There's nothing like wailing out on your sax or hitting those highs on your trumpet when you have a gorgeous showpiece as well; something that's individual to you and expresses who you are. Robert Majzik (a Hungarian craftsman now residing in Tokyo) has been engraving for over 35 years. He's working on a (secret) new... Continue Reading →
With grunts and growls and poppin’ those harmonics, alto/tenor sax player Adam Nolan from Ireland waxes poetic on his new CD called “Prim and Primal” with his trio, comprised of Derek Whyte on bass and Dominic Mullan on drums. “The Magic Carpet” turns arpeggios inside out while the bass stays strong and true; drums stir,... Continue Reading →
A guy with a thing for the blues and CSNY finds himself immersed in jazz and turns into a lifelong student. Guitarist James Robert Murphy has worked those etudes and now his breakout as a jazz musician in the new CD “Park North, the 2920 Sessions” shows he has the passion, the material and the... Continue Reading →
Self-taught with no formal music training, former DJ and now producer, composer and musician Terence Thompson has come out with beautiful proof of his talents. His new CD “If I Only Had a Band” features eight tracks that are sweet and salty, with rhythms locked down tight and great grooves. “It’s Not Over” has a... Continue Reading →
It’s the kind of voice you don’t expect, the kind you’re blown away by, when you pull back and say, “What just happened?” Kale Johnson’s voice comes out of the blue and is simultaneously two things: powerful and self-possessed. His new single “Be Still My Heart” shows he has the chops to be an icon... Continue Reading →
St. Louis-based musician Ryan Marquez has been cooking a cauldron of tunes for many years, and a fresh new brew is ready to be served. A new single called “Serenity” is the first track he has just released as he leads up to a full CD called “Saint Unity” coming this fall. The implications of... Continue Reading →
The new CD that drops 3/12/21 from pianist/composer Julian Hartwell called “LYVELIFE” is an invite to enter a world where music makes you feel sublime. The song “Rough Sketch” has a big band vibe with some stellar breakouts from sax and trumpet and vocals that skillfully skirt the edges of scat, as Hartwell bounces and... Continue Reading →
What makes “Draft” – the latest CD from Hairetis Harper (comprised of Yiagos Hairetis and Marie-Christina Harper) – unique and familiar at the same time is that the music explores moods and harmonies while playing on (literally) the characteristics of different instruments with strings. Combining the qualities of the Cretan lute and electric harp, the... Continue Reading →
Focusing on a strong pulse and melody lines that float right up to the top, Dan Klug’s group The Consecutives is about to drop its newest release simply called “Volume 2.” The Brooklyn-based band acknowledges its funk and blues patterns that are also injected with jazz. From Vol. 1, “Glide” has a fat and confident... Continue Reading →
Debbie Burke - jazz author 
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