That this assemblage works so well is a tribute to the big ears and hearts — and collective intelligence — of all the players here.
Jazz
Jazz Album Review: The Ultimate Peggy Lee — A Woman in Control
Peggy Lee’s career took her far from the bifurcated sexual image expected of a canary — 40% coy seductiveness and 60% “I just want to settle down but will entertain you until the right guy comes along.”
Jazz Album Review: Pianist Erroll Garner — The Best Tunes Played with Mucho Gusto
Thanks to Octave and Mack Avenue Records, a significant section of pianist Erroll Garner’s storied career is back, sounding better than ever before.
Jazz Album Review: Rudresh Mahanthappa’s “Hero Trio” — To the Rescue
Adventurous jazz is not always as much fun to listen to as it is on Hero Trio, a stellar meeting of compositions, arrangements, and astute performances propelled by real passion.
Jazz Concert Review: Livestream — Billy Hart Quartet at the Village Vanguard
The exhilarating power of live music in a small club blazed forth whenever the momentum built loud and hard toward a stirring transition.
Jazz Recording Review: “If There Are Mountains” — An Instant Classic
There’s much to admire in If There Are Mountains, modulated pathos as well as subtle joys.
Arts Commentary: The Music Biz — When Difficult Becomes Dire
The advantage of localism enjoyed by a club down the block disappears in cyberspace.
Jazz CD Review: Cory Smythe’s “Accelerate Every Voice” — Densely Layered; Simultaneously Music and Cryptic Puzzle
This is virtuosity-driven chamber music with fluctuating levels of oxygen, shadows, and light.
Jazz Album Review: Wolfgang Muthspiel’s Superb “Angular Blues”
The precision and inventiveness of Angular Blues more than meets our high expectations for this terrific trio.
Jazz Album Reviews: Matthew Shipp and Whit Dickey — Unrepentant Proponents of Free Jazz
Decades on, Matthew Shipp and Whit Dickey have grown into mature models of how to keep the faith when following an idiosyncratic muse.