Most recently astronomers have discovered a new planet dubbed "55 Cancri e", the rocky world is twice the size of earth but has eight times its mass, thus classifying it as a "super earth."  Whenever a new planet is discovered, astronomers and the media alike start a buzz of excitement to announce the discovery.  Well, on September 26th at the South Milwaukee Performing Arts Center, there was a discovery in the music world of the magnitude of "55 Cancri e", it was the Robert Glasper Experiment.  The 34-year old Blue Note recording artist, Robert Glasper has been on the jazz scene for many years and has been putting out hit after hit since his debut of "Mood" in 2003.  On his 2012 release "Black Radio," Glasper takes his music to new heights of genre originality with tastes of hip/hop, fusion, electronica, R&B while all still centering around his unique personal jazz style.  Glasper refuses to be pigeon holed into a single genre and in the process, takes the listener on a musical journey of epic proportion.

Legendary Jazz Pianist Keith Jarrett performs live at Zellerbach Hall at the University of California Berkeley

 Although Brian Auger has more than fifty years of music production experience, he is still on a journey.  If evidence of this was required one need look no further than the two current projects with which he is involved (Brian Auger's Oblivion Express and Brian Auger Trinity featuring Savannah Grace) or of course to his current album, the excellent 'Language of the Heart'.

Wow! This is a really great CD with which to set a mood. You might want to put it on as as background music for an intimate meal, when you are giving or receiving a massage, or when you've had a hard day and are soaking in a steaming tub.

Lush Life with a Twist and Lush Life Straight Up - is a unique spoken word and musical homage to Billy Strayhorn's original composition performed by Juliette Gray - Voice- Bill Cunliffe - Piano and Gary Gray Saxophone.  Julitte is a British-American voice actor located in Los Angeles. Juliette’s VO work includes commercials, narration, animation & video games in a variety of accents & dialects plus spoken word renditions to poignant jazz songs from America’s true art form - The Great American Songbook.

 Internationally recognised for his groundbreaking contributions to contemporary clarinet music, extremely appreciated by the International Clarinet association, "Luciano has established himself as the friendly face of contemporary clarinet" according to the Clarinet & Saxophone Society of Great Britain. His latest album "Partenope" is receiving praises in three continents (BBC Radio, Jazzradio.com, CRN Australia nationwide, in Brazil and South America, RTE national broadcaster of Ireland and radios around Europe) including a number of interviews for the press and on radio. 

"Luca Luciano is a noted Italian clarinettist and composer who now makes his home in London, having developed an enviable reputation as an instrumental virtuoso around the UK and overseas via recordings and concert hall appearances" (Musician Magazine)

In the liners, producer Martin Davidson provides anecdotes, interview quotes and other relevant information surrounding the premise for these vintage tracks, recorded under the leadership of the late soprano saxophone great Steve Lacy.  Spanning previously unreleased and reissued material from 1967 through 1973, Lacy performs with iconoclastic modern jazz artists such as trumpeter Enrico Rava, vibist Karl Berger and others.   And in most instances, the audio processing is quite good as the album offers a comprehensive sampling of Lacy's avant-garde proclivities cast in various ensembles, including eminent synthesizer improviser Richard Teitelbaum who credits Lacy with being his..."first and maybe main improv teacher."  Otherwise, Teitelbaum partnered with Anthony Braxton and other progressive-minded luminaries to extend electronics formats into the freer aspects of jazz and improvisation.

A thrilling song from a thrilling album. It's albums like this that have me addicting to scouring the new releases listings every week. Outstanding, and highly recommended. - All about jazz -

"A visionary composer, an extraordinary jazz pianist and a very bright young rising star in the jazz world." — Jon Weber, host of NPR's PianoJazz   French-born pianist Romain Collin introduces an evocatively textured, melodically luxuriant sound on his new Palmetto album The Calling, slated for release on April 24, 2012. Flowing from his singular creative path as a classically trained musician besotted with jazz giants like Errol Garner, Oscar Peterson, Keith Jarrett and Bud Powell, his music is utterly idiosyncratic, yet fully part of a generational zeitgeist informed by indie rock and adventurous pop music. Building upon his highly responsive trio with bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Kendrick Scott, Collin has crafted a ravishing body of music featuring subtly textured flourishes added in post-production. An eagerly awaited follow-up to his acclaimed 2008 debut, The Calling is a quantum leap for Collin, a highly personal statement that embraces the musical currents that move him most deeply.  

Xeric winner Gary Scott Beatty's "Jazz: The Tiki Room" fiction is featured in the free online magazine MuskegonOnline.NET this month only.  

The debut album for Housecore Records by this modern psychedelic outfit summons the late 1960's hippie culture, shaded by a modern glean, and strikes a harmonious chord amid the album cover art that at first glance may signify a Sci-Fi western featuring zombies as the outlaws. Maybe an old wine in new bottles thing, but the ensemble's rewarding factors lie within memorable comps. With a touch of progressive-rock amid haunting lyricism, the studio engineering processes embed or perhaps simulate a purist, analog-like soundstage. Featuring psychedelic and hard-rock guitar parts, climactic movements, and a touch of antiquity, the band also embraces the pop-rock spectrum.

One day dad went back home, a strange black suitcase in his hand; and stood up in front of the 12 years old son. Inside the suit case, there was a shiny instrument, smelling new. Such was the curiosity that the boy decided to snatch the secret language of music: it was so moving, it made me so happy."See the sky" is the fruit of a beautiful journey, a veritable résumé of my experiences, meetings and emotions through years and years spent playing music and living my life. It's a generous cd,  resultance of both enthusiasm and joy in making music; and it's, from time to time, intense, soft, minimal, furious, romantic. The five musicians of the quintet share respect and friendship, and show along the tracks the beauty of many years playing together. Beppe Di Benedetto

It's rather ironic to be asked to give this review a label. Why? Because in the liner notes to the wonderful "In My Room", Larry Goldings makes a staunch defence of the music he's selected to play on this CD, describing labels as being "so 1980s." And he's absolutely right.

This is ethereal, contemplative music played beautifully by the unusual combination of trumpet and guitar. Kris Tiner's tone is warm and full, and unusually gentle for a young brass player. He takes the lead most of the way, but Mike Baggetta's presence is continuous. Fitting the mood of the album, the guitarist often uses long-sustain sparsely-placed notes, whether accenting Tiner's solos or soloing himself. (Classical music fans will recognize the influence of composer Morton Feldman.) "Bobo" opens with a mournful wail strongly reminiscent of Miles' Sketches of Spain. The entire track may remind you of that album, but it's quieter and played with rhythmic freedom rather than a steady pulse. Through much of the piece, Baggetta picks a simple bass-line. During his own solo, notes above that bass line come at a leisurely one every four seconds or so. The effect is mesmerizing. It's rare to hear young musicians who know how to grab listeners without wild flurries of speed or in-your-face dynamics.

  Psychedelic pranksters M'lumbo return with the amusingly titled Celestial Ghetto. The title of the album is quite fitting as M'lumbo draw from many sources, and can alternate seamlessly between the gritty and the ethereal. With M'lumbo, there is no distinction between high and low art where refined soloing is juxtaposed against a sense of nutty humor. This might be irritating to some (why obscure a perfectly good solo with seemingly random samples?) but this recording is refreshingly free from intellectual pretenses.

Law school creates more than a few challenges. There are hours upon hours of studying, grueling hours interning at law firms, and financial bills that need to find a way to get paid. For many law students the adversity is just too much to overcome and that can lead to despair. For Ola Onabule, it determined his life's journey.

"Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free..." Sometimes you just need to get away... Oscar Peñas lives the musical irony having left his native Spain and come to what is fast becoming the epicenter of global jazz in order to compose for From Now On. While indeed a musical melting pot of a variety of cultures and influences, it is an introspective reflection on his own cultural heritage that transforms From Now On into such an intoxicating work.

Though the late 90s Exotica / Space Age Bachelor Pad Music mini-trend of the late 90s and early 2000s is long over, vibraphonist Brian O'Neill continues to make original music in this vein under the Mr. Ho's Orchestrotica moniker. Listening to the band's sophomore effort, “Third River Rangoon,” I couldn't help but wonder if he wasn't selling himself short. Many correctly associate exotica with mood music, a hip sort of sound to have on in the background while the primary order of business is sipping a Mai-Tai and eating sushi. From the first track on “Third River Rangoon,” it's clear that there's much more going on here than one would typically hear on any given Martin Denny or Les Baxter LP. Even the CD title, with its backhanded reference to Gunther Schuller's 'Third Stream Music,' suggests that O'Neill and company have loftier goals than merely updating mildly interesting background music from the 1950s.  

New trio album from Norwegian pianist Bernt Moen.

(New York, NY) – Nu Jazz Entertainment -- a long time producer of high quality audio and video content in the genre of jazz--announced the November 2011 release of the special holiday album, Ellis Marsalis: A New Orleans Christmas Carol, from the 2011 National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) Jazz Master, on iTunes, digital music services around the world, and in brick and mortar retail stores.

Vibists Joe Locke and Ed Saindon Duo Vibraphone concert at Berklee College of Music   

A great show by Angelique and Youssou at Oakland's Paramount Theater

On June 18, 2011, soul singer Gina Carey formally known as Gina Green will release her new CD release "Melodic" featuring her husband Urban Soul Guitarist John Carey.

Joel Harrison is an illustrious guitarist and composer in the jazz circles and not to mention a great bandleader and he has put his many talents on his latest compilation called String Choir – The Music of Paul Motian which was released on January 23. Recapturing the music of straight-ahead jazz musician Paul Motian is no easy feat especially when the interpretation is within another genre; in this case classical. But Joel has pulled it off on this fully-stringed compilation that offers music on

My local record store is selling this under the Classical Music section, so is it really jazz at all? Perhaps more importantly, does a label matter when the music is so good?The 2 CD set of "Love Songs" is very much a game of 2 halves. CD1 presents 7 original songs penned by Mehldau, at although it's okay, it takes itself rather too seriously in places. Anne Sofie Von Otter has a superb voice, but it's probably not used to best effect on this material, with Mehldau trying too hard to sound cla

This is an unusual, even strange release. The basic idea is to take an eight-note theme by Bach (from his First Invention), and play it over and over again while changing keys and keyboard tone-quality. The variations are alternated with Afro-Cuban percussion. I probably shouldn't have told you that, because part of the effect Greg Burk and Vicente Lebron are no doubt after is the surprise of mixing Bach with conga drums. Although they played together for over five years in Boston's Either/Orche

Jazz and Country? Billie Holiday and Dolly Parton music in the same CD? Seems like an odd combination. Billie and Dolly is the tittle of Jacqui Sutton new album, but in reality just two songs are from Lady Day and the Queen of Country, God Bless the Child and Endless stream of tears. The rest of the album is a unique fusion of Jazz and Bluegrass. Its known that musicians like Bela Fleck has been doing something similar, but it is the first time I hear a singer trying this fusion in a whole album

Jordan Young leads a jazz organ group based in New York City, the Jordan Young Group (JYG). The group has been a working unit in various capacities...

Jazz and Country? Billie Holiday and Dolly Parton music in the same CD? Seems like an odd combination. Billie and Dolly is the tittle of Jacqui Sutton new album, but in …

Drummer John Densmore was an astute jazz aficionado while guitarist Robby Krieger’s penchant for flamenco guitar, and other influences helped form The Doors’ distinct ro…

On Time Signatures, the new release from the World Stage International branch of NuGroove Records, singer/songwriter Lisa McClowry presents an emotionally charged…

Kere Buchanan received a little help from a lot of good musicians, but Starting over is definitely his project. Kere is not only the producer, but he also wrote or co-wrote…

As new(er) generations of jazz performers feel free to absorb non-jazz sounds, young "classical" composers have been reaching beyond the tradition of notated music. True…

One of the most hard-to-pin-down composer/performers drawing breath on planet Earth is Elliott Sharp. Classically trained (studied some under Morton Feldman), Sharp has …

Bill Bruford grew up with jazz. As an amateur drummer in the 1960s, and after a handful of lessons from Lou Pocock of the Royal Philharmonic Orches...

Hamilton Sterling is a Sound Designer, Composer, Editor and Musician who has worked on such films as The Dark Knight, War of the Worlds, and Master...

Irish rock band Thin Lizzy were heralded as a viable live act amid their string of 1970s hits, which are still played on classic rock radio fare. Led by charismatic bass…

Sinister Heights is the most recent collection of new sounds by the The Remote Viewers. The collection comes on two CDs each entitled Time Flats and Mirror Mean…

Let’s face it. The bassoon has never been the glamor instrument in the band. If anything, it’s been more like a character actor, serving to make the stars look good and to …

Critics often talk about "interesting" projects, and I certainly have heard my share. The term is sometimes loosely tossed around. However, here with this latest release…

Little Feat’s legendary and rousing live performance attributes shine gleamingly on this 2009 gem, featuring its 1977 show on German TV’s Rockplast series. Filmed…

Based on vocal fragments by Renaissance composer Guillaume Dufay (1397-1474), this outing proves that virtually any combination of musical expressionism is possible, and…

Between 1995 and 1998, in his time as a faculty member at Chicago's DePaul University, composer George Flynn wrote one work each to spotlight the school's three major en…

Brandon Burrows is a talented young vocalist endowed with a confident soulful style. He delivers an impressive collection of songs on his new debut release entitled O…

Germany reared Wigald Boning is a comedic actor and musician. Here, the artist constructs these rather amicable pieces upon a retro slant that skirt the fringes of loung…

The Estonian album title "Muut," translates into myth, which largely typifies some of the existential space-rock developments heard throughout this live recording…

Trumpeter, keyboardist and composer Jon Hassell continually defies any semblance of musical restrictions, besides his assertion of a "Fourth World" type of musicality. H…

It's a no-frills gala featuring alt-rock, folk, and new-wave rock musicians and bands performing one to two pieces from their respective repertoires in studio environs s…

Flutist Andrea Brachfeld, is a graduate of The High School of Music and Art and Manhattan School of Music. Over these past 20 years she has recorde...