Free Jazz / Avante Garde - CD Reviews (1158)
Drummer / composer / arranger Mark Lomax drives a free-leaning tenor sax-fronted power trio with sure hands and graceful instincts on his fifth recording as a leader, The State Of Black America. The Blacksburg, VA native, an active music educator, and drum clinician has also worked with Azar Lawrence, Delfeayo…
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For an ensemble to create a lengthy recording of improvised music worthy of an attentive audience, it takes a unique combination of technique and empathy. Such is the case with Varpai from the German-based trio of vocalist André Pabarciuté, bassist Mark Tokar and percussionist Klaus Kugel. The three like-minded artists…
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Exploring odd-meters, swirling melodic themes and rhythmically-charged free-form improvisations, the New York-based collective Tarbaby delivers an intriguing set of swing-based jazz with The End of Fear. Along with core members Orrin Evans on piano, bassist Eric Revis and Nasheet Watts on drums, the twelve-track set features the trumpeter Nicholas Payton…
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The new project by Italian musician Claudio Scolari is a fascinating mix of acoustic and electronic sounds creating an almost cinematic atmosphere. For this album Claudio has the collaboration of Daniele Cavalca on drums, bass and vibraphone and Simone Scolari on trumpet.Scolari music, like the tracks Electric light over water…
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Two hands to do the deed. Eight note in a search of a scale. Nine songs in 45 minutes, and 88 keys at his command. So, what is a solo pianist to do now?Well, for Jim Hegarty, the options presented above form an aural playground where five originals and four…
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Though he is relatively new to the New York jazz scene, Memphis-born bassist Stephan Crump already has an impressively broad-minded musical resumé, having worked with (among others) blue-eyed soul crooner Michael McDonald, ex-Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, singer-songwriter (and wife) Jen Chapin, saxophonist Greg Osby, and Gregg…
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Recordings like Jeff Antoniuk's Brotherhood invariably make me think hard about what I mean when I use the term 'modern mainstream jazz.' In one sense, it's an okay (not great) term to use when describing jazz that isn't fusion (but could have some fusion-y leanings), isn't really avant garde (but…
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After listening repeatedly and closely to “Forty Fort,” I decided that the music of the wonderfully creative quartet Mostly Other People Do The Killing (MOPDTK for short) is more 'cutting edge' than 'avant garde.' This distinction is important. Avant garde – while a completely appropriate term for many musical forms…
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This historical and worthy reissue from the original 1975 Incus LP parlays the vibrant, British free-jazz/improvisational scene of the era. With saxophonist Evan Parker,…
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The new project by Italian musician Claudio Scolari is a fascinating mix of acoustic and electronic sounds creating an almost cinematic atmosphere. For this album Claudi…
Read more...
Two hands to do the deed. Eight note in a search of a scale. Nine songs in 45 minutes, and 88 keys at his command. So, what is a solo pianist to do now?Well, for …
Read more...
Though he is relatively new to the New York jazz scene, Memphis-born bassist Stephan Crump already has an impressively broad-minded musical resumé, having worked with (amon…
Read more...
After listening repeatedly and closely to "Forty Fort," I decided that the music of the wonderfully creative quartet Mostly Other People Do The Killing (MOPDTK for s…
Read more...
Recordings like Jeff Antoniuk's Brotherhood invariably make me think hard about what I mean when I use the term 'modern mainstream jazz.' In one sense, it's an oka…
Read more...
These jazz and improvisation pioneers have performed together within various ensembles as leaders and members of numerous band aggregations for decades. Yet, pianist Ale…
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One of the titans of jazz and neo-jazz improvisation, Ivo Perelman celebrates his twenty-year career with eight 2010 releases for various record labels. The Stream o…
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Gifted Pianist Nobu Stowe , guitarist/reedest Ross Bonadonna, bassist Tyler Goodwin, drummer Ray Sage and Sonic engineer Lee Pembleton, have put forth an amazing piece o…
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Tweet Tweet is one heck of an ambitious CD and Abraham Inc. is one heck of an ambitious band. A co-operative project led by the somewhat unlikely trio of klezme…
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Multi-reedist and composer Gebhard Ullmann is one of those players who refuses to be pigeonholed. His bright, edgy playing fits into numerous musical contexts - be it fusio…
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Like The Rusted Key is one of those recordings that approaches the vast array of musics that have been lumped under the umbrella of modern jazz from a dizzying arr…
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