Michael Ullman

Jazz Album Review: Trombonist/Composer Matteo Paggi’s “Giraffe” — Surprisingly Tall

July 5, 2025
Posted in , , ,

The planned variety of sounds and rhythms is the adroit work of a composer dedicated to both freedom and his own version of continuity.

Jazz Album Reviews: Thelonious Monk and Bill Evans — Two Indispensable Recordings

June 20, 2025
Posted in , , ,

Happily, these clean, bright Craft reissues make some invaluable music glisten.

Jazz Album Review: Mehmet Ali Sanlikol’s Distinctive “7 Shades of Melancholia”

June 3, 2025
Posted in , , , ,

I don’t know anything quite like Mehmet Ali Sanlikol’s Turko-jazz playing. (I invented the term.) I am glad it’s here for us to enjoy.

Jazz Album Review: Larry Goldings’ “I Will” — Clear Sounds to Treasure

May 30, 2025
Posted in , , ,

Pianist Larry Goldings’ repertoire on this trio album is expertly chosen for its variety and melodic appeal.

Jazz Album Review: “Chick Corea, Piano Improvisations Vol 1” — Flights of Lyrical Logic

May 7, 2025
Posted in , , ,

Throughout these bold solo performances, pianist Chick Corea exudes confidence.

Jazz Album Reviews: A Trio of Gems from Craft Recordings

May 5, 2025
Posted in , , ,

At the time of these sessions the musicians themselves were celebrating the relatively recent advent of the long-playing record.

Jazz Album Review: “Izipho Zam (My Gifts)” — A Sign of Its Time

April 26, 2025
Posted in , , ,

Perhaps “Izipho Zam (My Gifts)” might have become as well known as Pharoah Sanders’s “Karma” — if Impulse! rather than the tiny cooperative label Strata-East had recorded it.

Jazz Album Reviews: Stanley Cowell and Music Inc. — The Sounds of Independence

April 25, 2025
Posted in , ,

These Stata-East recordings are the result of a special moment in the history of jazz, when some musicians brilliantly took charge of their own careers. Luckily for us, the music is still strikingly fresh and contemporary.

Jazz Album Review: “Mingus in Argentina” — An Unexpected Gift

April 19, 2025
Posted in , , ,

I must confess to hearing some of the Buenos Aires recordings on bootleg LPs, though their sound quality pales in comparison to this Resonance release.

Jazz Album Review: Kenny Dorham’s Distinctive “Blue Bossa in the Bronx: Live From the Blue Morocco”

April 18, 2025
Posted in , , ,

“Blue Bossa in the Bronx” brings us into a jazz club on a good night. It’s unlike any other Kenny Dorham session, which makes it valuable indeed.

Recent Posts

Popular Posts

Categories

Archives