By Michael J. West, JazzTimes The cover of tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III and Matthew Stevens’ second co-led album is hilarious: It’s literally the same as the first In Common, but with pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Linda Oh, and drummer Nate Smith’s faces replacing those of Joel Ross, Harish Raghavan, and Marcus Gilmore. Is it … Read More
By Stephanie Jones, Downbeat On a chilly January night in New York City, drummer-composer Antonio Sánchez plays a full-body phrase. He hangs back in the measures before repeating it—a provocation. Alongside saxophonist and EWI artist Chase Baird, vocalist Thana Alexa stretches vowels around quarter-tones in extended moments of dissonance on the Blue Note stage. She … Read More
By CJ Shearn, New York Jazz Workshop Welcome to the New York Jazz Workshop In Conversation at home podcast. The music you are hearing is “The Resistance” off vocalist Thana Alexa’s brand new recording ONA (Self produced, 2020). Her sophomore album celebrates not only the journey of herself as a woman, but women everywhere. Listen to … Read More
Iconic Jazz Fusion Outfit The Brecker Brothers Release Long-Lost Concert Audio From Their Incomparable ‘Great Tour of 1980’ on ‘Live and Unreleased’, Out Now on Piloo Records Randy Brecker and Piloo Records has released a historic 1980 live recording of the consummate trumpeter’s seminal band with his late brother Michael Brecker, The Brecker Brothers. Out … Read More
By Stephen Graham, MarlBank Listening to Marie Kruttli‘s fine trio record The Kind of Happy One yesterday I was interested to hear more of the drummer, Jonathan Barber. As luck would have have it he has a new record out with his Vision Ahead band. Listening to the glinting almost folkloric sheen to the title … Read More
By Jim Hynes, Glide Magazine Saxophonist Walter Smith III and guitarist Matt Stevens are taking their successful 2018 project In Common to another round, this time surrounding themselves with three different players on In Common 2. It’s the same process with Smith III and Stevens writing the compositions and then seeking out like-minded musicians to … Read More
By Matt Micucci, JAZZIZ Saxophonist Walter Smith III and guitarist Matthew Stevens team up again to co-lead a new In Common project. Read the full feature here.
By Matt Micucci, JAZZIZ Drummer/composer/bandleader Jonathan Barber is one of jazz’s top young visionaries today. Legacy Holder calls for change and unity, a message communicated via the power of ambitious composition and the focus on ensemble-playing of his Vision Ahead quintet. Read the full feature here.
By Filipe Freitas, JazzTrail Saxophonist Walter Smith III reappears side by side with guitarist Matthew Stevens in the revived In Common group, two years after the release of its eponymous album. In Common 2 remains a quintet but features a reformed rhythm team with emerging pianist Micah Thomas, bassist Linda May Han Oh and drummer … Read More
Consummate Keyboardist and Composer Dave Bryant to Release Night Visitors, A Modern, Hard-Hitting Sonic Exploration, Out June 19th Pianist, keyboardist, composer and electronic musician Dave Bryant is excited to announce the June 19th release of Night Visitors, debuting a new trio with a stellar rhythm section. Consummate pianist and former Ornette Coleman collaborator Dave Bryant, … Read More
