Appeared in the September 2014 edition of the New York City Jazz Record.
Recently, I had the honor of being asked to provide liner notes for a solo saxophone album by Paulo Chagas. It was my pleasure to do this, and in lieu of a typical review, I am posting my notes here, with a link to the recording which is available fromdarkpebble-blue wave.
ByPaul Acquaro
I’m on the commuter train, listening to a very early mix …
Readers be warned: the following album is firmly planted in the jazz-rock fusion category – though there is plenty of freedom to be found within these well crafted tunes…
Atmospheric melodies, biting guitar lines, driving complex rhythms all come together so seamlessly and fresh on Daniel Rosenboom’s Fire Keeper that you might think the styl…
The Zürich Concert is a slowly unfolding and unpredictable album from saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock. Recorded after a Südwestrundfunk (German public radio) sponsored opportunity to work with cohorts from New York and London, the Ingrid Laubrock Octet’s Live in Zurich was recorded at a subsequent tour date. The group has a cast of musicians draw…
ByStef
I like many ensemble formats, and depending on the mood of the day, some get preference over another. When you’re in an atmosphere of quiet introspection, or calm availability, or intellectual sensitivity, the trumpet piano duet is often my preferred listening companion. Often, the technical quality is good, the chamber-like sounds do not f…
The Music of Everything – BFP by New York based guitarist Jeffrey Hayden Shurdut is a digital only EP-length release, that while only 20 minutes long, covers a lot of sonic ground. Recorded during two dates during the summer of 2013 at Brooklyn Fire Proof, Shurdut, along withLandon Knoblock , Kevin Shea, John Letman, Sean Sonderegger, Harvey V…
A found box of 10 minute cassette tapes inspired guitarist Ross Hammond to create the extremely limited release ‘Shiner’. Recorded with drummer Jon Bafus, the two five minute tracks serve as a succinct teaser of Hammond’s earth-toned ouvre.
Side A features ‘Tones for Roscoe Mitchell’, finds the duo spinning some gritty and kinetic melodies. Th…
Two new recordings from RareNoise show quite different sides of the playing of keyboardist Jamie Saft. Deep dark organ on one and a modern jazz piano approach on the other.
Plymouth – Plymouth (RareNoise, 2014) ****½
It would probably be incorrect to call either of these recordings a Jamie Saft album, as they are both strong group effort…
Paul Flaherty and Randall Colbourne – Ironic Havoc (Relative Pitch, 2014) ****
Paul Flaherty and Randall Colbourne’sIronic Havocrepresents quite well the forward thinking recordings being released by the Relative Pitch label. Like the Jack and Ben Wright album released earlier this year, this saxophone duo works the limits of their instrume…
Percussionist and composer Vijay Anderson’s Touch and Go Sextet’sLive at the Novara Jazz Festivalhas been languishing in my iPod for months now. This is a shame because it’s an excellent piece of work that could also already be sitting in your iPods (or whatever device you prefer).
Recorded at the Novara Jazz Festival in Italy in 2012, the rec…
Trumpeter Brian Groder’s triowith bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Jay Rosen is a real treat. Their albumReflexology is an expertly crafted mix of composition and improvisation that delivers something more than a sum of its parts.
Lacking a chordal instrument, the trio has a lot of space to fill, which they do – to some extent – while stickin…
Back in November, during the dates that Live at the Village Vanguard was recorded, we were packed in tight in the legendary jazz club’s small triangular subterranean space. Much to our chagrin, the people sitting mere inches to our left were whistling and hooting at every loud sound that emanated from the stage. We agitated, tried shushing, and…
