Tag Archives: Albums
Beauty and Mystery Premieres at Scullers
Pianist Lewis Porter headlines a veteran all-star trio this Thursday night at Scullers Jazz Club. Joined by Grammy award-winning drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and bassist John Patitucci, Porter is premiering his new album Beauty and Mystery to be released on the Altrisuoni label this week. Joining the trio is saxophonist and Berklee professor Tia Fuller. Porter’s own […]
Album review…Shirley Horn, “Live at the 4 Queens” (Resonance Records, 2016)
Resonance Records continues its spate of stellar historical albums with a previously unreleased live recording of the late pianist/vocalist Shirley Horn and her long-standing trio, bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams. The set, recorded at the 4 Queens Hotel in Las Vegas, occurred the day after Horn’s 54th birthday during a year in which she […]
One More Once: Echoes of Past Futures and Inaugurating Redress in the New Term(s)
“When children grow up, where does the hope go? Is it outgrown like a pair of shoes or has it gone to sleep? Or is it lost somewhere inside of us?” – William Parker Because of an early start to the Spring 2017 semester, I missed the superb Winter Jazz Fest this year, following from […]
A belated happy 1st birthday to TRoS & the best 2013 jazz albums I (haven’t yet) heard
Such is the life of full-time professor who blogs part-time: lesson plans, class prep, and grading always come before new posts (the numerous half-drafted entries notwithstanding). I have been so immersed in grant applications, freelance academic writing, but most especially my majors-level jazz theory & improv course that I even forgot to mark the one-year […]
Album review…Mara Rosenbloom Quartet, “Songs from the Ground” (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2013)
Pianist Mara Rosenbloom suffuses artistic vision into each musical gesture—each corner and crevice—of her recent release, Songs from the Ground. The album’s cover art shows her audience in simple and poignant terms the foundation for her music—roots. More specifically, the cover art shows the roots of an orchid, photographed by childhood friend and long-time collaborator […]
Album review…Nick Finzer, “Exposition” (Outside In, 2013)
Earlier this year, trombonist Nick Finzer released his debut album, Exposition, a compelling opening statement for the beginning of his recording career and an enticing introduction to the subsequent albums that will surely follow. Featuring a cohesive group of young musicians with strong individual skills, Exposition comes together around the strength of Finzer’s compositions and […]
Album review…Charles Lloyd Quartet, “Rabo de Nube” (ECM, 2008)
[This review was originally published in Jazz Improv Magazine in 2008. -ML] In celebration of his seventieth birthday, Charles Lloyd is releasing Rabo de Nube, recorded live in Basel, Switzerland, on April 27, 2007. This album features Lloyd’s newest quartet, with Jason Moran on piano, Reuben Rogers on bass, and Eric Harland on drums. This group infuses […]
Enunciating Power and Ex…Plosive Time: Cécile McLorin Salvant’s “Woman Child” and Silence Undone
Of all the countless, captivating moments I have heard and re-heard in WomanChild, there are two that struck me right away—on my first listen to the album—and that continue to surprise me each time I hear them. I haven’t been able to let these moments go—not for the three months prior to the album release […]
Album review…Bennett Paster, “Relentless Pursuit of the Beautiful” (Self-Produced, 2012)
In his latest recording, pianist and composer Bennett Paster presides over a diverse and highly enjoyable collection of engaging compositions that continually evolve and excite. Through well composed ensemble sections, solid group chemistry, and highly proficient individual performances, Paster constructs an album that sounds fresh, entertaining, and spontaneous. Relentless Pursuit of the Beautiful, self-produced, 2012. […]
Album review…Emilio Teubal, “Música Para Un Dragón Dormido” (Brooklyn Jazz Underground, 2013)
Named for the zodiac sign that he and his newborn child share, with his third album, Música Para Un Dragón Dormido (“Music for a Sleeping Dragon”), Emilio Teubal offers an evocative and personal vision for the fusion of Argentinean music and modern jazz. Supported by his long-time trio and some high-powered sidemen, Teubal’s album promises […]
The Rhythm of Study 