By David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express The album’s title is true. The 1973 performance documented here (and released in its entirety for the first time) marked the pianist’s return to the stage. Cecil Taylor was in the vanguard of jazz, spoken of in the same sentences as Ornette Coleman and Charles Mingus. Read more here.
By Morton Shlatbotnik, Shepherd Express Like several other respected musicians, pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba emigrated from Cuba to the U.S. seeking opportunities. He won a Grammy after his arrival. For his new album of Afro-Cuban accented jazz, Rubalcaba sought two of his heroes. The rhythm section of bassist Ron Carter and drummer Jack DeJohnette prove to … Read More
By Morton Shlatbotnik, Shepherd Express On his new album, Kirk Lightsey performs ambitious, challenging music, several Wayne Shorter compositions, John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps.” Read more here.
By Morton Shlatbotnik, Shepherd Express Glenn Close is the celebrity collaborator on Transformation, the latest album by the Grammy-winning soprano saxophonist (and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra member) Ted Nash. Read more here.
By Morton Shlatbotnik, Shepherd Express Guitarist Lorne Lofsky played with some of the greats in old school jazz—Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Chet Baker—and survived to become part of that old school. Read more here.
By David Luhrssen, Shepherd Express Trumpeter Chet Baker embodied understated cool in the 1950s jazz, singing like a ghostly memory and playing notes as evanescent as a light scrim of fog over San Francisco Bay. Drugs were his tragedy, and he spent the closing decades of life picking up gigs and stumbling through relative obscurity. … Read More
By Morton Shlabotnik, Shepherd Express One of the most enduring compositions from late ‘40s bebop, the haunting melody of “Round Midnight,” was written by Thelonious Monk. Perhaps Teodress Avery was wise not to include “Round Midnight” in his tribute to Monk. Instead, the tenor and soprano saxophonist choses 10 other Monk numbers. Read the full … Read More
By Morton Shlabotnik, Shepherd Express Azat Bayazitov is steeped in the sound of post-1960, post-bop jazz. Read this review here.
By Morton Shlabotnik, Shepherd Express When an album opens with a drum solo, you can bet the band leaders is sitting behind the kit, a wide grin covering his face. Read this full review here.
By Morton Shlabotnik, Shepherd Express The economics of putting a jazz orchestra on the road may be daunting but that doesn’t prevent studio sessions from taking place. Woodwind player Charles Pillow assembled an ensemble two-dozen strong to record Chamber Jazz. Read the full review here.
