By Filipe Freitas, Jazz Trail On his newest trio album, Cuban-born piano maverick Gonzalo Rubalcaba reunites with the mentors of his youth, the bassist Ron Carter and the drummer Jack DeJohnette. The former associated himself to the pianist’s musical cause on the album Diz… (Somethin’ Else, 1994), while the latter appeared on Images (Somethin’ Else, … Read More
by Filipe Freitas, Jazz Trail The brand-new Chicago-based sextet Altoizm! is spearheaded by three alto saxophonists of unbound talent: Greg Ward, Rajiv Halim and Sharel Cassity. The rhythm section that paves the way for these avid soloists is composed of pianist and music director Richard Johnson, bassist Jeremiah Hunt and drummer Michael Piolet. Read the … Read More
By Filipe Freitas, Jazz Trail After plunging our ears in this recording, there’s no way to deny that former pop singer Jihye Lee composes for jazz orchestra with unbridled imagination. Daring Mind is the follow-up to her debut release, April (2017), and includes nine compositions that, reflecting the bandleader’s first four years in New York, … Read More
By Filipe Freitas, Jazz Trail New York-based British bassist/composer Orlando Le Fleming pushes the envelope on the second installment of his Romantic Funk project, The Unfamiliar, a deep incursion into jazz-funk, which marks his debut on the Whirwind Recordings. Read this review here.
By Filipe Freitas, Jazz Trail Pianist Andy Milne releases a trio album of mainly original material in the company of generous cohorts, bassist John Hébert and drummer Clarence Penn. The exploration of the classic piano trio formation was being delayed for over a decade, with Milne focusing on duos, quartets and quintets, but now, after … Read More
by Felipe Freitas, Jazz Trail American trumpeter/composer/bandleader Brian Lynch, a Grammy award winning artist, has brought a new burning charisma to the Latin jazz genre, raising consciousness through a colorful consolidation of diverse musical cultures. His double-disc big band album, The Omni-American Book Club, was inspired by literature and features noteworthy guests such as drummer … Read More
By: Filipe Freitas, Jazz Trail Personnel – Immanuel Wilkins: alto saxophone; JD Allen: tenor saxophone; Giveton Gelin: trumpet; Luis Perdomo: piano; Orrin Evans: piano; Ben Wolfe: bass; Donald Edwards: drums. Ben Wolfe, a bassist from Baltimore with a deeply centered sound, pays tribute to his late father on Fatherhood, a collection of ten accessible tunes … Read More
Filipe Frietas, JazzTrail Guitarist Eric Hofbauer, a mainstay of the Boston scene, assembles a supple jazz sextet where he teams up with bassist Nate McBride and drummer Curt Newton in the rhythm section, providing footing for a pretty active three-horn frontline composed of saxophonist Seth Meitch, trumpeter Jerry Sabatini and trombonist Jeb Bishop. The five-part … Read More
Filipe Freitas, Jazz Trail Harpist Brandee Younger and her cohorts find a perfect balance in the repertoire that composes Soul Awakening, her fourth album as a leader, which was completed in 2013 but only now sees the light of the day. The lineup includes longtime collaborators such as saxophonists Stacy Dillard and Chelsea Baratz, drummer … Read More
Filipe Freitas, Jazz Trail Brooklyn-based saxophonist Michael Eaton creates absorbing narrative tapestries on Dialogical, the long-desired follow-up to Individuation (Destiny Records, 2014). Inspired by dialogical thinking and multiplicity, this solid body of work evinces high levels of maturity mirrored in eight brave compositions, where he shines alongside members of his Individual Quartet – pianist Brad … Read More
