by Tom Johnson Another slab of envelope-pushing jazz from Craig Taborn, one that relies heavily on the strong improvisatory skills of the band backing his keyboards and piano. You May Also Like: Craig Taborn’s Junk Magic – ‘Compass Confusion’ (2020) Tim Berne’s Hardcell [Berne, Craig Taborn + Tom Rainey] –Read More

Dancing with Duke, the second album as a leader from North Carolina bassist John Brown (Nnenna Freelon), follows the thematic pattern established by his well-received initial recording — a tribute to Art Blakey. But this homage to Ellington explores more interesting territory, in that Blakey’s music has always been associatedRead More

They say everything is bigger in Texas. Waco-born Mace Hibbard cuts an imposing figure, like someone who spent his Friday nights (and perhaps even Saturday afternoons) on the gridiron as a teenager. But to this son of notable Texas trumpet player Dave Hibbard, “big” means the full, dulcet sounds comingRead More

Nashville-based saxophonist Chris West continues an intriguing exploration of his own composition “Surprise,” this time alongside Jeff Coffin of the Dave Matthews Band. Appearing as the closing track on the new Disc 2 of his on-going Surprise Trilogy, “Surprise 3” finds West and Coffin intertwining through a series of conversationalRead More

Immediately recognizable saxophone voices: Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane. To this list we must add Jan Garbarek.

Pianist Augusto Pirodda, on his fifth long player, plays with the melodic, insinuating sensitivity that belies his brief recording career. You May Also Like: Paul Bley, Gary Peacock + Paul Motian – ‘When Will The Blues Leave’ (1999, rel. 2019) Michel Petrucciani, with Gary Peacock + Roy Haynes – ‘OneRead More

Warren Wolf, “427 Mass Ave.” by SomethingElse! Reviews Vibraphonist Warren Wolf is very, very talented, something he might have been aware of when he titled a past release Incredible Jazz Vibes, with a cover which looks conspicuously like Wes Montgomery’s for The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery. You MayRead More

A blossoming career that started in Birmingham, Alabama recently had a stop all the way over in Stockholm, Sweden. For tenor saxophonist Sean Nowell’s third album (all of which are on Posi-Tone Records, by the way), You May Also Like: Tom Tallitsch – Gratitude (2016)

By day, Mike Prigodich works at a software company, though as a kid he dreamt of becoming a professional jazz musician. It might have ended right there, but for a bout with cancer that began in November 2008. Inspired by the post-diagnosis successes of Lance Armstrong, with whom he sharedRead More

by Tom Johnson Spinning up Mercurial was like jumping in a time machine set for somewhere around 60-75 years ago. The Asylum Street Spankers bravely blazed their own trail far outside of mainstream music, offering pre-Charlie Parker swing jazz and jump-blues that once kept the flappers cavorting across dancefloors allRead More