Michael Ullman
Aruán Ortiz’s energy, his skill at creating surprises and variations, and his impressive keyboard mastery make his solo album fascinating.
At the age of 80, pianist Keith Jarrett can no longer perform, but his legacy is secure. “At the Deer Head Inn” is a significant part of it.
The planned variety of sounds and rhythms is the adroit work of a composer dedicated to both freedom and his own version of continuity.
Happily, these clean, bright Craft reissues make some invaluable music glisten.
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.
Pianist Larry Goldings’ repertoire on this trio album is expertly chosen for its variety and melodic appeal.
Throughout these bold solo performances, pianist Chick Corea exudes confidence.
At the time of these sessions the musicians themselves were celebrating the relatively recent advent of the long-playing record.
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.
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.
Arts Commentary: The Orchestra Gap — Europe vs. the US