CD Reviews
Sound Bites: January 10, 2010
Short takes on recent releases by Wayne Escoffery (Uptown), Von Freeman (Vonski Speaks), Komeda Project (Requiem), Donny McCaslin (Declaration) and James Weidman (Three Worlds). [more] »
CDs in Brief: January 2, 2010
Short takes on recent releases by Rez Abbasi (Things to Come), Coke/Marsh/Feld (It's Possible), Jonathon Haffner (Life on Wednesday), Darryl Harper (Stories in Real Time), Arturo Stable (Call) and Marcus Strickland (Idiosyncracies). [more] »
CDs in Brief: September 1, 2009
Short takes on recent releases by Eddie Harris & Ellis Marsalis (Homecoming), Joel Harrison (Urban Myths), Evan Parker's Electro-Acoustic Ensemble (The Moment's Energy), Jim Rotondi (Blues for Brother Ray) and Bill Tapia (Livin' It Live). [more] »
Ralph Carney’s Serious Jass Project
Let’s get one thing straight right now: the only “serious” thing about Ralph Carney’s delightful new record is his band’s dedication… to having a damn good time and making sure you do too... [more] »
Sharel Cassity: Just for You
As a young alto saxophonist on the New York scene, Sharel Cassity could have decided she had something to prove and opened her debut CD with “Cherokee.” That tune has long been a yardstick for measuring the chops of bop players, and Cassity burns it up on Just for You, showing all the speed, dexterity and precision the high-octane standard demands... [more] »
Daniel Sadownick: There Will Be a Day
Looking beyond commonly conceived notions of “Latin jazz,” ace percussionist Daniel Sadownick has put together a set of straight-ahead original music which draws as much from bebop and postmodern jazz ideas as it does from Afro-Cuban rhythm. Part tough-guy swagger, part smooth urban soul, this appealing disc makes it clear that Sadownick is following his own muse, reaching out to a broad audience while defying easy categorization... [more] »
Gaucho: Deep Night
It’s not a rule of thumb exactly, but a safe bet: any record which includes a musical comb, washboard or cheek percussion can’t be bad. All three appear at key moments of Deep Night, the third release from Gaucho, a San Francisco outfit which has held down a weekly gig at the city’s Amnesia club for five years running... [more] »
David Binney: Third Occasion
Fresh ideas beam from every angle in Third Occasion, as the alto saxophonist leads a supple quartet of star players through a warm, reflective and instantly engaging set of closely related original works. The nine tracks share a living, breathing quality, filled with elusive, shifting layers of color and texture that are almost too subtle to discern individually. But it’s worth the effort to try. This is the sort of disc that calls for quality headphones and rewards dedicated listening... [more] »
