Esperanza Spalding comes into this already boasting an impressive resume: flinty jazz bassist, carmel-voiced chanteuse, Grammy sensation. With Radio Music Society, she clearly hopes to add another line: Pop star. You May Also Like: Buggles’ ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ Predicted the Music Industry’s Larger Shift

A huge find. Drummer Motian employed two saxes (Joe Lovano, Jim Pepper), bassist Ed Schuller and Bill Frisell (before he was really Bill Frisell, if ya know what I mean). OK, that’s not quite right about Frisell. He does use a volume pedal to get that attackless sound. But there’sRead More

It’s been some time since we’ve heard Vince Mendoza working in such a personal context. You May Also Like: Kait Dunton, with John D’earth – ‘Planet D’earth’ (2019) William Parker – ‘Mayan Space Station’ (2021) Jon Irabagon – ‘I Don’t Hear Nothin’ But the Blues Vol. 3: Anatomical Snuffbox’ (2020)

If you’re at all familiar with jazz bassist Marc Johnson you surely know about his classic 1987 album Second Sight (by his group Bass Desires). On that record, Johnson teamed up with Peter Erskine (drums) and the phenomenal guitar duo of Bill Frisell and John Scofield You May Also Like:Read More

by Tom Johnson This trio is basically Bill Frisell’s home away from home, it seems. If he’s not putting out his own solo album, it seems like you can almost count on something from this trio sooner or later, where he indulges his more straight-ahead jazz tendencies. The joy inRead More

by Mark Saleski You wouldn’t suppose that most musicians would look favorably upon being compared to an old pile of rocks. How about an old, organized pile of rocks? You May Also Like: Paul Bley, Gary Peacock + Paul Motian – ‘When Will The Blues Leave’ (1999, rel. 2019) BillRead More

by Pico Greatness begets greatness. That is almost universally true in jazz, where so many of the best players of a generation got their start playing for the best players of a prior generation. Miles Davis is one the best examples of a major figure to whom many other majorRead More

by S. Victor Aaron Brooklyn-born Steve Kuhn has not only enjoyed a long and fruitful career as a pianist of acclaim, but an interesting one as well. He studied classical piano under Margaret Chaloff, who also educated other jazz pianist luminaries like Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarrett. At thirteen, heRead More

by Pico At this time last year the sizzling straight-jazz band headed up by guitarist Dave Stryker and saxophonist/flautist Steve Slagle had a record out that we were making hay over, entitled Latest Outlook. The boys are back already with another batch of mostly original tunes called The Scene. AndRead More

by Pico David Stryker, like my main man John Scofield, is the kind of jazz guitarist who never seems satisfied with sticking in one style of music for too long. Earlier this week we presented a pretty damned impressive fusion side of his with 1998’s Shades Of Miles. Last year,Read More