It’s like play, like repartee: each voice or instrument stands up to do a poem. In this case, three poems. This is sax player José Lencastre’s new album “Anthropic Neglect” which features guitar (often used percussively with myriad attacks on the strings); a sax that stops, starts, repeats a motif, breathes and starts again; and... Continue Reading →
Two friends who create music from puzzle pieces that snap harmoniously into one another are about to release their first EP called “Hidden Depths.” It's an easy ride to the perfect bite: great melody, skilled improv and intuitive pacing, featuring Chris Bestwick on guitar, Graeme Flowers on trumpet and friends (see below), otherwise known as... Continue Reading →
Jeff Ellwood’s new breakout CD is a collection of tracks that showcase a diversity of approaches on tenor sax. Called “The Sounds Around the House,” it features his tenor as the main speaker, and for a debut album, it showcases his strong appreciation of melody, his technical skills and an overall TLC for the art... Continue Reading →
In the recent album by Valentina Marino called “Space Oddity” there’s that Bowie song (Major Tom) where Marino offers a plaintive touch to the story about a journey into deep space. The instrumentation here is haunting as well, adding a brushstroke of dissonance and a rhythm that holds back in a slightly uncomfortable way. Also... Continue Reading →
An incredible story of the medicinal power of music, especially when delivered by someone we love, needs no further introduction. No spoilers here; see below for what occurred that Steer, a guitarist and composer, has created and how it had a direct impact on his mother’s recovery from a stroke. By way of the tracks... Continue Reading →
The new CD “Emotional Algebra” by bass guitarist Apostolo Kaltsas has been inspired by summers in Greece and the complexity of our emotional state, balancing the left and right hemispheres and the cross-play between the two. The Apostolo Kalt Orchestra works magic here, each player adding something different but artistically necessary. The track “Absence” is... Continue Reading →
There’s a world of world music inside the new album by composer and guitarist Alvaro Rojas. “Gran Kasa.” His style is infectious and bold, with tracks like “Everybody Wins” that crackles with energy, challenging the listener with an intense rainbow of polyrhythms and experimental sound. The sinister weight of “Harmonium” comes with a foreboding buzz,... Continue Reading →
As a departure from the usual jazz interview, today is Thanksgiving in the US so I’m dedicating this post to being thankful for old friends and new friends. I was setting up my author profile in Goodreads two years ago and saw my name pop up with a book called “Instrument of the Devil.” Something... Continue Reading →
To evoke a place by using music you need context, which definitely comes when you’ve been stuck there with no money and no way to get home; and when you’ve visited it countless times, you absorb the vibe through the skin. Pianist Andrei Poliakov loves Paris and devotes his latest song to it which he... Continue Reading →
