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Joan Fort: Hangin' In
by Jack Bowers
Hangin' In is the second recording under his name by Spanish-born, Netherlands-based guitarist Joan Fort who shows on every one of the album's nine radiant and alluring themes--six of which he wrote--why his star is rapidly rising in the jazz world at large. Fort, who was not yet thirty years old when the album was recorded, already boasts an impressive resume that includes co-leadership of the Amsterdam-based collective Dam Jawn. Even more notable are Fort's remarkable command of ...
Continue ReadingJason Forsythe: It's About Time
by Pierre Giroux
Trombonist and composer Jason Forsythe's debut recording as a composer, It's About Time, acts as both a declaration and a reflection: a declaration that his extensive apprenticeship with New York's jazz and Latin bands has cultivated a distinctive compositional voice, and a reflection of the various stylistic influences that have shaped his artistry. The nine-track album, performed by a top-tier sextet featuring trumpeter Brian Lynch, tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, trombonist Steve Davis, pianist Michael Weiss, bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer ...
Continue ReadingJason Forsythe: It's About Time
by Jack Bowers
It's About Time likely refers to the fact that although Jason Forsythe has been a jazz composer of note for decades, this is the first-ever recording he has released as leader of his own ensemble, in this case a world-class sextet whose heavyweight front line is manned by trumpeter Brian Lynch, tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf and trombonist Steve Davis. While Forsythe wrote eight of the album's nine songs--every one of which houses much to admire and commend--the ...
Continue ReadingMichael Weiss: Homage
by Pierre Giroux
In an age when instant gratification often reigns supreme, there is something refreshingly authentic about the leisurely process of refining musical ideas on the bandstand. Pianist Michael Weiss and his cohorts, bassist Paul Sikivie and drummer Pete Van Nostrand, in this aptly titled release, Homage, embodies this organic approach to jazz, presenting a collection of compositions and arrangements that have evolved over years of performance. The session begins with “Un Petit Quelque Chose" (A Little Something), ...
Continue ReadingMichael Weiss: Persistence
by Edward Blanco
An in-demand veteran of the vibrant New York jazz scene since the '80s, pianist Michael Weiss presents the warm and engaging Persistence, his fifth as a leader and first on the Cellar Live label, as well as being his first since the critically acclaimed Soul Journey, (Sintra Records, 2003). The long time span between recordings, despite many other opportunities since then, was primarily due to the artistic and creative terms not being ideal enough until the Cellar Live proposal. One ...
Continue ReadingNew Releases From Michael Weiss, Ron Ledoux, Tim Berne & Gregg Belisle-Chi, and more
by Bob Osborne
On this week's show we feature an eclectic selection of brand new releases from Michael Weiss, Ron Ledoux, Tim Berne & Gregg Belisle-Chi, Hello Cacus!, Luneta Freedom Jazz Collective, In Real Time, Adam Shead and Manuel Valera New Cuban Express Big Band.Playlist Michael Weiss “Persistence" from Persistence (Cellar Live) 00:00 Ron Ledoux Quartet “Fourth Impression" from A Stones Throw Away (Self Released) 06:19 Tim Berne & Gregg Belisle-Chi “Frosty" from Mars (Intakt) 12:12 Hello Cacus! “For Petter" from ...
Continue ReadingMichael Weiss: Soul Journey
by Luke Seabright
Bebop is a complex craft, and like all crafts the only way to get any good at it is by learning from those who mastered it before you. Jamming through the night, getting on to that bandstand and firing away your best improvised lines, jousting with your partners (be they friends or strangers) like in the cutting contests of old. This is all part of the studious process that jazz musicians all over the world work their way to hone ...
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