When you peel away all chordal instruments, the rhythm section gets exposed. That can be a delight or a disaster, but in the case of Toronto’s October Trio, it’s the former. Evan Arntzen’s sax or clarinet has a lot of character, a product of his expressive articulation, but Josh Cole’sRead More

Groove55 sustains both interest and delight over the course of the terrific A la Carte through intelligent interplay and a deft ability to confound expectations. That starts with the musical symbiosis found within this Canadian band You May Also Like: Adam Steffeck – Aviator (2017) Adam Larson Band – ‘ListenRead More

Trumpeter Justin Walter sensed that his latest album Stars was destined to be out of the ordinary. “I was very aware from the beginning that this was going to be a strange album,” he acknowledges, “but I also wanted it to be a serious album.” You May Also Like: RobertRead More

January brought in-depth talks with progressive rock legends Greg Lake and Steve Hackett, new blues from Dion and sweet standards from Paul McCartney. Also, a final collaboration between Charlie Haden and Hank Jones, and a long-awaited reunion of David Lee Roth with Van Halen. The only thing that could haveRead More

Trumpeter Nicholas Payton has announced a 90-day personal moratorium on using the word “jazz,” according to a new interview posted at MLive.com. “On March 7,” Payton says, “I’m definitely going to start using it again.” You May Also Like: Nicholas Payton – ‘Smoke Sessions’ (2021)

It’s yet another tribute to the singular artistry of Bill Evans, but this one has a special plot line: the drummer played for Evans in one era and the bassist played for him in another era. You May Also Like: Bill Evans – Another Time: The Hilversum Concert (2017) TheRead More

Recording a collection of well-known standards for the forthcoming Kisses on the Bottom, despite its cheeky title, was something of a challenge for Paul McCartney. You May Also Like: Why Paul McCartney’s ‘Kisses on the Bottom’ Was the Perfect LP at the Perfect Time Paul McCartney – ‘The Lyrics’ (2021):Read More

Both Pete Robbins’ band and music represents reaching across from one space to another. The aptly named Transatlantic Quartet consists of musicians on either side of the “pond,” starting with the Massachusetts saxophonist Robbins You May Also Like: Albert Ayler Quartet – Copenhagen Live 1964 (2017) Matthew Shipp Quartet –Read More

Welcome back to our weekly rundown of notable upcoming music projects — both new and reissue. You May Also Like: Jeff Lorber: The Albums That Shaped My Career

This was a near-total crapshoot. I’ve never heard of guitarist Dorge, but the names Billy Hart (drums) and John Tchicai (soprano and alto sax) were familiar. This is mostly straight ahead jazz with a fair bit of angularity. Dorge’s playing goes from the ethereal to way out there. He hasRead More