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

The genius of Rob Mazurek doesn’t necessarily lie in all the musical ideas he has; it’s the modular approach he takes to those ideas. You May Also Like: Rob Mazurek’s Black Cube Marriage – Astral Cube (2017) Rob Mazurek – Chants And Corners (2017)

Next week, the progressively minded jazz clarinetist Ben Goldberg will treat us to not one but two new albums, each by nearly entirely different supporting musicians. You May Also Like: Dan Blacksberg – Radiant Others (2017) Ben Goldberg School – Vol 1: The Humanities (2017)

Making up tunes on stage isn’t for the feint of heart, but the best musicians like Keith Jarrett can handle it. You May Also Like: Dizzy Gillespie and Friends – Concert of the Century: A Tribute to Charlie Parker (2016) Kali Z. Fasteau, featuring Kidd Jordan – Intuit (2016)

Paul Motian’s death in late 2011 was a big loss, to be certain, but the still-vibrant 70-year-old Barry Altschul has for four decades demonstrated mastery over the finer points of jazz drumming, using its full range not just as a time keeping device but as a richly tonal instrument. YouRead More

In 2008, clarinetist Ben Goldberg assembled a conventional ensemble to record music with unconventional underpinnings. In 2012, Goldberg again assembled an ensemble to record music with unconventional underpinnings, but this time, the structure of the group for these later sessions is unconventional to match. You May Also Like: Ben GoldbergRead More

Confusion Bleue is a self-described “total improvisation unit” led by Japanese pianist Nobu Stowe (who also hold a PhD in Psychology) and Omaha native, drummer Ray Sage (formally of Reverb Motherfuckers). You May Also Like: Brian Groder Trio – R Train on the D Line (2016)

There are an awful lot of forward-thinking jazz musicians in Brooklyn and I’m going to tell you (once again) about one such group of guys. You May Also Like: Thollem – ‘Worlds In A Life, Two’ (2024) Thollem – ‘Worlds In A Life, One’ (2024) ‘Journey: Worlds Apart,’ by NickRead More

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuxpYZDQLnk&w=420&h=315] I like Mostly Other People Do The Killing (heretofore referred to as MOPDTK) because they’re merry musical marksmen, top drawer jazz musicians who shoot down every style they suggest. But I don’t know how many other people can dig this. You May Also Like: Mostly Other People DoRead More

As a member of many an experimental or edgy band (Herculaneum, Cursive, Icy Demons, Michael Columbia), it’s not hard to surmise that when drummer Dylan Ryan got around to leading his own band, it would be out on the margins of music, too. You May Also Like: How Robert PlantRead More