An excellent trio session from pianist Jim McNeely, bassist Kelly Sill, and drummer Joel Spencer. The Chicago-based trio has been collaborating in various forms for years, and the tightness of the ensemble is apparent in the interplay between musicians here. McNeely takes the lead for much of the album (being the pianist, of course), and shows off some noteworthy chops on standards like "In Your Own Sweet Way" and originals (such as the... read more
Sam Yahel Trio
The Village Vanguard
New York, NY
July 17, 2011
The world has changed in numerous and startling ways since pianist Bill Evans recorded Sunday At The Village Vanguard (Riverside, 1961) a half century ago, but two things remain as consistent as the rising and setting of the sun: The Village Vanguard still presents the best that jazz has to offer, and boundary-pushing piano trios are still an important part of the mix that they... read more
A fixture on the Chicago scene, versatile bassist-composer-bandleader Marlene Rosenberg is joined on the smart, eminently swinging set by three Windy City transplants: guitarist Scott Hesse, Parisia-born drummer Makaya McCraven and the fine saxophonist Geof Bradfield. Rosenberg reveals key influences -- namely Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter -- on "Tale of Two Monk Keys," which points up her woody, robust upright tone, and on the mysterious... read more
Tom Collier is a bit of a character as, can be attested by the YouTube videos below. He has served as Director of Percussion Studies at the University of Washington since 1980. In 2011, he was appointed Chair of Jazz Studies at the school, and was awarded the Adelaide D. Currie Cole Endowed Professorship in the School of Music for the academic years 2011-2014. He is, indeed, having a good year. His last recording, Mallett Fantasique (Origin... read more
Florian Hoffner takes the piano in solo form on this collection of originals performed both in concert and studio. His touch is calm, assured and assuring on sublime pieces such as "The Send" and "Sunset Bay." He creates reflective moments of gentle foamy currents during "Never Lost" and "The Great Auk" as the whole album feels like a stroll through... read more
If you ask me, the "improbable solution" at which keyboardist/composer Bill Anschell arrived in creating this album had to do with creating a program that draws equally on the straight-ahead jazz verities and on forward-thinking experimentation without sacrificing one for the other. Very few are able to strike that balance, and his achievement here is significant. Compare, for example, the rockish and melodically angular "Is This Thing Even On?"... read more
This (mostly) Seattle group lives in the modern jazz world, making original music that is somewhere between straight ahead and chamber jazz. Soprano saxophonist Brent Jensen, pianist Bill Anschell, bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop are all veteran musicians, and the interplay is tight, letting the group move as a quartet, and allowing the individual members chances to solo within the arrangements. The title track is a journey that... read more
Darrell Grant has said, "I choose to believe in the power of humans to change the world ? I believe that we who create art possess an extraordinary power to communicate, inspire, provoke, inform and to move others to transform society."
Truth and Reconciliation is an ambitious double album that attempts nothing less than putting the above beliefs into practice. A piano trio with John Patitucci and Brian Blade is the foundation from which Grant... read more
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Abate Berihun & The Addis Ken Project - Addis Ken
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Jared Hall - Hometown
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Dawn Clement - Dear Ms. Dearie
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Brad Goode Quintet Feat. Ernie Watts - Live Your Dream: Live at North Street Cabaret
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