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

Trigonometry, the third album by alto saxophone rising star Jacám Manricks, was a stellar post-bop set. It was just the kind of record you’d expect with a guy of his experience, education and raw talent You May Also Like: Organ Freeman – Respect My Art (2017)

Pat Metheny introduces a new twist or turn with each album, and he’s taken so many turns, he’s bound to end up in a spot he’s been in before. You May Also Like: Pat Metheny – ‘From This Place’ (2020) Pat Metheny, “You Are” from ‘From This Place’ (2019): OneRead More

Edward LaRose’s painting on the cover, itself so full of ying-and-yang dualities, sets an expectant tone for Ralph Peterson’s layered and challenging new recording — and the drummer delivers. You May Also Like: How the Dr. John-Led ‘Bluesiana’ Sequel Somehow Matched the Original Cuong Vu 4-Tet, featuring Bill Frisell –Read More

With Beyond the Blue, jazz vocalist Tessa Souter expertly blends European classical tropes with the jazz spirit. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Sounding something like the classic Blue Note recordings of trombonist Curtis Fuller’s youth, Down Home has an in-the-pocket joy that’s contagious. You May Also Like: Richard Turgeon, “A New Shade of Blue” (2020): One Track Mind

Johnny DeBlase plays bass for a couple of thrash-jazz bands, including one of my personal favorites, Many Arms. You May Also Like: Desertion Trio – ‘Numbers Maker’ (2021)

Sometimes an artist’s lack of success in America remains a puzzle. No better example exists than Randy Crawford, the rare R&B vocalist who can handle jazz with equal aplomb. You May Also Like: No related posts.

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