There’s never enough of Kenny Barron’s music. One set wasn’t enough for me. Earlier this year, I luxuriated in two consecutive sets performed by his trio consisting of recently deceased bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake. Despite the bleak winter weather, the event sold out. Barron always leaves listeners …
By now, Zev Feldman has established a well-deserved reputation as this generation’s leading producer of archival jazz recordings. Feldman’s ear for recorded jazz treasures—and the respect he has earned from owners of the original tapes of jazz legends’ heretofore unknown performances—have provided a cornucopia of awaited albums. If the recordings …
A thoughtful composer as well as an original voice on a wide range of woodwind instruments, Dr. Brian Landrus has released an album that may expand upon listeners’ expectations. Landrus’s personal experiences confirm that life itself confounds expectations. His new album, Just When You Think You Know, summarizes Landrus’s deepening …
Have assumptions ever made you reluctant to ask a favor of someone you admire? Maybe you assumed that the person you hold in high regard was too busy to grant your request. Maybe you assumed that the person may politely decline. Mark Sherman, jazz vibist/pianist extraordinaire, didn’t have to ask …
Zev Feldman has built upon rewarding opportunities throughout his career to become, within 15 years, the go-to archival jazz producer. Admiration for Feldman grows not only for uncovering high-value recordings thought to be nonexistent—until, thanks to his efforts, they weren’t. Also, Feldman strives for uncompromising quality to achieve advanced sound …
Drummer Brandon Sanders has followed his passion for jazz throughout his life. However, several detours diverted him from his growing recognition as a jazz drummer. Despite his initial indecisiveness, his friends—who recognized Sanders’s perseverance, dedication, generosity, and talent—encouraged him to record his first album, Compton’s Finest, at the age of …
Having established a reputation as an innovative jazz guitarist throughout his 30-year career, Rez Abbasi continues to polish his style as his music reflects his thoughts about changing life events. The event that led to the recording of his seventeenth album, Sound Remains, was the passing of his mother. Abbasi’s …
Perhaps because she hasn’t been a part of a single jazz community throughout her career of over fifty years, Sumi Tonooka hasn’t achieved due recognition for her significantly original contributions in advancing jazz. However, her recent projects should help expand the awareness that she deserves, particularly those with the Alchemy …
No doubt, the owners of the Blue Morocco in the Bronx, Sylvia and Joe Robinson, didn’t foresee the need to stock up on extra fire extinguishers before Freddie Hubbard played there on April, 10, 1967, just three days past his 29th birthday. Once Hubbard started playing, jets of fires immediately …
Miguel Zenón, one of this generation’s premier saxophonists, has been the leader on 18 albums since record producers recognized him as a unique talent deserving the jazz community’s attention. As a result, Zenón first recorded Looking Forward on the Fresh Sound New Talent label in 2002 and then Ceremonial on …
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. And…don’t put all your eggs in one basket. As life’s challenges and opportunities arose, Pete McGuinness based life-changing decisions upon the well-meaning advice of those idioms. Metaphorically, of course. And now the results of his evolution have been packed up in an overflowing …
One would expect that the title of Lorraine Feather’s most recent album, The Green World, would refer literally to environmental urgency. Especially since the album’s cover features apparently calm, or no doubt confused, giraffes standing majestically but separately in a maze of hedgerows that appear to stretch to infinity, or …
