Since around the 13th century, the Kouyaté family has upheld a proud tradition as oral historians and folk virtuosic musicians, or griots, serving ancient kings who once ruled over West Africa. You May Also Like: Matt Mitchell – ‘Phalanx Ambassadors’ (2019) Eric Bibb – ‘Global Griot’ (2018) Giorgi Mikadze –Read More

The name “Grant Geissman” comes up and my mind’s radio instantly tunes to Chuck Mangione’s 1978 hit “Feels So Good,” the highlight of which is Geissman’s flashy guitar solo You May Also Like: David Garfield, “Sir Charles” from ‘Stretchin’ Outside the Box’ (2020): One Track Mind

Travel back with us now to a time when rock stars, given a chance to make one good album, would often double down. Did “more” necessarily equal “better”? Well, no, actually. But that’s an argument for a different day. You May Also Like: Liberty Ellman – ‘Last Desert’ (2020) DanRead More

It used to be, “West Coast jazz” meant Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Shelly Manne and Chet Baker. When thinking of West Coast jazz today, my thoughts tend toward Scott Amendola, Alex Cline, Sarah Wilson, Will Bernard, Rich Halley, Jeff Gauthier You May Also Like: Rich Halley 5 – The OutlierRead More

Guitarist Ryan Meagher describes his music in very straightforward terms; he calls it “modern jazz for the indie rocker.” You May Also Like: Vinnie Sperrazza – Juxtaposition (2017) Vinnie Sperrazza Apocryphal – Hide Ye Idols (2017)

And now for the final installment of my first-ever, mid-year assessment of what are the best records we’ve covered here on SER. This time, we survey that murky hybrid world called “fusion jazz.” You May Also Like: Jeff Lorber Fusion – ‘The Drop’ (2023)

Nearly every fusion jazz artist has a straight jazz side inside of them, and although not as often, the reverse is often true, too. You May Also Like: Pearcy / Gratzmiller Jazz Quintet – ‘Over the Edge’ (2018) Rob Reddy – Citizen Quintet (2016)

Already, we’ve seen the blues and jazz genres enlivened by a series of out-of-nowhere surprises that included Little Feat, Wes Montgomery (yes, Wes Montgomery!) and Bonnie Raitt — even as a new supergroup of fusion-heroes formed. Spectrum Road muscled its way onto this list thanks to virtuoso performances by theRead More

Return to Forever, as Lenny White proudly told me, was a “jazz quartet on steroids” — with all of the muscular virtuosity and boisterous flourishes implied. Enter violinist Jean-Luc Ponty You May Also Like: Return to Forever’s Surprise ‘Returns’ Smartly Focused on the Past How ‘Stanley Clarke Band Featuring Hiromi’Read More

There might not be a more accurate title for a Mike Stern album than the one coming out next week. You May Also Like: Mike Stern – Trip (2017) Mike Stern and Jeff Lorber Fusion – ‘Eleven’ (2019)