by Mike Hobart, Financial Times John and Alice Coltrane’s combined musical legacy stretches from angular be-bop and fierce expressionism to spiritual jazz and is a prime influence on the current resurgence in modern jazz. Their work is much covered, but, as alto saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin’s zesty jam-session take shows, if you pay respect and avoid … Read More
By Hank Shteamer, Rolling Stone The first jazz festival of the quarantine era will take place next week. An impressive lineup of A-list names in the genre will come together virtually for Live From Our Living Rooms, an online music festival and fundraiser. Guitarist Bill Frisell, pianist Chick Corea, bassist Christian McBride, vocalist Becca Stevens … Read More
By Dee Dee McNeil, Musical Memoirs Here is an artist who blends jazz and pop/soul and folk music in a way that still crowns ‘jazz’ king. Her voice crosses genres. She has a tenacious delivery and exhibits a soaring vocal range on the very first tune of her album. Read the full review here.
By Richard B. Kamins, Step Tempest The Chicago Yestet, the brainchild of trombonist and composer Joel Adams, a veteran of the Woody Herman Orchestra as well as the Chicago music scene, is a unique large ensemble. The band, in existence for a dozen years, includes three saxophones, two trumpets, two trombones, guitar, bass, drums, a vocalist … Read More
By Don Jay Smith, Hot House Born and raised in Moscow, Svetlana fell for jazz at a young age. After immigrating to New York in the 1990s, she pursued passions for science and music, with music winning out. She has performed around the world, leading various ensembles, and attracting enthusiastic audiences with her swinging vocals … Read More
By Stephanie Jones, Hot House Few artists challenge perceived limits of their own medium as earnestly as Thana Alexa. The Queens-based vocalist and composer of Croatian lineage creates expanding blankets of sound with her own voice, using effects pedals and processors. Read the full review here.
By Bettie Hu, Hot House Flutist and composer Elsa Nilsson experiments as deliberately with harmonic ideas and rhythmic elements as she does with sound itself. Her live performances draw listeners into a tempoed narrative of spontaneity and inquiry. Full review here.
By George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly Dreamy landscapes, like a trip to Monument Valley, are created by Dave Liebman with his soprano sax and wood flute teaming up with Matt Vashlishan/synth, Bobby Avey/p, Tony Marino/b and Alex Ritz/dr. Everyone gets a chance for some solos on their own “Interludes” with each artist creating rich pastel … Read More
By Filipe Freitas, JazzTrail On her new outing, Pursuance: the Coltranes, saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin is far from the cosmopolitan sounds of funk and R&B and closer to the spiritual modal jazz. She interprets a collection of 13 tunes by Alice and John Coltrane, all recast through series of dynamic alterations and multiple perspectives rooted in … Read More
By Jim Hynes, Glide Magazine This is saxophonist/bandleader Lakecia Benjamin’s third release, a truly masterwork, Pursuance: The Coltranes. Benjamin gathered an esteemed roster of jazz royalty on the date, which encompasses some 40 musicians in the credits. Recognizable names include three generations of jazz with Ron Carter, Gary Bartz, Regina Carter, Keyon Harold, Marcus Strickland, … Read More
