by Dee Dee McNeil, LA Jazz Scene “On his recent recording, Alex Brown weaves in his own fiery talents on piano and keyboard, enticing us to enjoy his composer skills.” Read the full feature story here.
by Ed Masley, Arizona Republic “Rachel Eckroth has just learned that she’s a first-time Grammy nominee when the writer from her former hometown paper calls to talk about the nominated album and her upcoming appearance at the Nash in downtown Phoenix..” Read the full feature article here.
By Ed Masley, AZ Central. Two albums made by Arizona artists will compete in the same category at the 64th annual Grammy Awards, which will be broadcast live on CBS and Paramount+ from Staples Center in Los Angeles on Monday, Jan. 31. Read more here.
By Simon Rentner, WBGO “Pianist, singer, and composer Rachel Eckroth is more than a musical chameleon. Her shapeshifting is so astonishingly dramatic that there is no upper limit to her creative identity.” Listen to the full episode of The Checkout here.
By Matt Micucci, Jazziz “Puerto Rican master drummer/composer/arranger Henry Cole is known for his versatility and groove. Over the years, he has performed with many of the greats, from Miguel Zenón to Gary Burton and beyond. During this time of intense activity, he also developed his own idiosyncratic “mestizo sound,” which synthesizes African, Indigeound and … Read More
By Lucinda Breeding-Gonzales, Denton Record-Chronicle “Dave Meder didn’t set out to make a record during the pandemic. But when the University of North Texas music professor returned to some of his favorite literature — the poems and essays of 20th-century Basque-Spanish philosopher Miguel de Unamuno — he recognized a kinship between himself and the writer. … Read More
By Jamie Sandel, Capital Bop When Alex Hamburger played CapitalBop’s last DC Jazz Loft at Union Arts, in 2016, it was clear that she had a lot to say — and was ready to take her music on the road. Read more here.
By Danilo Navas, Latin Jazz Network Grant Richards – a pianist deeply immersed in bebop and the blues – leads his music in a bold and emergent new direction with Ballyhoo, an Afro-Cuban celebration of a previously unspoken dream, finally realized in a tangible elation of musicianship, culture, and unbridled wonder. Richards, like the great … Read More
By Sebastian Scotney, London Jazz News Pittsburgh-born bassist Richie Goods has a massive and varied experience and discography: the Headhunters, Lenny White, Louis Hayes and the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band, Milt Jackson, Russell Malone, Vincent Herring, the Manhattan Transfer and Walter Beasley, Polly Gibbons Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys….Read more here.
By Greg Bryant, WBGO NEA Jazz Master Dave Liebman’s new release, Selflessness, is a passionate reimagining of the John Coltrane songbook. Liebman and his Expansions ensemble have cracked the code to a concept seldom expressed in previous renderings of Coltrane’s most burning mid-to-late-period compositions. Read more here.
