by Michael J. West, JazzTimes “..Spring of Two Blue-J’s, one of the great concert triumphs of free-jazz pianist Cecil Taylor’s career, is just the shorter second set from a two-set night? Perhaps it’s not the world-reshaping news that the recent spate of new Coltrane releases has been, but it’s big, and the newly released full … Read More
Michael J. West, Alchemical Records The great drummer Art Blakey was also the great teacher Art Blakey. The man dedicated his life to leading bands (the Jazz Messengers) that he staffed with young musicians that would receive tutelage from him, then go on to spearhead new generations of jazz greats. The list is vast, running … Read More
Album of the Day: Greg Ward, “Stomping Off From Greenwood” by Mike West, Bandcamp Daily Two things immediately distinguish Stomping Off From Greenwood. First, there’s the unique saxophone-and-dual-guitar frontline of Chicago saxophonist Greg Ward’s Rogue Parade quintet, a hard turn from the orchestral Mingus-isms of his most recent album, 2016’s Touch My Beloved’s Thought. Second, and by … Read More
Michael J. West, JazzTimes The murderer’s row of fusioneers that bassist/composer Scott Petito assembled for Rainbow Gravity is both exciting and foreboding. It implies great playing and—not unrelatedly—big, self-indulgent spotlights for the heavyweights. But while the chops are indeed fearsome, the album turns out surprisingly tight, thanks in no small part to Petito’s writing. One remarkable example: … Read More
