By: David Whiteis, Jazz Times Dream Shanti is the latest project to evolve under the aegis of woodwind player Jeff Coffin, a former member of Béla Fleck & the Flecktones who has also put in time with the Dave Matthews Band and leads his own ensemble, Jeff Coffin & the Mu’tet. Here he gathers an … Read More
By: Lynne Heffley, Parents’ Choice Noted clarinetist, composer, and music educator Oran Etkin founded a method he calls Timbalooloo to introduce children to music by having them imagine instruments as characters who “speak” music. Here, a winning multicultural musical adventure, features Etkin and his friend, Clara Net the Clarinet, as they travel around the world, … Read More
By Phil Freeman, Stereogum Saxophonist Clark Gibson is the Director Of Jazz Studies at Northeastern State University in Oklahoma, but he makes a record every couple of years; this is his fourth album since 2010. On it, he’s joined by tenor saxophonist Jim Pisano, trombonist Euan Edmonds, organist Pat Bianchi, and drummer Jeremy Thomas. It’s … Read More
By: Alain Brunet, La Presse Love, desire, loss, commitment, doubt … these primary colors of the soul are evoked through these eight original songs, a cover of Wilco singer Jeff Tweedy. It should also be noted that “Dream Team” and “Lilac” were composed by trumpet player Simon Millerd and pianist Aaron Parks respectively, the string … Read More
By: Ted Parkinson, The Whole Note Curtis Nowosad is a drummer and composer who was born and raised in Winnipeg but has lived in New York City since 2013 after moving there to complete a master’s degree at the Manhattan School of Music. This is Nowosad’s third album, the first recorded in New York, and … Read More
By: Dee Dee McNeil, Musical Memoirs Wallace Roney has the tone and beautiful execution on his trumpet that makes me want to bow my head and pray. I am especially taken by his interpretation of “Why Should There Be Stars,” a lovely ballad and the second tune on his stellar new album. “Bookendz” opens his … Read More
By: Dee Dee McNeil, Musical Memoirs Imagine, stepping into a magical transformer and being whisked back in time. For a minute, just pretend you have entered a time machine. Moments later,you are sitting in a small jazz club in New Orleans. It’s 1946,and just mere feet away from your table,a young man, destined to become … Read More
Stephen Graham, Marlbank TRACK FOCUS: from the Curtis Brothers // a case of McLean remains Approaching the busiest time of year for releases, that is between now, with the odd lull or two and mid-November, which is a perfect time to check out new stuff and as the autumn progresses a chance to be mindful of … Read More
Stephen Graham, Marlbank Wallace Roney, Blue Dawn – Blue Nights, HighNote *** If you are looking for a uniquely plaintive quality in trumpet quest no further than ‘Why Should There Be Stars’ the runaway success among all these very tasteful tracks. Roney has delivered one of his best albums in a long while and yet… sometimes a … Read More
Nate Chinen, WBGO The songs on Come Back, the enchanting fourth album by Emma Frank, don’t show many outward jazz affinities; they reside in the literate folk-rockish realm you’d associate with someone like Laura Marling, or the Beck of Morning Phase. But it’s meaningful that the album prominently features pianist Aaron Parks, whose “Lilac” is among the album’s few … Read More
