“Write for larger ensembles,” advised Anthony Braxton to one of his brightest protégés. You May Also Like: Mary Halvorson Octet – Away With You (2016) Mary Halvorson – ‘Cloudward’ (2024)

It’s hot, it’s humid, it’s…almost July? Well, mid-year has once again snuck up on me. Time to recap the (fantastic) musical half-year that has apparently flown by. You May Also Like: Matthew Shipp Trio – ‘World Construct’ (2022) Matthew Shipp Trio – ‘New Concepts in Piano Trio Jazz’ (2024)

Curtis Hasselbring heads up a couple of bands and on the spy-themed Number Stations he rubs them together and watches the sparks fly. You May Also Like: Chris Lightcap – Superette (2018) Mary Halvorson – ‘Cloudward’ (2024)

Ches Smith’s These Arches boasts a line-up so powerful I had to check the statute books to see if this grouping was even legal. You May Also Like: The Sunny Four [David Torn, Aurora Nealand, Ches Smith + Tim Berne] – ‘MYSTIC’ (2023) Ches Smith – ‘Laugh Ash’ (2024) SunRead More

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLMme9ItKCw?rel=0&w=420&h=236] Well, of course I don’t think jazz is stupid. I love jazz. But that didn’t stop me from laughing out loud when this scene showed up out of nowhere in a recent episode of The Office. You May Also Like: Mark Wingfield: The Albums That Shaped My CareerRead 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

<<< Part Two, Mainstream and Modern Jazz ||| Part 4, Fusion Jazz >>> In continuing with a long-held tradition, I’ve parsed out the jazz that goes avant-garde from the more conventional stuff. You May Also Like: Jimmy Haslip, jazz bassist: The Albums That Shaped My Career

After two goes at an annual Official™ Something Else! Top 10 list, we’ve decided to introduce a mid-year edition — for those who simply can’t wait for the Christmas sales You May Also Like: No related posts.

If you happened to peruse the Half-Year List of Top Albums for 2012 for Modern and Mainstream Jazz before this list and you’ve been keeping up with the latest jazz releases, you might have wondered, “Where’s that new Matthew Shipp?” You May Also Like: No related posts.

“Bending Bridges,” reveals Mary Halvorson, “is a title I came up with in a semi-conscious state”, the same as how most of the titles in her songs come about. You May Also Like: Mary Halvorson Octet – Away With You (2016) Mary Halvorson – ‘Cloudward’ (2024)