by Will Layman, PopMatters “Andy Milne is a pianist who has often been in the thick of experimentation with form and with jazz collision with hip-hop in certain forms. It’s … Read More
BEST OF 2020: Andy Milne’s ‘The reMISSION’ Ranked By PopMatters
Will Layman
BEST 2020: Thana Alexa ONA – PopMatters
By Will Layman, PopMatters This is the second recording from the Croatian-American singer, and it sits in a dazzling space—not-really-jazz but unclassifiable music that uses jazz players and gorgeous jazz … Read More
Thana Alexa, Lakecia Benjamin & Greg Ward on 12 Brilliant Recent Jazz Albums That Shouldn’t Be Missed – POPMATTERS
By Will Layman, POPMATTERS There is so much wonderful creative music these days that even an apartment-bound critic misses too much of it. Here is jazz from the last 18 … Read More
REVIEW: Walter Smith lll & Matthew Stevens: “In Common 2” / Music Review – PopMatters
By Will Layman, PopMatters Matthew Stevens is state-of-the-art jazz guitar in 2020, someone who is at home with a huge range of the best musicians of the moment—recently recording with … Read More
BEST OF 2019: Emma Frank – Come Back – Pop Matters
By Will Layman, Pop Matters Here is another record that probably shouldn’t be thought of as “jazz” but that is shot through with the kind of harmonic and melodic light … Read More
FEATURE: Emma Frank’s “Come Back” Reviewed by PopMatters
Emma Frank and Aaron Parks Create a Plainspoken Kind of Magic on ‘Come Back’ by Will Layman, PopMatters 8/10 Emma Frank‘s 2018 recording, Ocean Av, was her first after moving from … Read More
Pop Matters Premieres Emma Frank’s “Ocean Av”
Will Layman, Pop Matters Emma Frank’s Jazz Negotiates Dark and Light I believe love wants to make us choose If we want to grow tall, got to lay our roots … Read More
Dave Liebman & Joe Lovano’s “Compassion: The Music of John Coltrane” Receives 8/10 Star Review from Pop Matters
Will Layman, Pop Matters 2017 marks a half-century since we lost the brilliant musician John Coltrane. And while the notion of another Coltrane tribute recording strikes me as excess, the truth … Read More