By Jeff Krow, Audiophile Audition Whenever I hear about a new “saxophone with strings” jazz release, I am excited and look forward to hearing the release. There has always been an intrigue about the saxophone and strings combination. It goes back to the iconic Charlie Parker and strings album from the 1950s. Parker had turned … Read More
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 Geno Thackara, All About Jazz “The Havana-born pianist played quite a few of his own early-career performances alongside Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette after first settling in Florida in the 1990s, and the romping Skyline is a celebration of his heroes-turned-colleagues as much as a showcase for Rubalcaba’s own key-pounding. The leader has enough skill and fluid versatility at … Read More
By Steve Feeney, ArtsFuse Havana-born Gonzalo Rubalcaba, 58, has teamed up with esteemed jazz veterans Ron Carter, 84, and Jack DeJohnette, 79, for a release that exhibits a refined ease of expression. That said, Skyline doesn’t fully deliver on the high expectations promised by the personnel. But, leaving that consideration aside, the recording has more … Read More
By Lance Liddle, Bebop Spoken Here “It shows its roots in the cover versions but there’s energy in those tracks and the originals keep those levels up.” Read the full review here.
By Jim Hynes, Glide Magazine “Buscando La Vida was born from two very different events – a fire that destroyed master drummer, composer, and arranger Henry Cole’s NYC apartment and an unexpected New Jazz Works grant from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation once he had relocated to his native Puerto Rico. With both the loss and the gain occurring … Read More
by Dee Dee McNeil, Musical Memoirs “This is improvised madness, swathed in Avant-garde wrapping paper like an unusual holiday present. You can’t wait to open it, on the celebratory morning, but when you do, you are both shocked and enchanted by the uniqueness of the gift.” Read the full review here.
By Rob Lester, Talkin’ Broadway Looking for variety in song styles and versatility of performance? You’ll find it on the rewarding release named Michael Stephenson Meets the Alexander Claffy Trio. If the title suggests all parties are meeting for the first time, we must ignore that because singer-saxophonist Stephenson and bassist/bandleader Claffy have been friends … Read More
By Matt Micucci, Jazziz Read The Week in Jazz article, featuring Dave Young’s Mantra and Alex Brown’s The Dark Fire Sessions, here.
