Marcus Roberts, “The Mystery of Romance” (2014): One Track Mind
After a period of retrenchment that saw Marcus Roberts rejoining early mentor Wynton Marsalis, this shows he’s ready for a more adventurous path.

After a period of retrenchment that saw Marcus Roberts rejoining early mentor Wynton Marsalis, this shows he’s ready for a more adventurous path.

A musical scrapbook for pianist Jim Clayton’s child, who had not yet hit the ripe old age of three at the time of recording, Songs My Daughter Knows is a refreshing and moving jazz record. You May Also Like: Shawn E. Hansen, Mike Pride + Clayton Thomas – ‘DREAMBAND’ (2023)Read More

Sometimes music is about hearing two masters of their craft jam together, amazing listeners with their sheer artistry. That summarizes Across The Imaginary Divide You May Also Like: Bela Fleck, Robin McKelle, Delfeayo Marsalis + Others: Five For the Road Radical Empathy Trio – ‘Reality and Other Imaginary Places’ (2019)

Ellis Marsalis’ ‘New Orleans Christmas Carol’ is a showcase for the underexposed patriarch of the city’s first family of jazz, and a record of sumptuous charm.

Putting together a luxe coffee-table book honoring the city of his birth clearly got Irvin Mayfield in a nostalgic mood. You May Also Like: The Blind Boys of Alabama’s Down in New Orleans added a new musical wrinkle New Orleans at 300: In Search of Jazz

Delfeayo Marsalis doesn’t just rediscover Duke Ellington. He reanimates Ellington as a living breathing thing, a collaborative voice.

by Pico Of all the sax-organ-sousaphone-drums ensembles out there, John Ellis & his Double-Wide ensemble really do stand out. That might be because there aren’t any other such ensembles out there. To get to this point where he’s leading such an unusual combo, North Carolina native John Ellis had beenRead More

NICK DERISO: Sequencing an album by the New Orleans-based Irish folkie Beth Patterson must be like trying to make sense of a series of radio stations. The first track on her debut solo CD was a classic reel, one of those familiar yet still luminous moments with the swirling rhythmsRead More

NICK DERISO: As Mardi Gras dawns in a reborn New Orleans, we provide your cool-rocking road map to some recommended local hot spots. Now, most will say Preservation Hall, next to Pat O’s. But that’s overrated, and too crowded for our tastes. A sampling from elsewhere — though the listRead More