by S. Victor Aaron The steady stream of highly talented young jazz musicians continue to flow from Israel to New York. We’ve gone from Avishai Cohen to, uh, Avishai Cohen and everyone in between, like Amos Hoffman and Oz Noy. Earlier this week, we officially welcomed another Israeli musician into the fold as leading recording artists with the first widely [...]

by Pico As much of a transformational figure as he was, Scott LaFaro wasn’t the only brilliant bassist who had played in Bill Evans’ trio; Eddie Gomez held that esteemed seat for longer than anybody, from 1966 to 1977. Like LaFaro, Gomez was virtually an equal harmonically as the legendary pianist, and shared Evans’ passion for rich melodicism, a passion [...]

by Nick DeRiso Densely layered, with an elegant construction, Black Dub doesn’t start out all that much differently from your average recording by uber-hip producer Daniel Lanois. Then something welcomely dangerous, almost feral, happens. Lanois — famous for his work with U2, Bob Dylan and Peter Gabriel, among others — is the first voice you hear, backed by the respected [...]

by Pico Danilo Pérez is a name that’s come up often in this space whenever I’m boasting about what big names such-and-such artist has performed and/or recorded with. So, on the occasion of Pérez’s latest CD Providencia, perhaps it’s time to devote a little space to the guy who has helped along the careers of so many other young talents. [...]

by S. Victor Aaron A guy who has helped to pioneer a fluid yet supple sound for the trombone, participated in so many classic records and performed as a member of so many prominent jazz ensembles should be a first ballot entry into the jazz Hall of Fame, if such a thing were to exist. But the only trombonist to [...]

by Pico Acoustic bassist Harvie S has appeared on over 350 recordings for a very good reason. He has an unshakeable sense of swing, a flawless tone and otherworldly dexterity on his instrument. For a example of his amazing technique, just eyeball the video I embedded in a recent review of a Carol Morgan record. I can only shake my [...]

by S. Victor Aaron Last Tuesday, HighNote Records furnished two new CD’s, each by established veterans of the jazz scene. Look on the back of just about any classic Blue Note album from the 60s, and you’re likely to see Joe Chambers’ name listed as the drummer. And while there’s no notable drum solos to be found on those records, [...]

by Nick DeRiso Marc Copland has this welcoming, inward voice — cerebral but somehow completely accessible, in the way of the most enchanting records by Bill Evans from years back. But as quiet as he can be, it seems that Copland never stops playing. “Alone” is actually the prolific pianist’s third album of 2009 — following the finale of his [...]

by Nick DeRiso Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, a spirited, bluesy and always fun performer, seemed to burst out from a series of early live recordings during a period when that was rare. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, there were just too many logistical nightmares, from getting good takes in the smoky, raucous atmosphere of a nightclub, to finding a [...]

by Pico An uber-talented young gal from Oregon with a fresh, delightful debut record that brings back to life classic American music of prior generations. That’s what I said in a nutshell about Diane Birch’s Bible Belt, but this time, the buzz is about Hailey Niswanger. Ms. Niswanger (pronounced NICE-wonger) plies her trade in a much different musical arena, though, [...]