My monthly list of recommended CDs, as published in The New York City Jazz Record, July 2012: Bill Carrothers, Family Life (Pirouet) Darius Jones, Book of Mae’bul: Another Kind of Sunrise (Aum Fidelity) Branford Marsalis Quartet, Four MF’s Playing Tunes (Marsalis Music) Bob Mintzer Big Band, For the Moment (MCG) Aruán Ortiz, Santiarican Blues Suite (Sunnyside) Jesse Stacken, Bagatelles for Trio
From the June 2012 issue of The New York City Jazz Record: — Jazz musicians often develop uncanny systems of nonverbal communication. But tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath, 85, and drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath, 76, share a closer and longer bond than most, and the playful onstage code they’ve evolved seems to guide every performance by the Heath Brothers Quartet. Kicking off
My monthly list of recommended CDs, as published in The New York City Jazz Record, June 2012: Chick Corea, The Continents (Deutsche Grammophon) Linda Oh, Initial Here (Greenleaf) Eivind Opsvik, Overseas IV (Loyal Label) Ulysses Owens Jr., Unanimous (Criss Cross) Phronesis, Walking Dark (Edition) Larry Willis, This Time the Dream’s On Me (HighNote)
In the new issue of Philadelphia Weekly: Erik Deutsch Sun., June 3, 9pm. $10. World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St. 215.222.1400 www.worldcafelive.com There’s much to live up to when you title your new album Demonio Teclado, or “demon keyboard.” But Erik Deutsch, on the piano, Rhodes, organ and other teclados, has all the requisite skills. The former Coloradan and current
My story on the Center City Jazz Festival in Philadelphia, now online at A Blog Supreme.
This review appears in the May 2012 issue of The New York City Jazz Record. — Aaron Diehl Trio Live at the Players (ind.) By David R. Adler Pianist Aaron Diehl is a young Juilliard graduate, a scholarly devotee of Fats Waller, James P. Johnson and even earlier figures. His work on record reveals absolutely no debt to hip-hop, indie rock,
This review appears in the May 2012 issue of The New York City Jazz Record. — David Bindman Ensemble Sunset Park Polyphony (ind.) By David R. Adler It takes a wealth of ideas and inspiration to fill two CDs, and saxophonist David Bindman justifies his large-canvas approach at every step on Sunset Park Polyphony. There are four substantial pieces on
From the May 2012 issue of The New York City Jazz Record: — Pianist Craig Taborn has gigged with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Gerald Cleaver for a number of years, but it took the trio all this time finally to play New York. The late Saturday set at the Village Vanguard (April 7) moved from deep abstraction and stillness to