by James Nadal, All About Jazz If a record cover can be any indication of the content of the music it encases, then Pathways, by drummer/composerZane Rodulfo, has the perfect depiction. It shows Rodulfo walking along a well-worn rainforest trail, drumsticks in hand with a look of absolute confidence that he knows where he is … Read More
by James Nadal, All About Jazz 4 Stars! In the study of Hindu Vedanta philosophy, jnana-vijnana is a Sanskrit term for the pursuit of knowledge combined with intuitive realization arising from perception. If applied to music in a jazz framework, it is free from agitation and flows with a meditative rapture. The Dan Wilkins Ensemble … Read More
by James Nadal, All About Jazz The music of Miles Davis certainly needs no introduction. It has been covered in a myriad of styles, by a vast quantity of artists. Racha S’Miles is an ambitious project that deconstructs Davis’s music and hurls it into a rhythmic and exotic orbit exhibiting Brazilian sensibilities. The Racha Fora … Read More
by James Nadal, All About Jazz “If one is driven to the edge of sound and requested to hear the future of jazz, whoever is spinning the tunes might consider the Josh Shpak Band to open the show with music from Astatic . Led by trumpet prodigy Josh Shpak, who was personally mentored by the … Read More
By EDWARD BLANCO, All About Jazz Tenor saxophonist Carlos Averhoff, Jr. draws on a rich cultural tradition blending infectious Afro-Cuban rhythms with intricate melodies delivered in a hard-driving manner on his impressive modern-styled, Latin jazz-tinged iRESI. A classically-trained musician from Cuba and the son of Miami-based saxophonist Carlos Averhoff, Averhoff, Jr. now resides in Boston … Read More
By James Nadal, All About Jazz 4 Stars! If the Mediterranean can be arguably construed as the cradle of civilization, then Italy certainly has a favorable geographical position in this debate, as it protrudes into the middle of the sea. Francesco Marcocci learned the bass in his hometown of Pisa, Italy, and in the process … Read More
By James Nadal, All About Jazz The most distinguished characteristic of Afro-Caribbean music—as well as its greatest contribution to the jazz idiom—has been the drums. If we take this one step further, the Afro-Cuban tradition of drumming has had the highest degree of influence, and has been readily identifiable, since the Latin dance crazes of … Read More
By JACK BOWERS, All About Jazz In a career spanning almost half a century, soprano saxophonist Dave Liebman has appeared on more than five hundred recordings including seventy as leader of various groups. His latest, A Tribute to Wayne Shorter by the Dave Liebman Big Band, may well be the best one yet. Why? Because … Read More
By DAN MCCLENAGHAN, All About Jazz 4 Stars! At twenty-five years of age, Boston-based trumpeter David Neves can’t be expected to boast a big recorded with/played with resume. But he can boast a first rate education—Berklee and the New England Conservatory. And with his Progress Report, a marvelous debut as leader, Neves blows way beyond … Read More
By JACK BOWERS, All About Jazz 4 Stars! After listing the personnel (which varies on every track) for Turkish-born composer Mehmet Ali Sanlikol’s new CD, What’s Next?, there’s scarcely room for a review. Well, perhaps a small one, starting with the fact that Sanlikol, a graduate of the Berklee School of Music and New England … Read More
