That’s right. As the heading states, Miles Okazaki played from memory all 66 of Thelonious Monk’s compositions at The Jazz Gallery on Broadway and 27th Street in New York. Without accompaniment. After two years of work and planning. The responsibility for preparing and performing such an event was entirely Okazaki’s. …
The artistry of Miguel Zenón keeps flourishing. And it keeps coming. That’s a good thing. As one of his generation’s leading jazz alto saxophonists, not only has Zenón developed an inimitable style and a formidable technique. He has also been prolific. El Arte del Bolero, Vol. 3 represents Zenón’s nineteenth …
Resonance Records’s impressive output continues unabated as producer Zev Feldman finds more and more analog tapes of previously unavailable recordings of important jazz performances. A major keeper of those tapes was Joe Segal, the well-known and admired founder of Chicago’s Jazz Showcase. Feldman’s persistence paid off when, in celebration of …
Jill Scott’s “Whenever You’re Around” is one of the most quietly stunning moments on The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, a song that reveals its power gradually and leaves a lasting emotional impression. Framed as an ode to the loneliness that can exist inside an unhappy marriage, it …
“Cottonwood Tree” takes listeners on a journey back to April Webb’s Kansas roots. She crafted the song while spending time with her parents in Newton, seated in the backyard under the sprawling cottonwood tree from her childhood. It quickly became one of her hallmark pieces and played a significant role …
Newvelle Records is celebrating its tenth anniversary with its Newvelle Ten Collection, a series of five distinctive albums available on a subscription basis. Since 2016, Newvelle founders Elan Mehler and Jean-Christophe Morisseau have been swimming successfully against the tsunami-like tide of evanescent digital music by offering vinyl-only albums. That digital …
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 …
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 …
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 …
