A pair of beauties: an Eric Revis quintet album and a solo excursion from Chick Corea.
Steve Feeney
Jazz Album Review: Jimmy Heath’s Final “Love Letter”
The disc mixes classics and originals in a set of tunes perfect for late-night reveries or for anytime sojourns to a place of unhurried passion.
Jazz Album Review: Following the Lessons of the Master, “Thumbscrew – The Anthony Braxton Project”
The album’s set of pieces not only revels in the spirited formal experimentation of the great musician’s music, but its expressive urgency as well.
Jazz Album/Concert Review: Saxophonist Joe Lovano — x 2
No matter his musical surroundings, there is never any doubt that it is Joe Lovano you are hearing.
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 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.
Jazz CD Reviews: Lakecia Benjamin & Dave Liebman Group — Rejuvenating the Past
I’d have to give the edge to Dave Liebman in terms of innovative creative reach. But Lakecia Benjamin more than holds her own in how she gives re-vitalizing attention to some very important musical roots.
Jazz Album Review: Liberty Ellman’s “Last Desert” — Going the Distance
Last Desert proves that guitarist Liberty Ellman and his group can dance when they want
Best Jazz Recordings (and Live Concerts), 2019
Pianist Kris Davis’s Diatom Ribbons and the multi-disc set Nat King Cole’s Hittin’ the Ramp: The Early Years (1936-43) are among the albums that made more than one list.