That this assemblage works so well is a tribute to the big ears and hearts — and collective intelligence — of all the players here.
Jazz EP Review: Esperanza Spalding and Fred Hersch: Live at the Village Vanguard — A Divine Duo
Yes, purchasing this EP will help out a good cause, but the musical value of this fabulous duo’s performance is priceless.
Jazz CD Review: John Scofield’s “Swallow Tales” — Steve Swallow’s Quirky Romanticism
This is an intelligent, inventively performed, be-boppish tribute to a composer I now know better than ever.
Jazz CD Review: “The Jerry Granelli Trio Plays Vince Guaraldi and Mose Allison” — Paying Exciting Homage
The interpretations of the covers in this beautifully realized tribute album will bring back memories of the originals in a way that is enlivening rather than nostalgic.
Jazz Album Review: Brian Landrus’s “For Now” — With Strings Attached
Saxophonist Brian Landrus seems to know what he’s got in this magnificent trio: Fred Hersch on piano, Drew Gress on bass, and Billy Hart on drums.
Jazz Album Review: Lynne Arriale Trio’s Ambiguously Stirring “Chimes of Freedom”
The Lynne Arriale trio offers the kind of mutual responsiveness that only the best small groups attain.
Jazz Album Review: Jean-Pierre Zanella’s “Rio Minas” — For the Love of Brazil
The songs by Milton Nascimento and Chico Buarque re-imagined on Rio Minas are not necessarily their best known, but all of the performances on this album eloquently testify to saxophonist Jean-Pierre Zanella’s love of Brazil and its people.
Jazz CD Review: “Both Are True” — A Big Band Chock Full of the Unexpected
What strikes this listener most is the writing’s disjointedly distinctive — sometimes unfathomable — sounds and textures, as well as the music’s unpredictable flow.
Jazz CD Review: Kenny Barron and Dave Holland’s Delicious “Without Deception”
Eschewing ostensible flash and musical sleight of hand, Without Deception is a treat for connoisseurs.
Jazz Concert Review: Cécile McLorin Salvant and Aaron Diehl — A Remarkable Collaboration
The recital of this remarkably self-aware singer was a series of highly literate and musically satisfying mini-dramas.