Though my mind sometimes likes to classify all “big band” jazz into that Benny Goodman/Glenn Miller/Paul Whiteman box, doing so ignores the innovations in working with larger groups brought by Fletcher Henderson, Sun Ra and, mostly prominently, Duke Ellington. You May Also Like: Rickie Lee Jones, Alexis Evans, Shawn MaxwellRead More

Powerful pianists can often be impressive, but I’m more impressed if a pianist never has to mash the pedal to capture my ears. You May Also Like: Jeff Oster – ‘Reach’ (2018)

Randy Ingram was part of a cluster of new talent that was being brought to light by the Brooklyn Underground Jazz record label in the late aughts. The Road Ahead (2009) was a solid debut for the California-raised pianist and composer. You May Also Like: Wilco’s ‘Sky Blue Sky’ WasRead More

It’s impossible to cover the current jazz scene and not soon encounter saxophone extraordinaire Jon Irabagon. You don’t have to look for him, he’ll just show up on various performances You May Also Like: Mark Helias’ Open Loose – ‘The Third Proposition’ (2020) Barry Altschul & The 3Dom Factor –Read More

I have to admit that intellectually, I was not prepared for 80/81. I had not yet listened to enough jazz music. American Garage, First Circle, Kind of Blue and Weather Report’s 8:30 rounded out nearly my entire listening discography. It just wasn’t enough. And even when I finally took theRead More

By day, it is just another cafe. However, at night Cafe Oto is a very different place.

Growing up in Bonny Doon, California, a picturesque hamlet near Santa Cruz where the land quickly transforms from open coastal terraces to thick, mountainside redwood forests, one can easily acquire a childlike wonderment of natural beauty. You May Also Like: Ben Goldberg School – Vol 1: The Humanities (2017)

Akuma is the first album by rising saxophone star Sly 5th Ave, wrung from the sweat of him waiting tables in this self-financed album that’s been two years in the making. You May Also Like: How the Overlooked ‘Menlove Ave’ Put John Lennon In His Best Light Meshell Ndegeocello –Read More

Jeff Ballard is best known as Brad Mehldau’s longtime drummer and also one third of the critically acclaimed FLY trio with Mark Turner and Larry Grenadier. You May Also Like: Jeff Ballard – ‘Fairgrounds’ (2019) Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke, Eric Harland – Aziza (2016)

A lot of jazz saxophonists strive to sound spiritual but for James Brandon Lewis, that’s part of who he’s always been. You May Also Like: James Brandon Lewis Trio – No Filter (2016) James Brandon Lewis – ‘Transfiguration’ (2024) James Brandon Lewis + The Red Lily Quintet – ‘For Mahalia,Read More