Now that ¾ of the Yellowjackets are eligible for Social Security, the emphasis is more on confirming a legacy of creative compositions and expanding their art of arranging with a broader range of colors.
Jazz
Jazz Album Review: The Royal Bopsters — A Polished “Party of Four”
This recording displays a mastery of the techniques of the jazz vocal group genre.
Jazz Album Reviews: Matthew Shipp — A Splendidly Many-Sided Pianist
Three recordings that testify to the chameleonic power of the (usually) avant-garde pianist Matthew Shipp.
Jazz Survey: Chordless Drills – A Listener’s Guide to the Saxophone Trio
Here is a personal selection of recordings in the saxophone trio format. These linear collaborations have been part of the jazz scene for at least seventy years now. The results are almost always illuminating and exhilarating, and a review of them offers a miniature history of saxophone styles.
Jazz CD Reviews: Mary Halvorson and Rich Halley — Fearlessly Free
New albums from Mary Halvorson and Rich Halley march into fresh realms of freedom.
Jazz Album Review: “The Prospector” — A Saxophone-Bass-Drums Combination to Treasure
Nothing detracts from the essentials here – three fine players in creative conversation.
Jazz Album Review: Keith Jarrett’s “Budapest Concert” — Crystalline Endgame
My guess is that Keith Jarrett probably wasn’t satisfied with this performance. I wouldn’t change a note, a gesture, or a shading.
Jazz Album and Concert Review: The Sylvie Courvoisier Trio — A Tight-Knit and Adventuresome Threesome
Serious but not somber would be a succinct way to describe this trio’s work as heard on disc and in a powerful recent live performance.
Jazz Commentary: Louis Armstrong as Negotiator
Throughout much of his career, Louis Armstrong negotiated a balance between being a “popular” artist and a jazz artist.
Book Review: “Heart Full of Rhythm: The Big Band Years of Louis Armstrong” — The King of All Kings
He may be extreme as a polemicist, but Ricky Riccardi shines when he sticks to jazz’s history.