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Ben Markley Big Band: Tuesday Morning Feeling
by Jack Bowers
When a bandleader says he plans to rely less on arranging the music of others to focus more on his own compositions and charts, the usual response is a prolonged sigh or indifferent shrug of the shoulders --which makes it all the more remarkable that when pianist and composer Ben Markley did exactly that on Tuesday Morning Blues, the third recording by the Colorado-based Ben Markley Big Band, the finished product demands not a sigh or shrug but a straight-from-the-heart ...
Continue ReadingBarry Greene: Giants
by Jack Bowers
The Giants singled out by guitarist Barry Greene on his recording of that name include a number of musicians who served as role models and helped shape his singular musical voice. Pat Martino is one, as are Grant Green, Wes Montgomery, Russell Malone and Pat Metheny, each one a stepping-stone on Greene's upward path toward self-identity and mastery of his instrument of choice. Greene paid it forward by teaching for more than thirty years at the University of North Florida ...
Continue ReadingSteve Nelson: Ceora
by Carl Medsker
For those who love the bright, ringing sound of the vibraphone, this is something of a golden age. In addition to an abundance of talented musicians dedicated exclusively to the vibraphone, numerous percussionists also employ mallet instruments over an expansive range of styles. On the double CD A Common Language (Timeless Records, 2025), veteran Steve Nelson interprets fifteen well-known standards accompanied by Joris Teepe on bass and Eric Ineke on drums. The trio setting allows Nelson to shine across a ...
Continue ReadingNicole Glover: Plays
by Paul Rauch
Tenor saxophonist Nicole Glover has been having an impact on modern jazz since she was a tenor phenom coming out of Portland, Oregon, before arriving in the New York metro area to study and eventually have a career in jazz. She was often seen at festivals playing with several different artists, prompting the obvious questions of who she was and “Where in the dickens did she suddenly appear from?" In 2024, such notions are a thing of the ...
Continue ReadingKenny Barron: Beyond This Place
by Pierre Giroux
Kenny Barron, = 3659}}, the mastermind behind Beyond This Place, leads us on a journey through the corridors of jazz. As of of the genre's most outstanding pianists, Barron is accompanied by an ensemble of formidable talents, including alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, double bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake. Together, they orchestrate an exploration of Barron's legacy and the ever-evolving landscape of jazz. This meticulously selected nine-track session opens with “The Nearness ...
Continue ReadingTomas Janzon: Nomadic
by Jack Bowers
Nomadic, Tomas Janzon's sixth album as leader, is a pleasant, easy-going session that benefits greatly from the presence, on half a dozen tracks, of the superb vibraphonist Steve Nelson who adds substance and color to what is essentially a quartet or trio session wherein Janzon's mellow guitar carries much of the weight. There are eleven tracks in all, the first four and last four by Janzon, separated by McCoy Tyner's tranquil “Search for Peace," Sonny Rollins' no-more-than-lukewarm ...
Continue ReadingDavid Hazeltine: Inversions
by C. Andrew Hovan
It's often said that those with enviable skills make the most sophisticated actions look easy. Be it glass blowing or ice-skating, what appears to be within the grasp of the novice often involves an underlying complexity not readily apparent at first. The same could be said of higher forms of music such as classical and jazz. What might seem simplistic or straightforward on the surface, actually involves a highly refined degree of mastery that's akin to a magician's flick of ...
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