by Alexa Peters, Downbeat “For the performance, each member of The Kaleidoscope Quintet brings fluency in the jazz tradition, as well as a taste for abandon.” Read the full review … Read More
By Howard Mandel, Downbeat Papo Vázquez’s Mighty Pirates Troubadours are stirring. The precise, greased-gear ensemble moves through smartly arranged, post-boppishly interpreted jazz with a Latin tinge, and the first six … Read More
by Ayana Contreras, Downbeat “Trumpeter Alonzo Demetrius’ thirst for social justice is evident on his leader debut, Live From The Prison Nation. “Movements transform people from individuals to a collective”: … Read More
By Phillip Lutz, Downbeat As an aspiring jazz singer, the teenage Sarah Elizabeth Charles wanted to be Sarah Vaughan. But after writing a lot of tunes that she imagined Vaughan … Read More
By Allen Morrison, Downbeat No jazz vocal group in the 20th century cast a longer shadow than Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. But all their qualities are echoed in the work … Read More
By Stephanie Jones, Downbeat During the past decade, vocalist Aubrey Johnson has explored different chambers of her artistry and performed with an array of musicians, including singers Bobby McFerrin and … Read More
by John Murph, Downbeat Saxophonist Teodross Avery’s latest disc, Harlem Stories: The Music Of Thelonious Monk (WJ3), is both a homecoming and tribute. Monk’s music entered Avery’s life in the 1980s, when … Read More
By Stephanie Jones, Downbeat Trombonist Mariel Bildsten began developing ideas for her debut album in 2019, aiming to reflect different dimensions of her artistry, particularly her skills as an arranger. … Read More
by Ivana Ng, DownBeat “If Aaron Burnett makes music that reflects the times we’re living in, then the saxophonist’s Jupiter Conjunct is an earnest and introspective journey in search of hope, … Read More
by Kira Grunenberg, DownBeat “Confidence immediately rises from bassist Brandi Disterheft’s Surfboard.” Read the full review here.
