by Pico It must have been quite a journey for a life that started out in the wide open ranges of Montana and ended up in the hustle and bustle of the New York jazz scene, but trumpet player Jim Rotondi got there with an assist from the late, greatRead More

by S. Victor Aaron It’s not that hard to discern the message behind the title of Billy Bang’s brand new album Prayer For Peace. And just in case you’re not sure, Bang clarifies beyond all doubt in the liner notes: We do not need war, any kind of war, especiallyRead More

by S. Victor Aaron It could be argued that Houston, Texas is one of the major gestation points for smooth jazz sax stars. Ronnie Laws and Kirk Whalum came from what Laws calls the Bayou City of the Future. Also, let’s not forget that Wilton Felder, Joe Sample and theRead More

by Mark Saleski There are some things in this world that at first appear to be encased in mystery, the secrets of which can only be revealed by the “experts” — free-verse poetry, modern art, okra. It turns out that no special knowledge is required to appreciate these things. You’veRead More

by Pico Even as a small child growing up in Japan, jazz pianist Hiroe Sekine loved to pick out melodies she heard, such as the Japanese folk tunes emanating from her Mom’s pedal organ. Today represents a culmination of that life long passion with the release of her debut albumRead More

by S. Victor Aaron It’s not unusual at all for the tenor sax and the vibraphone to appear on the same jazz record; we’ve heard these on countless jazz recordings. But by co-leading a record, saxophonist Ken Fowser and vibraphonist Behn Gillece gives us fairly rare opportunity to hear bothRead More

A couple of years ago, pianist Jay D’Amico put out a record that made a fine illustration of his ability to combine the classical stylings of Chopin with the suppleness and relaxed feel of a traditional jazz trio. Tuscan Prelude: Jazz Under Glass was a successful melding of the styles,Read More

by Pico Acoustic bassist Harvie S has appeared on over 350 recordings for a very good reason. He has an unshakeable sense of swing, a flawless tone and otherworldly dexterity on his instrument. For a example of his amazing technique, just eyeball the video I embedded in a recent reviewRead More

by Pico Last May 7, Piloo Records issued the 5th album by pianist, composer and vocalist Kerry Politzer, called Blue In Blue. Playing the piano since the age of four, Politzer studied classical piano for 14 years before falling under the spell of jazz, and she has committed herself toRead More

by S. Victor Aaron Wallace Roney’s live album that bowed last spring is a good record for several reasons, first and foremost because of the trumpet player’s dexterity on the brass horn. In our brief review of If Only For One Night, I didn’t have room to say much aboutRead More