After a long layover from a lead role, the superb bassist and composer Michael Olatuja makes ‘Lagos Pepper Soup’ well worth the wait.

Jeff Ballard moves further away from mainstream jazz, while keeping himself challenged on the drums.

Across four careers that leave nothing left to prove, Holland, Potter, Harland and Loueke look to each other for further inspiration on ‘Aziza.’

‘The Signal’ is bold, personal and completely lucid audio art from Elizabeth Shepherd. It wouldn’t be overstating it at all to assert that this is the most important vocal jazz record of 2014.

She will change your perceptions of what a “jazz vocalist” in this day and age means.

Oran Etkin brings a childlike wonder to the clarinet, which is not just a passing comment in his case; the clarinetist and saxophonist has a school that teaches smalls kids up to age ten about music in an open and effective way through his Timbalooloo method. You May Also Like:Read More

Jeff Ballard is best known as Brad Mehldau’s longtime drummer and also one third of the critically acclaimed FLY trio with Mark Turner and Larry Grenadier. You May Also Like: Jeff Ballard – ‘Fairgrounds’ (2019) Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke, Eric Harland – Aziza (2016)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsNLlhogny0&w=500&h=305] I expected Joe Lovano, after an association dating back to 1981, to offer tribute to Paul Motian — the legend who died just two months before the saxist began Cross Culture. Instead, Lovano begins with a sun-drenched burst of joy. You May Also Like: Marcin Wasilewski Trio feat.Read More

When compiling my lists of best jazz records, broken up into 3 distinct areas of jazz, I used three criteria for inclusion on one of these lists: 1. Is it good enough? (duh) 2. Is it jazz? (duh) -and- 3. Have I already reviewed it in some form or another?Read More