Music
Nothing sleepy about the playing in the Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax disc; New Hampshire’s Heather Gilligan is a composer to watch.
This is one of the year’s standout orchestral albums and it’s a special treat to catch the ensemble live on these shores so soon after its release.
Leif Ove Andsnes’ excellent all-Sibelius album is nothing short of revelatory; Borusan Quartet’s disc is creatively programmed and brilliantly played.
With Jon Langford, the only certainty is that there will be surprises that make it party time.
Two great tenor discs have recently been released
Even though Wormwood’s sound is thick and lumbering, the band is actually pretty nimble.
For my taste, too much of the stage action during Friday’s performance was stiff and shopworn.
The evening will be an invaluable opportunity to hear sounds, textures, and melodies created by a veteran composer/arranger.
Both Cowboys and Frenchmen and Mark Zaleski Band “groove, interact, and emote.”
It’s clear these four musicians love playing together. As long as the magic lasts, it’s well worth your hearing.
The Annual Francis Davis Jazz Critics Poll at Mid-Year: Warming Up a Riff — How It Happened, and Why It Matters