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Living under the Glow of Music: Leader/Tenor Sax Player Mateusz Chorazewicz Shows How
Releasing three singles over three seasons, leader Mateusz Chorazewicz’s group Hippocampus Ex is starting with the first track, “Sunrise.” Solid beats and low, easy harmonies (there is something stately about this song) lay the floor for the poetry of C. K. Norwid artfully expressed by vocal artist Nick Sinckler. It’s a thought piece, an experiential... Continue Reading →
A Velvet Touch with a Glimmering Horn: Jimmy Leach Sings Chet Baker
Inspired by the songs of the great Chet Baker, Oklahoma-based trumpet player and vocalist Jimmy Leach has reimagined some classic tunes (Jimmy Burke’s “It’s Always You” or “The Thrill is Gone” by Lew Brown) and added his own flair. Leach, who has played the Star-Spangled Banner at two Red Sox games in Fenway Park, performed... Continue Reading →
The Fall and Rise of a Stanza: Lena Bloch Honors Russian Poet Marina Tsvetaeva
If we’re talking food, Lena Bloch’s saxophone is a pouring of honey, a warm trickle of red wine and a bite of the crisp, sweet and salty in turn. Describing herself as a “long-time disciple of Lee Konitz” (see below) and having studied under other greats such as David Liebman, Yusef Lateef, Joe Lovano and... Continue Reading →
Braiding Harmony with Style: Eva Kess’s New CD Inter-Musical Love Letter
There’s something light, fizzy even, about the tones and colors of Eva Kess’s music. The double bassist who was born in Berlin has released a new CD titled Inter-Musical Love Letter. Within it are ten original compositions that traverse all the corners of the universe, driven by an engaging and engaged 14-piece ensemble. All of... Continue Reading →
A Bear Hug of Jazz Goodness: New CD Red Beats by Drummer/Composer Steve Fidyk
If you love big band and want to keep that amazing, engaging and evocative classic feeling but you’re writing brand new music, how do you infuse extra flavor and dimension? Ask Steve Fidyk. His upcoming CD, Red Beats, features nine newborn songs that he turned over to some of the most exciting dyed-in-the-wool big band... Continue Reading →
New Film JazzTown by Ben Makinen is Transportive, Immersive, Exciting
What does jazz’s Old Guard think of the music industry today and what was it like to come up into it? Filmmaker/producer, drummer and jazz lover Ben Makinen has just released a documentary called JazzTown that examines the changes in the music biz and the performing life. With a loving eye to the greats who... Continue Reading →
Shaping the Air Around Her: Yuko Kawasaki’s New CD, City Counterpoint
The new release from vocalist Yuko Kawasaki, City Counterpoint, is proof that even during strange times, art born of passion will ultimately rise to the top. Beset by delays from the lockdown, Kawasaki and her musical colleagues have produced a scattering of tracks that have a quality of hope, harmony and better times on the... Continue Reading →
All Who Listen Have Fortunate Ears: “The Silent Call” from Szabolcs Oláh
He is a jazz guitarist, composer and arranger based in Hungary who started his musical life on violin. Five lush, involving, intricate yet astoundingly listenable tracks make up Szabolcs Oláh’s new CD, “The Silent Call.” Some of the most beautiful new music this reviewer has ever heard. Oláh’s classical roots show through in music that... Continue Reading →
Complex, crystal beats: Chloe Kim on drums
Playing the drums expertly and cleanly comes easily to Australia-based percussionist Chloe Kim. She cut her teeth on the Jazz Studies Program at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and went on to complete her master’s in research in 2021. A versatile pro who is invested in many different kinds of music, she is active in... Continue Reading →
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