Jazz
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The Best of 2018: A to C, D to G. Haiku Salut – There Is No Elsewhere Snorri Hallgrimsson – Orbit Han – Tuning The Invisible Francis Harris – Trivial Occupations Jon Hassell – Listening To Pictures (Pentimento Volume One) Sinjin Hawke And Zora Jons – Vicious Circles Hilde Marie Holsen – Luzuli The Illusion…
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This weekend’s radio program will feature part one of a two-part review of the 100 best releases of 2018. BADD PRESS and The Moderns cross too many genres to make a ranking system meaningful. So in addition to the Dec. 23 and 30 shows, I’m going to post the full list alphabetically over the next…
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Last spring, I asked Kronos Quartet founder David Harrington if the group had plans for its upcoming 50th anniversary. “We haven’t really thought about it yet,” he told me. In fairness, the landmark is still five years away for the classical music rock stars. Meantime, a new 21-disc retrospective celebrating The Art Ensemble of Chicago’s…
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Each of these three remarkable players can date his relationship with ECM Records back to a time when the distinguished imprint’s product was in fact primarily delivered on vinyl. Andrew Cyrille debuted first, drumming on Marion Brown’s Afternoon of a Georgia Faun in 1970. Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith followed in 1978, headlining the well-received Divine…
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This second LP from José Lencastre Nau Quartet confirms a conclusion a lot of us came to after last year’s debut Fragments of Always. The Portuguese ensemble is for real. Featuring José Lencastre on alto saxophone, Rodrigo Pinheiro on piano, Hernâni Faustino on bass and João Lencastre on drums, the four-piece deliver one riveting listen…
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True to its name, Brodie West Quintet’s new disc opens with a clipped, stuttering saxophone. Stop-and-start drums add to the effect, resulting in an introduction with more than its share of nervous energy. The eight pieces that follow confirm what fans of West and Co. already understand: any disc with his name on it deserves an…
The Moderns 