Compelled to study classical piano by his late mother, Gwendolyn Marsh at age five, a reluctant yet gifted young Milton Marsh eventually developed ...
throughout the history of the medium only a small handful of jazz guitarists have possessed the technique and unerring musical sense required to cr...
20 May
The Music of Elliott Carter, Volume 5 (1994-2002) by Elliott Carter
Tuesday, 20 May 2003
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More music for tres moderne jazz people who think they don’t/won’t dig "classical" music: Elliott Carter (b. 1908) is a giant of American notated music, carrying on and fur…
13 Mar
Sofienberg Variations by Christian Wallumrod Ensemble
Thursday, 13 March 2003
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This Norwegian piano-violin-trumpet-drums quartet pursues crossover classical/jazz iterations, amid a chamber-like aura. Pianist Christian Wallumrod directs the band thru f…
Electric guitarist Terje Rypdal has long been at the forefront of Scandinavia’s fusion and avant-garde scenes - that’s him playing on George Russell’s late 60s recordings, …
21 Feb
The Dynamic Sound Patterns of the Rod Levitt Orchestra by Rod Levitt
Friday, 21 February 2003
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There’s a lot of musicians out there who’ve played w/ darn near everyone yet never graduated to the Big Leagues of "name recognition" - never mind being a million-seller-ty…
14 Feb
The Essential Igor Stravinsky by Igor Stravinsky
Friday, 14 February 2003
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Stravinsky? Wasn’t he a.... classical-type guy? Well, yes, but like Scott Joplin, Ellington, Gershwin and Parker - not coincidentally his contemporaries - he was (to borrow…
17 Jan
Dubtometry by DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid
Friday, 17 January 2003
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A sequel to DJ Spooky's Thirsty Ear recording OPTOMETRY is DUBTOMETRY, a new Thirsty Ear release. Whereas the first is a means to formally introduce the spinning turntablis…
Not so long ago, the UK’s multi-reedsperson John Surman and the USA’s great drummer Jack DeJohnette collaborated on freely improvised (yet marvelously cohesive) duets on/fo…
As a new listener to jazz music, I was looking for a CD with a number of artist's on it so as to better familiarize myself with their works. I picked out this CD because it…
30 Sep
Directions in Music by Herbie Hancock / Michael Brecker / Roy Hargrove
Monday, 30 September 2002
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True jazz enthusiasts are purist by nature. So most of them entertain remakes and tribute documents with a certain amount of trepidation. But enthusiasts and or purists ali…
12 Aug
The Sound of Paul Horn / Profile of a Jazz Musician by Paul Horn
Monday, 12 August 2002
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Paul Horn has a formidable resume: how many musicians have played with Chico Hamilton, The Beach Boys and Miles Davis? (Horn also did the theme for the Three Stooges…
06 Aug
Neil B. Rolnicks Fish Love That by Neil B. Rolnick
Tuesday, 06 August 2002
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Neil Rolnick is one of these guys who plays on both sides of the street: he’s a composer (as in, one who composes while others perform, as in the "contemporary classical" s…
03 Aug
A Music; That It Might Be... by Barney Childs
Saturday, 03 August 2002
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Barney Childs (1926-2000) was an American composer who studied under two of the greatest American composers of notated music, Aaron Copeland and Elliot Carter. This collect…
Accomplished Canadian bassist Daniel Lessard offers listeners his latest project in the form of "Barocco", fashioned as a set of improvisational pieces connec…
Theme and Variations is really two albums in one. The first is the titular suite, recorded between 1957 and 1958 and issued for the first time on this CD. The fourte…
03 Jul
The Source and Different Cikadas by Trygve Seim / Oyvind Braekka / Per Oddvar Johansen
Wednesday, 03 July 2002
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Oh, those swingin’ Scandinavians! The Source.... is a journey through the Great White North like almost no other. The three principles compose some of the knottiest…
Brian Ferneyhough (b. 1943) is a classical composer whose music for solo flute may very likely be of interest to fans of avant/free jazz and improvised music. All of his (m…
Alto saxophonist/clarinetist/composer John La Porta is an almost unknown figure in jazz today, since he opted to pursue music in academia rather than on-stage or in clubs. …
09 May
The Music of Alan Shulman by Alan Shulman
Thursday, 09 May 2002
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Like the late composer/arranger Jack Nitzsche, cellist/composer Alan Shulman (1915-2002) is one of those figures in American music that you may think you haven’t heard, but…
Tim Berne is a Brooklyn-based alto saxophonist and composer, influenced chiefly by the late, great Julius Hemphill, who’s been one of the leading lights of jazz’s outer lim…
14 Feb
Virtuosi by Gary Burton & Makoto Ozone
Thursday, 14 February 2002
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The interesting aspect of Virtuosi, besides its splendiferous music, is how Gary Burton still is creating new forms when he sees a void or a need. One of the true ma…
11 Feb
Oregon Festival of American Music Presents William Grant Still by William Grant Still
Monday, 11 February 2002
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American Composer William Grant Still (1895-1978) is not a Third Stream proponent in the usual sense - but then, "the usual" you can get anytime; seekers of The Unusual be …
20 Jan
Topsy: This Ones For Basie by The Modern Jazz Quartet
Sunday, 20 January 2002
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The Modern Jazz Quartet was together for 20 years and disbanded in 1974. The best thing about breaking up is getting back together again, and MJQ reunited in 1985 for "Tops…
Have you wondered what became of Astrud Gilberto? Wonder no longer, for after a long absence, she is back on the jazz vocal scene with a new CD release titled JUNGLE. This …
31 Dec
Recline - A Six Degrees Collection of Chiiled Grooves by Various Artists
Monday, 31 December 2001
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Six Degrees Records is one of the more eclectic American labels active - their wares cut across - and blur - concepts of category and genre. (Nicely packaged, too.) Our sub…
31 Jul
Smokin’ the Blues “LIVE” by Elliott and the Untouchables
Tuesday, 31 July 2001
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Elliott and the Untouchables’ Smokin’ the Blues is the kind of CD that you might want to play at a party or when you just want to be cheered-up (and there is a lot of that …
Brenda just released the new enhanced version of Paris Rain on Sept. 25th. You have to get in contact with your favorite record store and tell them to get on the shelves to…
This album just dropped on Tuesday October 2nd and it's already number one on my list. It's for hip hop and jazz heads alike. It's a new and exciting project that takes con…
I am somewhat of a new fan of jazz music and have stumbled upon a real treasure. A friend of mine recommended a new jazz recording by singer Beverley Staunton called Here's…
30 Jul
Early in the Morning by Christoph Josquin
Monday, 30 July 2001
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If you, as I, can count on one hand the number of CDs on which the second half is as good or better than the first, buy this CD. The front end of this release is as smooth …
The more I listen to Joyce Cooling's latest album "Third Wish", the more I enjoy it. Track number 3, "Mm-Mm Good" featuring Al Jarreau speaks for itself. It is indeed Mm-Mm…
BET TO TRIPLE-CAST BRENDA RUSSELLHidden Beach Recordings re-launches the critically acclaimed album by Brenda Russell - Paris Rain. As part of the launch plan, BET w…
Pianist and composer Bobby G. Summers introduces many unusual and unorthodox things in jazz, notably the title track "Just Jazzin' Off" and his classic rendition of Minnie …
I know with the most recent events in our grand city, this song should become the city's anthem. Brenda Russell's voice is more amazing than ever, and it soothes the unquie…
Rita Graham is a sensitive and attentive singer of quality songs. In a day and age when a sizable canon of the American popular idiom is seldom sung at all and its lyrics s…
Dennis Rollins' BadBone debut album is a all around hit. There is some very good jazz trombone and the entire CD could be for just listening (if you can keep still) or danc…
There's no danger of forgetting Keiko Matsui is the Queen of Smooth Jazz. Her new CD is plastered with a sticker trumpeting her as the winner of the Best Female Artist by t…
I have always been a fan of this very talented Jazz guitarist, producer, writer starting his career in Little Rock Ark, then touring as band leader for Solomom Burke and Al…
Haven’t heard of David Azarian? Well take note of the name now, becuase he's been making absolutely fantastic jazz for years, and his new release, "Desire", displays his wo…
Aw man,...where do i begin? First of all hello again jazzfans. Its been a little while since i turned you on to some new music. However, i've just been busy, jammin, going …
Bassist extraordinaire Marcus Miller returns with "M²", a disc that will rank among his best. Surrounded by an all-star cast including Kenny Garrett, Herbie Hancock, Bernar…
27 Jul
Distance (collectors edition) by Loescher Trio
Friday, 27 July 2001
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This new re-mastered version of what was already a great album is even better. The album contains original works by loescher and a few standards. But it is the original wor…
26 Jul
Haitek Haiku by Niels Lan Doky / Gino Vannelli
Thursday, 26 July 2001
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Haitek Haiku : Barend and Trees’s simple feelings and emotions about this new album by Niels Lan Doky and Gino Vannelli and many, many more people who worked on this…
This CD will be released in mid-Feb. 2001, after a limited edition release in late 2000. The Horns are strong trumpet/sax/trombone (John Allmark, Dan Moretti and John Wheel…
16 Jul
Natural Artefacts by Ove Johansson Susanna Lindeborg and Per Anders Nilsson
Monday, 16 July 2001
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Natural Artefacts addresses the following questions: what is real, what is artificial, when is now, is there a definite border between real and artificial, when do y…
30 May
Symphony #4/Trombone Concerto/Atom Hearts Club Suite #1 by Takashi Yoshimatsu
Wednesday, 30 May 2001
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You don’t hear much about Third Stream music these days - like Western Swing that preceded it (circa 20s-50s), it was one of the first overt examples of "fusion." In its 50…
04 May
First Visit by Gerry Gibbs and Third Trio From the Sun
Friday, 04 May 2001
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If you need a recording to reference for the sheer purpose of seeing how huge a trio can sound, this is it. If you want a great example of a sense of humor in music, again …
31 Dec
Everyone That Has A CD Jammin At My House Right No by Various Artists
Sunday, 31 December 2000
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I apologize for the long delay in writing jazz reviews. There is so much good jazz to write about, I just got sidetracked jammin’ to all the old and new music out there. Wh…
15 Nov
Solo Electric Blues Guitar by Scott Foster
Wednesday, 15 November 2000
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If debut solo guitar releases are supposed to be overly technical and self-indulgent, somebody forgot to tell Scott Foster. In his inaugural instrumental guitar CD "Solo El…