By Rob Lester, Broadway World “What’s in a name?” Shakespeare had Juliet query. Sometimes a name is shared by people unrelated by blood or marriage, but they coincidentally seem to share a connective perspective. It has happily happened again. The captivatingly cozily cool Karrin Allyson, whose two nightly shows at Birdland continue at Birdland through Saturday, … Read More
By Imran Mirza, UK Vibe Thana Alexa delivers her long-awaited sophomore album ‘ONA’ which follows up on her 2014 debut record, ‘Ode to Heroes’, which featured Donny McCaslin and Antonio Sanchez amongst others. As evident through the album’s title itself, ‘ONA’ (a nod to her Croatian heritage with the word translating to ‘She’), the album seeks to celebrate … Read More
By Sébastien Hélary, Next Bop There is no denying that jazz music is going through a form of globalization, branching out into other musical realms, drawing inspiration from other established genres. The musicians on the cutting edge right now are building upon the discipline, theory and improvisational skills learned from the century-old tradition of jazz … Read More
By Jack Bowers, All About Jazz As on its debut album, I Remember Bu, drummer / educator Ralph Peterson‘s Gen-Next Big Band, composed for the most part of students at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, pays tribute on Listen Up! to one of Peterson’s mentors, the late great Art Blakey, known far and wide as … Read More
By Ralph A. Miriello, Notes On Jazz Being associated with a generous and talented mentor can be a powerful impetus to your own creative development and musical maturity. Bassist Richie Goods’ latest album My left hand man, is a tribute to Goods’ mentor, the late great pianist Mulgrew Miller, who Goods recorded and toured with for nine … Read More
By Drama Queen NYC Cabaret legend Billy Stritch has teamed with jazz singer Clint Holmes for an act at the Birdland Theater entitled “Straighten Up and Fly Right” which pays tribute to the great Nat “King” Cole. Given this combination of performers, it’s not a surprise that the show is jazzy as heck. Pianist / … Read More
By Stephen Mosher, Broadway World That’s what they say, isn’t it? It’s all in the timing? Well, Hannah Jane Peterson could not have timed her latest show in the Birdland Theater more perfectly. Her new act coinciding with the recent release of the children’s picture book A IS FOR AUDRA (which probably populates more childless … Read More
By Fred Grand, Jazz Journal Despite Ulery being based in Chicago, the music of Delicate Charms recalls that very composerly strand of New York jazz from the 1990s which was exemplified by Dave Douglas (New & Used) and Mark Feldman (The Chromatic Persuaders). He borrows liberally from folk and classical musics, and the complementary arts … Read More
By John Shand, The Sydney Morning Herald A LIFE BETWEEN (Soundsabound) ★★★★ Perhaps it was inevitable that Chase Baird would be a jazz saxophonist, with his first name referencing a Coltrane tune (among others) and his second containing “bird”. But making this second album was not easy, with a little serendipity required before his pieces could … Read More
By George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly Pianist Matt Herskowitz brings melodicism and a modern classical approach to a wide variety of lyrical songs. The melding of jazz and classical works well, with a rich and stately read of “My One And Only Love” and a wondrous “Ballade” as a strong dynamic range is heard on … Read More
