Michael Ullman
The sound of both musicians is indelible: trumpeter Enrico Rava is warm and rounded; pianist Fred Hersch, often icy, is fetching and detailed.
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Four! is one of Hampton Hawes’ most satisfying sessions, for the variety of the repertoire and the quality of the performances.
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Play or Die brilliantly showcases what Miles Davis heard in Tony Williams’ playing: variety of sound within a restricted framework.
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Manel Fortià’s album of his Spanish-tinged compositions is meant to wake us up to what the bassist can do.
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Ornette Coleman turned to me and said, “You know, you can never really be out of tune. You are always in tune with something.”
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Oscar Peterson always seemed at his best live, which is how we find the pianist in this beautifully recorded, newly issued set.
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The trio shares Cecil Taylor’s love of rational freedom and adventure, but it doesn’t try to reproduce the pianist’s rip-roaring intensity.
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The magazine’s jazz critics look back over the past year and highlight their favorites — mainly recordings.
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As serious a musician as he is, and as virtuosic as he can be, the naturally extroverted Christian McBride knows how to entertain, a talent generously evident in this live performance.
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Guitarist Mary Halvorson and pianist Sylvie Courvoisier share a remarkable rapport on this duet album.
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