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Dayna Stephens: Monk'D
by Angelo Leonardi
Da un decennio Dayna Stephens s'è imposto tra i migliori sassofonisti della sua generazione ma pochi lo conoscono come contrabbassista, ruolo che ha assunto saltuariamente con Roy Hargrove, Billy Hart, Joshua Redman e altri. La scelta dello strumento a corde in questo suo progetto dedicato alla musica di Monk nasce dalla volontà di esplorare le caratteristiche ritmiche e metriche nelle composizioni del pianista di Rocky Mount, lasciando ad un altro collega (in questo caso Stephen Riley) il compito ...
Continue ReadingJohannes Wallmann: Not Tired
by Troy Dostert
As the capstone to a terrific year which saw him first release Holding Space (Shifting Paradigm, 2025), a splendid duo disc with tenor saxophonist Dennis Mitcheltree, pianist Johannes Wallmann impresses once again with Not Tired, a delightful quintet outing which highlights the keyboardist's penchant for strong melodies as well as his superb bandleading skills. Wallmann has a fine set of colleagues here, with Ingrid Jensen's sparkling trumpet and Dayna Stephens' brawny tenor creating a scintillating two-horn tandem. Bassist ...
Continue ReadingRafael Enciso: Crossfade
by Jack Bowers
On Crossfade, his debut recording as leader, bassist Rafael Enciso wrests as much rhythmic and harmonic mileage as possible from what is basically a quartet date, using tenor saxphonist Dayna Stephens to add color and depth to one of his ten original compositions, organist Jahari Stampley to amplify two others. Elsewhere, Enciso and his companions paint with broad musical strokes, breathing life into his impressions of a “Waterfall," “Solstice," “Skipping Stones" and “Whirlpool," the last showcasing Enciso's resonant ...
Continue ReadingNoah Garabedian: Quartets and Solos
by Jack Bowers
If ever an album were in need of liner notes--or at least some further clarification--it is this one, Quartets and Solos, by New York-based bassist Noah Garabedian's quartet; or quintet, if one includes album producer Samuel Adams' special effects and programming. The playlist consists of 13 songs. According to a press release, they alternate “between eight conceptually stand-alone quartet compositions...and sharply focused solo features written specifically for each musician (including Adams)." There are two such showcases for every ...
Continue ReadingDayna Stephens, Emiliano D'Auria, Charles Lloyd, Jérémie Lucchese, James Newton
by Ludovico Granvassu
Here's a playlist featuring musicians paying tribute to where they come from, geographically or artistically.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Emiliano D'Auria “Chasing the Flicker" The Baggage Room Vol.2--Meanwhile (Via Veneto Jazz) 0:16 Host talks 6:52 Dayna Stephens “Just You and Me Smoking the Evidence" Monk'D (Contagious) 8:37 Host talks 15:01 Charles Lloyd “Black Butterfly" Figure in Blue (Blue Note) 16:11 Jérémie Lucchese “Virga" Essais pour l'imaginaire--Vol. II ...
Continue ReadingEmiliano D'Auria: The Baggage Room Vol.2 – Meanwhile
by Angelo Leonardi
Meanwhile è il secondo capitolo del progetto The Baggage Room, la svolta espressiva del pianista marchigiano, che fonde la vivacità ritmica e timbrica del jazz contemporaneo statunitense con l'impronta melodica già espressa nello Jano Quartet. Registrato a Monaco di Baviera nel novembre 2024, l'album conferma la presenza del trombettista Philip Dizack e del sassofonista Dayna Stephens ma introduce una nuova sezione ritmica, nelle figure di Jacopo Ferrazza al contrabbasso e Kush Abadey alla batteria. L'ispirazione iniziale ...
Continue ReadingDayna Stephens: Monk'D
by Dan McClenaghan
A jazz artist stepping into the studio to record some Thelonious Monk can approach the task from different angles. They can go all in and make a statement with solely Monk tunes. Pianist Ran Blake's Epistrophy (Soul Note, 1991) is one example of this approach. Or the artist can pick one of their favorite Monk classics (or two or three) and present them alongside a batch of originals and/or tunes by other artists to create a set list. Almost everybody ...
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