Women came to Alaska during the gold rush to seek a better life, but their options were often limited to sex work; Juneau folk singer Annie Bartholomew tells their stories.
Anyone familiar with the work of bassist Mark Dresser knows that he is an uncompromising innovator, always dedicated to pushing his music into new territory; and if that requires novel technical modifications to his instrument itself,...
Tenor saxophonist Alex Weitz 's third album, Rule of Thirds, is a quartet date with guests--on seven of its nine tracks. In addition to playing tenor, Weitz wrote all but one of those numbers, Cole Porter's seductive "Love for Sale."...
Innovative saxophonists Jon Raskin and Phillip Greenlief use graphic scores for a series of recordings, each with a similar pair of instruments. These collaborations are called 2 + 2... [ read more ]
NPR's Ari Shapiro speaks with musician Peter One about starting from scratch in Nashville after a successful career in Côte d'Ivoire and his first album in decades Come Back to Me.
Bokani Dyer has already established himself as one of the leading musical voices of his generation in South Africa. But with Radio Sechaba--the heralded multi-hyphenate's first release on aural arbiter Gilles Peterson's Brownswood...
Swinging Sunset, New Jersey-based tenor saxophonist Anthony E. Nelson Jr.'s fifth album on his Musicstand label, is an unpretentious, undemanding and utterly enjoyable celebration of the organ trios of the 1950s and 1960s. From the first...
At first one might wonder how long good fortune can last so that previously unheard and unreleased Bill Evans sets such as Treasures: Solo, Trio and Orchestra Recordings from Denmark (1965-1969) seemingly fall from the heavens on a...
In this March 2023 interview, Joy spoke about coming from a family of gospel singers. In February, she became the second jazz performer in Grammy history to win the award for best new artist.
This is happy music with a Latin flair, splendidly conceived and superbly performed by guitarist Ben Sher 's New York-based quartet--a flavorful treat for those who relish music from south of the border. Before appraising the themes, it...
The secret behind Life and Umbrella is that Chicago-based, Mexican-born pianist/composer Javier Red is a studied composer who puts a great deal of thought into the music he presents, both to his peers and to the world. But that music...
For drummer Allison Miller , a key feature of In Real Time is that this second Blue Note release captures the unique ensemble sound of Artemis . She stresses a palpable sonic integrity that she attributes to trust and chemistry... [ read...
“ Conversation #9 – Targeted ” is the latest release of the series of collaborations with like-minded felow musicians initiated by Swiss drummer Florian Arbenz . While the presence of the renowned American saxophonist Greg...
George Michael Todd — a generous, "gentle giant" — died of sudden cardiac death. He served in Afghanistan and returned home with PTSD. In 2017 he released an album called Combat Medicine.
Jay Rattman may not exactly be a household name to some jazz listeners and saxophone hounds. Perhaps he should be. Busy, literate, and creative, Rattman is that rare player who makes one think. In a juxtaposition of styles, genres, and...
The laws of probability dictate that if three musicians spend enough time together a trio recording will eventually arise. Pianist Alexander Hawkins, bassist Neil Charles and drummer Stephen Davis have clocked up many a road mile since...
Recorded on the first night of a Pat Thomas residency at north London's Cafe Oto, On A Clear Day Like This by the collective Scatter demonstrates the breadth of the pianist's artistry, following as it did an opening set of Duke Ellington...
Two Hours After Midnight is the first duo release from Scottish jazz vocalist, Louise Dodds , and Azerbaijani pianist, Elchin Shirinov . The album title is inspired by the last letter Mary Queen of Scots wrote just hours before her...
With a voice as sweet and cool as a spring breeze, Gretchen Parlato would sound at home in any cozy jazz club from jny: Paris to jny: Sao Paulo ... [ read more ]