Entries from May 2015
Francesco Nastro Trio: Colors of Light
As soon as one lets Francesco Nastro’s fingers fondle those keys the way he does on “E all’Improvviso il Sole,” the musical geometries that create Colors of Light finally come to life. The music springs from a cocoon-like environment in which pianists the likes of m: Bill Evans and {{m: B…
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The Word: Soul Food
Right from the cover graphic depicting an audio speaker as a source of spiritual sustenance, The Word’s Soul Food continues one of the most unusual but profoundly successful and satisfying collaborations in contemporary roots music. Bluesrockers the North Mississippi Allstars so deeply bonded with k…
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Boney James: Futuresoul
At this point, with 15 albums under his belt, it’s been established what Boney James does and does not do well. If you are in search of an adventurous artist who is constantly pushing the envelope and challenging himself and the listener by daring to deviate from expectation, keep looking: this is n…
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Steve Slagle and Bill O’Connell: The Power Of Two
The initial impetus behind the creation of this recording was the passing of Kenny Drew Jr., an exceptional and underappreciated pianist who saxophonist m: Steve Slagle worked with, both in the Mingus Big Band and on one of his own leader dates–Reincarnation (SteepleChase, 1994). On the…
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Batik: Headland
Batik may be a relatively new group but there’s a natural chemistry in this debut recording that is the result of long years playing together in a variety of contexts. The genesis of the group dates back to m: Joost Lijbaart and m: Wolfert Brederode ‘s duo collaborations, whic…
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Gary Peacock Trio: Now This
Some of bassist Gary Peacock’s earliest musical associations speak to a career that has been nurtured by unusually well-rounded experiences. Subbing for m: Ron Carter in gigs with m: Miles Davis , playing with the m: Bill Evans Trio and pianist m: Paul Bley …
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John Roney: Preludes
Intelligent programming in a jazz release provides its own reward in seasoning the recital contained therein with a thoughtful foundation. Canadian pianist John Roney entitles his recording Preludes and proceeds to populate the disc with exactly that, “Preludes,” those brief, often standalone keyboa…
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