Entries from February 2015
Steven Wilson: Steven Wilson: Hand. Cannot. Erase.
Sometimes you never can tell. When British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson released the old school progressive rock record The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories) (Kscope, 2013), who knew that it would not only turn out to be his best-selling album since walking…
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Richie Goods and Nuclear Fusion: Three Rivers
Growing up in the 1970s, I was a rabid fan of the aggressive and adventurous sounds of jazz-rock, later re-branded as “jazz fusion.” I slowly lost interest as the style became mired in a sticky sea of overproduced pop moves and smooth sentiment, but held out hope for some sort of renaissance. The ja…
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Joel Silva: Geyser
Portuguese drummer m: Joel Silva has organized a very fine band to bring his compositions to life. The resulting album, Geyser, is a deeply felt paean to nature and man’s place within it. From the opening track, the music (with one exception) creates mental images of wide-open spaces and…
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Curtis Nowosad: Dialectics
While it may be tempting to simply call Dialectics a straight-ahead session, Kevin Sun’s liner notes set the record straight: According to Sun, “neo-hard bop” is a more accurate term for this music. What’s most important to note, however, is that the music is pretty irresistible, regardless of what…
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Jakob Bro: Jakob Bro: Gefion
Gefion, Danish guitarist m: Jakob Bro ‘s ECM-debut as leader, is a fascinating reinvention of melodicism. His music leads listeners deep into the rich resonances emerging from brilliantly simple melodic motifs imbued with seductive atmospheres. Like MA bius strips his music’s lines wind s…
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Tigran Hamasyan: Mockroot
A rising star, pianist Tigran Hamasyan’s releases have been fueled by his Armenian heritage and prodigious skills rooted in jazz and classic music training though not limited by either discipline. His debut on Nonesuch Mockroot continues to showcase his many interests which combine voice, electronic…
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The Ted Howe Jazz Orchestra: Pinnacle
Big bands come at the listener from a variety of angles these days, some more aslant than others. On Pinnnacle, Los Angeles-based composer / arranger / pianist m: Ted Howe covers all the bases, navigating his thirteen-piece orchestra through styles ranging from swing to funk, Latin to to…
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