Noah Preminger “Meditations on Freedom” Dry Bridge Records noahpreminger.com Many people had strong reactions to the recent presidential election. The response of one of the nation’s top young saxophonist’s comes in the form of music. Noah Preminger’s “Meditations on Freedom” is a collection of tunes that evoke and react to the current political climate in […]
Ron Netsky
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JAZZ | In The Sea
In The Sea is definitely not a typical jazz trio. First, there is the instrumentation: Tristan Honsinger on cello; Nicolas Caloia, double bass; and Joshua Zubot, violin. But don’t expect chamber music (well, maybe something a little like Béla Bartók or John Cage). In The Sea is steeped in the tradition of collective improvisation. Its […]
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Album review: ‘Rumbler’
Bill Anschell “Rumbler” Origin Records billanschell.com Pianist and composer Bill Anschell is based in Seattle, and that’s probably why you’ve never heard of him. “Rumbler,” the new album by Anschell, a major player on the Northwestern jazz scene, should go a long way toward remedying that situation. With odd and shifting time signatures, engaging compositions, […]
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From Woodstock to the world
When I reached Melanie by phone recently, she told me she’d always had that gravelly voice that would make her famous. The one-name singer emerged from the Woodstock festival and captured the spirit of the 1960’s. Growing up in New York City, she had eclectic musical taste. “I loved Billie Holiday when I was 12,” […]
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FOLK/BLUES | David Bromberg Quintet
You may not think you know David Bromberg’s music, but chances are you’ve heard him play. For example, that is Bromberg’s wonderful acoustic guitar dancing around the lyrics of Jerry Jeff Walker’s hit song “Mr. Bojangles.” Over the decades, he has also worked with Bob Dylan, Tom Rush, Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Raitt, and John Prine, […]
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Album review: ‘Outra Coisa’ and ‘Rosa Dos Ventos’
Anat Cohen “Outra Coisa” and “Rosa Dos Ventos” Anzic Records anatcohen.com Having won DownBeat Critics and Readers Polls year after year, it’s safe to say that Anat Cohen is among the most brilliant and engaging clarinetists playing today. Her two new albums explore the Brazilian music she loves most. “Outra Coisa,” a collaboration with seven-string […]
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Album review: ‘The Seasons’
Manuel Valera Trio “The Seasons” Mavo Records manuelvalera.com On his 12th recording as a leader, pianist Manuel Valera embarks on a grand, four-part suite inspired by Antonio Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons.” Make no mistake, while these works follow the Baroque masterpiece with musical interpretations of each season, these are Valera’s compositions. “Summer” was never as propulsive […]
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JAZZ | B’s Bees
If the sound of Montreal jazz group B’s Bees reminds you of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, it might be because of the similar spirit. Blakey always filled his ranks with the best up-and-coming young players he could find. After drummer and bandleader Brandon Goodwin (another Blakey similarity) won a scholarship that included a gig at […]
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JAZZ | Bill Dobbins
Pianist, jazz orchestra director, and Eastman School of Music Professor Bill Dobbins is turning 70, and he’s celebrating with a solo concert that will take a look back. Known for his interpretations of the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, Dobbins will be focusing on his own compositions. While the first half of the […]
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SOUL-JAZZ | Takuya Kuroda
Back in the day, Clarissa Street was synonymous with jazz; that’s where the late, great Pythodd Club stood. Celebrating that legacy, the Clarissa Street Reunion Festival will host fiery Japanese trumpeter Takuya Kuroda with special guests The English Project and Paradigm Shift. Kuroda came to the US to attend Boston’s Berklee College of Music, where […]
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JAZZ | Tanya Darby with the Eastman Jazz Lab Band
Few trumpeters have covered the expansive musical territory traveled by Tanya Darby. Over the last two decades, she has lent her talents to the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, The Roy Hargrove Big Band, The DIVA Jazz Orchestra, The Count Basie Orchestra, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, and many more. She’s also a first-call musician, backing singers like […]
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JAZZ | Levin Brothers
Since graduating from the Eastman School of Music, bassist Tony Levin has worked with Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, John Lennon, Pink Floyd, and many others legends. Over the years, his brother, Pete Levin, has lent his keyboard skills to Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Jaco Pastorius, and Paul Simon, to name a few. After recording hundreds […]
