Billy Hart had made a name for himself quite a long time ago drumming in bands or recording dates led by Wes Montgomery, Jimmy Smith, Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi, Shirley Horn, Miles Davis, McCoy Tyner and Sten Getz, You May Also Like: Beth Hart, “Mechanical Heart” from Better Than Home (2015):Read More

Though my mind sometimes likes to classify all “big band” jazz into that Benny Goodman/Glenn Miller/Paul Whiteman box, doing so ignores the innovations in working with larger groups brought by Fletcher Henderson, Sun Ra and, mostly prominently, Duke Ellington. You May Also Like: Rickie Lee Jones, Alexis Evans, Shawn MaxwellRead More

Randy Ingram was part of a cluster of new talent that was being brought to light by the Brooklyn Underground Jazz record label in the late aughts. The Road Ahead (2009) was a solid debut for the California-raised pianist and composer. You May Also Like: Wilco (The Album) echoed, butRead More

Akuma is the first album by rising saxophone star Sly 5th Ave, wrung from the sweat of him waiting tables in this self-financed album that’s been two years in the making. You May Also Like: How the Overlooked ‘Menlove Ave’ Put John Lennon In His Best Light Meshell Ndegeocello –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)

As a bandleader and award-winning composer, saxophonist Pete Robbins never stands still, crafting each album using some different dimension. You May Also Like: Vijay Iyer – ‘Compassion’ (2024) Vijay Iyer Sextet – Far From Over (2017) Tyshawn Sorey Trio – ‘Continuing’ (2023)

Making the labored sound simple must be one of the tallest orders for any jazz musician, but that seems to come naturally to Philadelphia-based saxophonist Ian O’Beirne. You May Also Like: Inside Deep Purple’s unique collaborative relationship with Ian Gillan: ‘We have a weird dynamic, but it works’ Ian GillanRead More

Four years ago, up-and-coming alto saxophonist Sarah Manning marked her arrival to the NYC scene with her first album with Posi-Tone, Dandelion Clock (2010), and it made waves. You May Also Like: John Manning – ‘White Bear’ (1971): Forgotten Series Michael Dease – Decisions (2015)

You know how one bulb goes out on a strand of Christmas lights and the whole strand goes dark? That’s because the lights are connected “in series.” Gavin Templeton makes the same observation in life and society in general You May Also Like: Dan Rosenboom – ‘Points on an InfiniteRead More

John Abercrombie was one of the key jazz guitarists to emerge in the mid-’70s, along with John Scofield and Pat Metheny, and an Abercrombie ECM album has been a steady occurrence since You May Also Like: Steve Million – ‘What I Meant to Say’ (2021) John Surman – ‘Words Unspoken’Read More