Michael Ullman

Jazz Album Reviews: Guitar Players Rejoice — Cherished Joe Pass and Wes Montgomery Sessions Reissued as High-End LPs

March 14, 2025
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Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass are master jazz guitarists who sound nothing alike.

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Jazz Album Review: Jon Irabagon’s “Server Farm” — Music to Swing to A.I. By

February 21, 2025
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The album’s message about the triumph of A.I. is unconvincing, but the music, with its variety of sounds and tempos, its zigzaggy shifts, written and improvised, is totally engrossing.

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Album Review: “B. B. King in France” — A Wizard of the Blues Casts His Spell

December 18, 2024
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On his live recordings, B.B. King displayed his brilliant use of stagecraft and pacing. He was one might call a mastro of manipulation.

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Jazz Album Review: Emily Remler’s “Cookin’ at the Queens: Live in Las Vegas 1984 & 1988” — Incomparable

December 6, 2024
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“Cookin’ at the Queens” is an invaluable addition to the legacy of guitarist Emily Remler.

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Jazz Album Reviews: Sun Ra and Bill Evans — Two Superb Sets of Previously Unavailable Live Music

December 6, 2024
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As usual, Elemental’s pressings are pristine and the packaging is artful and informative, with new photos.

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Jazz Album Review: Ohad Talmor’s “Back to the Land” — Homage to Ornette Coleman

November 1, 2024
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We should be grateful for Ohad Talmor’s wide-ranging curiosity, not only because of the detective work he put into the Ornette Coleman/Lee Konitz recordings, but because of his uniquely varied presentations of these mostly unknown pieces.

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Jazz Album Review: Avishai Cohen’s “Ashes to Gold” — A Lyrical Response to Tragedy

October 25, 2024
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The music in Avishai Cohen’s album, written and recorded soon after Oct 7, expresses a persistent hopeful gentleness.

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Jazz Album Review: Terry Gibbs’ Slam-Bang Big Band, Vol. 7

October 20, 2024
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This 65-year-old recording features some of the best players in L.A. and it is bright, sharp, and revealing. There’s plenty to marvel at here even if I would have wished for more ballads and fewer Stan Kenton-like brass fanfares. 

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Jazz Album Review: Andrew Hill’s “A Beautiful Day, Revisited” — Well Worth the Return Trip

October 15, 2024
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The recording proves to be both an excellent example of Andrew Hill’s unusual creative methods, particularly the wonderful results he managed to get with ensembles.

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Jazz Album Review: “The Best of Bird” — The Sheer Genius of Charlie Parker

September 29, 2024
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“Ornithology: The Best of Bird” might better be described as the best of Bird on Savoy.

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