most listenable effort led by Nick Millevoi, but lack of harshness, density and dissonance doesn’t mean the lack of art in ‘Desertion.’

Never out of ideas or ways for his band of super avanteers to exploit them, Brian Drye does it again. ‘Eggs Up High’ keeps the Bizingas’ creative zeal going strong.

Here is a review of Ben Goldberg’s ‘Orphic Machine’, his salute to the influence of his old college professor, the late poet Allen Grossman. Goldberg, once again sublimely assimilates so many disparate influences, and is able to distill them into a product he projects through his own, kaleidoscopic lens.

A record that’s equally capable of enchanting you and pummeling you with many shades of aura in between, ‘Palo Colorado Dream’ catapults Anthony Pirog into the corps of elite experimental guitarists.

I used to call this the “whack jazz” (or is that “wack” jazz?) list, but I found that term to be too restrictive for what’s being presented below. You May Also Like: Harrison Bankhead and Paul de Jong – ‘Freedom’ (2020) Bobby Kapp + Matthew Shipp – Cactus (2016) DavidRead More