For his debut as leader, Irish saxophonist Tom Caraher has roped in some of the country's finest jazz musicians to bring his music to life. The album clocks in around the length of an old vinyl, which, for some tastes is ideal in terms...
Standards III, the ninth album by New York-based pianist Noah Haidu, is essentially a trio date with a guest appearance on one number ("Slipstream") by alto saxophonist Steve Wilson . As was true on Standards (Sunnyside, 2021) and...
What prompted pianist and composer Antonio Adolfo to record, in 2025, an album of songs from the 'golden age' of Brazilian carnaval music, circa 1920-1950? He has known and loved this music since he was a child, growing up in Rio de...
Someone once said that writing about music was as illogical as singing about economics. Writers about music inevitably bristle at the suggestion but it might have merit when it comes to improvised music. How do you write about something...
Chance encounters can be fortuitous and fruitful. Trumpeter Chad McCullough, on a visit to Macedonia to convene with family, found his way into a small cafe in Skopje, the capital of Independent North Macedonia, where he encountered a...
Trombonist and composer John Yao presents a heartfelt and personal retrospective with Points In Time. This ambitious album delves deeply into the emotional and professional journey he has undertaken over the past twenty years in New York...
Raucous, brash and freewheeling, First Dance by The Freedom Art Quartet is rooted in the past yet fresh and contemporary. The album should sound familiar to those who have ventured outside the mainstream and spent time with Ornette...
Art serves as a mirror to the world, and music is certainly no exception. Good musicians not only share their talent with listeners but also share their influences and experiences as well. With his debut album Rising, guitarist Daniel...
The two albums below have plenty in common with one another. Both feature compositions by Americans played by Apartment House, a UK-based ensemble who are featured on Another Timbre often enough to be considered the label's house band....
The Shuffle Demons are a Canadian jazz fusion band from Toronto . The band features a powerhouse ensemble of saxophonists Kelly Jefferson , Richard Underhill and Matt Lagan , anchored by the deep pocket of acoustic bassist Mike Downes...
The Library of Congress' new collection includes more than 5,000 items from the Broadway legend, including ideas for Sweeney Todd lyrics and notes for Glynis Johns as she sang "Send in the Clowns."
We're joined by music historian and professor Rickey Vincent to talk about the legacy of Sly Stone. He talks to us about what made the funk icon so special and why there'll never be another like Sly again.
"I've been wanting to do a project like this for decades," Amherst -based Brazilian composer and multi-reedist Felipe Salles writes of Camera Obscura. The album combines jazz and classical quartets in a program of original music inspired...
Let us not beat around the bush or obfuscate the obvious: First Meeting: Live at Dizzy's Club is as sweet a listen anyone can wish for or expect as simpatico luminaries--pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba, saxophonist Chris Potter, bassist Larry...
Over 60 years ago, the original television series, The Twilight Zone (Rod Serling, CBS, 1959-64), had an unusually memorable episode. Called "Passage for a Trumpet," it featured Jack Klugman, alcoholic, down on his luck and suicidal. A...
Despite what is said about physical media going away, a steady supply of new jazz releases keeps showing up every week. Here are some worthy if underappreciated albums from the first half of 2025. Tobias Meinhart Sonic River Self...
Tim Boniface is a jazz saxophonist and composer. He is also an ordained priest in the Church of England and Chaplain at Girton College, University of Cambridge . As Artistic Director of Girton Jazz, his work involves organising concerts...
Come for the music of Dutch pianist Misha Mengelberg , and stay for Sabu Toyozumi . Or perhaps you are here for the Japanese drummer--the first non-American invited into the ranks of Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative...
NPR Music received a record number of entries to this year's Tiny Desk Contest: 7,500. The judges discovered so many amazing entries, and now we're sharing some of those standouts here.
Amid a cluster of top 10 album debuts this week, there's a left-field hit with staying power: the soundtrack to the Netflix original movie KPop Demon Hunters , which surges into the top five.
The perennial challenge of balancing individual expression with collective harmony is masterfully addressed by Joe Santa Maria (saxophones), David Tranchina (bass), Gary Fukushima (piano), and Colin Woodford (drums)... [ read more ]
Originally reissued in November 2024 as a limited-edition vinyl set, the seventy-four-some minutes of The Unissued Atco Recordings 1970-1971 derives from sessions for Jesse Ed Davis ' debut LP Jesse Davis (Atco Records,1971) and its...