by Michelle Mercer, NPR Saxophonist and composer Greg Ward’s latest album, Stomping Off From Greenwood, is a tribute to Chicago, the city where he came of age as a musician. It’s also one of the year’s first great jazz albums. The first time I played Ward’s new album, I was riveted by its sense of momentum … Read More
Vanessa Rubin Makes Jazz Composer Tadd Dameron Sing by Dan Polletta, WCPN Tadd Dameron was one of the most important composer/arrangers of modern jazz, but outside of “If You Could See Me Now,” and a few other songs, the Cleveland native’s works really haven’t been performed by vocalists. Vanessa Rubin decided to change that with “The Dream Is … Read More
Lorens Chuno, Doing Jazz Podcast Itai Kriss‘s new album, Telavana, beautifully combines latin and middle eastern rhythms and melodies in the most uncontrived way possible, highlighting the excellent musicianship of all the players involved. Telavana features Itai Kriss on flute, Michael Rodriguez on trumpet, Cesar Orozco on piano, Or Bareketon bass, Marcos Lopez on percussion, Dan Aran on drums, Yosvanny Terry on shekere, and Tamer Pinarbasi on qanun. Join me … Read More
Nate Chinen, WBGO Ralph Peterson’s Aggregate Prime, “L’s Bop” Listen here. Ralph Peterson has long been celebrated as someone who took the pulse of hard-bop and ratcheted it up to a fever pitch. He is also a composer and trumpeter with a perch at the Berklee College of Music, where he has mentored more than … Read More
Lorens Chuno, Doing Jazz Podcast ITAI KRISS’s new album, TELAVANA, beautifully combines latin and middle eastern rhythms and melodies in the most uncontrived way possible, highlighting the excellent musicianship of all the players involved. Join Itai and Lorens as they talk the album and many other things.(Song credit: ‘Sahadi’s Serenade’, ’Shabazi’, ‘Buttered Scones and Tea’, … Read More
Jason Crane, The Jazz Session The Jazz Session #465: Adi Meyerson Bassist Adi Meyerson grew up in Israel, discovered jazz in her late teens, got into a conservatory for upright bass a few months after picking up the instrument, and then made her way to the New School in New York. Six years after moving … Read More
Simon Rentner, WBGO Today’s show unfolds in two parts. First Joe Lovano shares his appreciation of fellow tenor saxophonist Ben Webster, whom he first learning about his while growing up in Cleveland, OH. (Lovano expressed his appreciation many years later with an original blues, “Big Ben.”) Then we’ll take you to the 2018 Montreal Jazz Festival … Read More
Dave Rogers, WTJU Geof Bradfield – Yes, and…Music for Nine Improvisors (Delmark): Educator/composer/sax player Geof Bradfield is based in Chicago and currently has seven discs as a leader. He composed all of the songs on this disc. The players are Geof Bradfield (tenor, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet), Greg Ward (alto sax), Anna Webber(flute, bass flute, tenor sax), … Read More
Lorens Chuno, Doing Jazz Podcast On her new album, Where We Stand, bassist and composer, ADI MEYERSON presents a classic yet personal interpretation of her original compositions. Join Adi and Lorens as she talks about Nina Simone, Rice and Beans, Israel, and other unrelated but musical themes. (music credit: ‘Where We Stand’, ‘Eunice’, ‘TNT’, ‘Rice … Read More
Tom Schnabel, KCRW I’ve followed the career of Oscar Hernández for over 30 years, beginning with his work as pianist and arranger for Rubén Blades’s brilliant and still-timely album Buscando America (Searching for America). Fifteen years ago, the Bronx-born Hernández founded the 13-piece outfit known as the Spanish Harlem Orchestra (SHO), an incredible tropical Latin big band which has won two Grammy … Read More
