Articles by Maurice Hogue
International Jazz Day Special
by Maurice Hogue
This edition of One Man's Jazz landed on April 30th, the date on which International Jazz Day is celebrated. The 2026 festivities are the 15th such event, but this show has been pumping the tires of international artists for many more years than that. Nevertheless, any excuse for a special show, yes? You'll hear music from many different places that includes several new releases. Pianists Alexander Hawkins (UK), Felix Hauptmann (DE) & Simon Nabatov (RU/DE), a pair of flautists in ...
Continue ReadingCamila Nebbia, Nick Fraser Trio & Bruno Bode
by Maurice Hogue
The spotlight's on Argentinean saxophonist Camila Nebbia and her increasing recognition as one of the finest improvising saxophonists out there today. Her newest album is Noche Y Niebla, recorded with fellow Argentinean reedist Luis Nacht. Their contrasting styles are perfectly matched. Meanwhile her star grows with a pair of nominations for a German Jazz Prize, since she's now living in Berlin--in the woodwind category and best album for A Reflection Distorts Over Water, a terrific album with Marilyn Crispell and ...
Continue ReadingPeter Ehwald, Stéphane Kerecki & Tribute to Bob Rogers
by Maurice Hogue
The 2026 German Jazz Prize nominees have been announced and by chance it happens one of the woodwind nominees is featured in this episode: saxophonist Peter Ehwald, whose music has been played many times on OMJ. In this show, he's featured leading his Tee Trio recorded live at Berlin's B-Flat Club and in duet performance with the legendary drummer, Bill Elgart. As is usually the case, there are European groups making their debuts: the Ragini Trio from Belgium, pianist Pierpaolo ...
Continue ReadingMusic From Favourite Recordings of 2025
by Maurice Hogue
Aside from the two opening tracks from South African drummer Asher Gamedze's upcoming release, A Semblance Of Return, the rest of this show features a track from each of the 25 favourite recordings played on One Man's Jazz in 2025. These were chosen from recordings released by artists from almost 40 different countries. It was a very, very good year! Playlist Asher Gamedze “Air (If Involvedness)" from A Semblance Of Return (Northern Spy) 00:00 Asher Gamedze “Following Up" ...
Continue ReadingMarilyn Mazur, Angelika Niescier, Pat Thomas & Tomeka Reid
by Maurice Hogue
There's some great music coming in 2026, so I dropped in a preview tracks of upcoming albums by alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier collaborating with some of Chicago's finest, England's free jazz pianist Pat Thomas with XT (2.5 hours of screamin' free jazz on Strata Act (Joy Contemporary), Chicago's cellist supreme Tomeka Reid & quartet, Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers (on trumpet, too), and This Is Wuppertal! from the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra led by the excellent Norwegian bassist Ole ...
Continue ReadingThomas Strønen, Gard Nillsen, Things Of This Nature & Atlas Maior
by Maurice Hogue
Norway is a country that punches way above its weight when it comes to producing excellent jazz musicians, and two of the best drummers from that country have released excellent recordings of late: Thomas Strønen & Time Is A Blind Guide's Off Stillness and Gard Nilssen with an expanded Acoustic Unity, celebrating their tenth anniversary. The contrast between their approaches to drumming, composition and concepts is notable. Speaking of notable, the young quartet, Things Of This Nature, is making a ...
Continue ReadingJure Pukl, Remedy/Aki Takase, Evans/Pride & Charles Lloyd
by Maurice Hogue
More often than not, after putting one of these playlists together, I'm left feeling so very lucky and privileged to be able to share these artists and their music. This one in particular is filled with some great stuff. Go have a listen to it. Slovenian saxophonist Jure Pukl & quartet take on AI with their new Analog AI and demonstrate that when it comes to improvisation, AI is the melted ice cream dripping down the side of the cone. ...
Continue ReadingRahsaan Roland Kirk, Haeun Joo, Ishmael Ali & Satoko Fujii
by Maurice Hogue
Two never-heard-before releases present Rahsaan Roland Kirk holding forth at two 1960s gigs, recorded live at the Village Vanguard in New York and at The Penthouse in Seattle are the highlights in this episode of One Man's Jazz, along with a tasty piano trio recording by South Korean pianist Haeun Joo, Chicago cellist Ishmael Ali, a reunited Satoko Fujii Quartet and the innovative NL-Switch Orchestra from The Netherlands. Polish saxophonist Maciej Sikala and his trio make their first appearance on ...
Continue ReadingCamila Nebbia, Jacopo Fagioli, Lena Bloch & Erin Rogers/Kelsey Mines
by Maurice Hogue
The focus in this episode is on Argentine saxophonist Camila Nebbia who's quickly becoming a very important voice in the avant-garde/free jazz world. Other saxophonists heard on new releases are Lena Bloch, Erin Rogers (with bassist Kelsey Mines), and Rick Countryman from Manila. If you like trumpet players, track down Italy's Jacopo Fagioli. His new Dialogue is very good. Other new music from French guitarist David Chevallier, pianist Denman Maroney and the Polish trio Product May Contain. Playlist ...
Continue ReadingAmirtha Kidambi, L.A.S. Collective, Waldron/Rivers & Pat Thomas
by Maurice Hogue
I haven't done a three-hour show for a while, but with all the new stuff coming in, it was an easy task. Several live recordings highlight this one: vocalist and provocateuse Amirtha Kidambi & Elder Ones are live in Vilnius Lithuania; the Polish L.A.S. Collective featuring trumpeter Piotr Damasiewicz are live at Café Oto in London (plus a studio session from Berlin); a synthesis of multiple concerts by the German duo Training; two of the greats from Venice in 1984 ...
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