by Dave Cantor, DownBeat Magazine Live From The Prison Nation ranks as Alonzo Demetrius’ leader debut, an album that finds the trumpeter angling for a space somewhere between the smooth and thoughtful tones of Theo Croker, and the driving precision of Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah. Read the full review here.
By Dave Cantor, Downbeat There’s a promise inherent in contemporary music, and it goes something like this: With people from various backgrounds—culturally, ideologically, religiously, aesthetically—creating art, everyone can benefit from the exposure to new ideas. Read this review here.
by Dave Cantor, Downbeat “This latest effort exerts Nilsson’s mercurial skills as a musical marauder with as many interests as skills to deploy her ideas.” Read it here.
By Dave Cantor, Downbeat Saxophonist Walter Smith III and guitarist Matthew Stevens achieved such artistic fulfillment with their 2018 album, In Common, they’re back for another go. The co-leaders launched the band in 2017 with the idea that it could have rotating members. In Commonfeatured vibraphonist Joel Ross, bassist Harish Raghavan and drummer Marcus Gilmore, … Read More
By Dave Cantor, DownBeat A bassist equally comfortable backing up vocalist Kurt Elling as he is occasionally performing alongside some of Chicago’s avant crowd and helming his groovier ensemble Lens, Clark Sommers coats post-bop with a veneer of 21st-century exceptionalism and adventure on Peninsula. Full review here.
By Dave Cantor, Downbeat A bassist equally comfortable backing up vocalist Kurt Elling as he is occasionally performing alongside some of Chicago’s avant crowd and helming his groovier ensemble Lens, Clark Sommers coats post-bop with a veneer of 21st-century exceptionalism and adventure on Peninsula. Full review here.
Reviews of “A Life Between” by Chase Baird and “Quintet” by Roxy Coss here.
Ellen Rowe Octet Momentum, Portraits Of Women In Motion (Smokin’ Sleddog) J.D. Considine, Downbeat There are two ways a listener might understand Ellen Rowe’s ambitious new album, Momentum, Portraits Of Women In Motion. One would be to consider the concept, in which Rowe pays tribute to great women of politics, music and sports, and the fact that … Read More
