photo: Mamoru Kobayakawa by S. Victor Aaron Here at Something Else we take a shining to rising young talent who puts a modern, interesting twist on jazz while honoring its tradition of deep harmony, creative improvisation and unselfish group symbiosis. That’s what I liked about E.J. Strickland’s debut album InRead More

by Pico One of the more amazing things about Pat Metheny has long been his ability to play music at it’s highest potential and, when the mood strikes him, make it entirely accessible at the same time. In that sense, he’s a modern day version of Louis Armstrong, who wasRead More

by S. Victor Aaron Jazz label Anzic Records is only about four years old but has already made a real impact for young, talented New York-based musicians. Co-founded by Israeli-born clarinet/saxophone whiz Anat Cohen (who was profiled in my list of “Young Lionesses” up-and-coming female jazz stars), this record companyRead More

by Nick DeRiso General Patterson’s “Shackville,” recorded with former bandmates from north Louisiana bar-band legends Howard Shaft, moves like a warm, rustling breeze through the treetops. Surprising, indeed, for an on-stage performer known for his rumbling Southern-fried blues grind. Where Patterson’s shows typically push out from the stage with aRead More

by Pico You know, it’s funny how making a record can be so quickly habit-forming for some. Here we have the early sixties regional garage band Mike And the Ravens who make a proper debut album about 48 years after they had formed. That’s right, folks, as in a fewRead More

by Pico Lately, a recent CD by Nicki Gonzalez has been getting out into wider release, this one being her first album in the newest phase of her varied music career: that of a solo hard-edged singer-songwriter. Washington, DC native and local star Gonzalez has been around the block aRead More

by Pico Duck Baker, as we noted here earlier this year, is a virtuosic fingerstyle guitarist. That last release, Everything That Rises Must Converge, showcased only a very small sliver of Baker’s passions. He can get enthused for artists ranging from George Jones and Andrew Hill to Clarence White andRead More

by Pico Maybe you’ve noticed the trend and maybe you haven’t, but there sure seems to be a whole lot more of the fairer sex among up-and-coming jazz players. I’ve found myself covering a lot more jazz records by female artists lately, and it hasn’t been by design; there areRead More

by S. Victor Aaron So let’s see… The saxophonist has played for such big names in jazz, soul and pop such as Nile Rodgers, The Crusaders, Aretha Franklin, Mike Stern, Dave Liebman and The Temptations. Eleven of his own records have appeared on the music charts. The trumpet player hasRead More

photo: Nitin Vadukal by S. Victor Aaron Yesterday marked the release of Stefon Harris’ seventh album, the urban-minded Urbanus. As this is the second album with his hip-hop/r&b/jazz vehicle Blackout, Urbanus marks the true follow-up to 2004’s Evolution (African Tarantula from 2006 was a delightful little excursion into Duke Ellington).Read More