When you’re conducting an interview with an artist, it’s the hope of the writer that they can establish a rapport with the subject. The last things you want to hear are one-word answers and deadly silences. That’s not a problem with Everette Harp. The saxophonist supreme isn’t the least bit shy to tell you what he thinks about jazz critics, smooth jazz, and record companies. The new album All for You (A400 Music Group) was both a labor and love. After three years away, Everette Har …

"Other people can put a name on what I do", says keyboardist Hiromi Uehara. "It's just the union of what I've been listening to and what I've been learning. It has some elements of classical music, it has some rock, it has some jazz, but I don't want to give it a name." On her electrifying new release, Time Control, Hiromi explores the concept of time. The CD features long-time Hiromi bandmates drummer Martin Valihora and bassist Tony Grey, along with special guest guitarist David …

One of the most exciting aspects of jazz is the joy of discovery. I confess that I wasn’t all that familiar with the talented flute work of Nestor Torres but after I listened to his new album, Sin Palabras (Without Words) (Heads Up International) that I was glad I had traded ignorance for enlightenment. This album finds Torres exploring not just Latin and jazz rhythms, but a tasty mix of hip-hop and rhythm and blues added in for an extra shot of funky flavor. But Nestor Torres isn’t j …

Stacey Kent and Jim Tomlinson have been making music together for 15 years. Their latest collaboration has the celebrated jazz singer making a special guest appearance on husband and saxophonist Tomlinson’s The Lyric. The effort has resulted in no less than album of the year honors at the 2006 BBC Jazz Awards. "This album was pure joy," said Kent, who attributes the success of the CD to its collaborative spirit. Kent, who sings on nearly all of the s …

Cheryl Bentyne has been the soprano voice of the world-renown vocal group The Manhattan Transfer since 1979. She has won Grammys (and countless other awards), toured the world and performed with such musical legends as Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1992, she released her first solo album, the ethereal "Something Cool," and MT fans hoped more solo projects would follow. But it wasn’t until ten years later when Cheryl resumed her solo recording career in Japa …