As some artists approach their late careers they become ruthless self-editors, paring down their style to remove everything that is unnecessary or extraneous. Because the unnecessary is seldom granted admission to Henry Threadgill’s compositional world, Poof (Pi Recordings, 2021), the sixth recording from his Zooid band, and the first since 2015, is about something different. […]
Wayne Shorter is among the best composers of the second half of the Twentieth Century. Several of his compositions including, “Footprints” and “Infant Eyes,” have become standards. But in performing these songs, many musicians often miss what makes the saxophonist’s work so extraordinary. Yes, the pieces are beautiful and well-written, but they are merely jumping […]
Multi-instrumentalist Taja Cheek, who records under the moniker L’Rain, creates a unique experience in Fatigue. The album is kaleidoscopic and unpredictable. Cheek envelopes the listener in her world with a combination of impressive musicianship, production, and field recordings. The album is full of beautiful moments, an early one being how Cheek embellishes a live gospel […]
Nobel physicist Erwin Schrödinger once noted that “[i]f a man never contradicts himself, the reason must be that he virtually never says anything at all.” Perhaps no finer quote could describe Ceramic Dog’s Hope (Northern Spy, 2021), a recording full of paradoxes. Approaching the album from afar, one sees an optimistic title coupled with a […]
In 1960, Creed Taylor founded Impulse! Records, which he dubbed “The New Wave in Jazz.” While over time, Impulse! established itself as one of the premier labels in the genre, it was always happiest around categorical edges. Ray Charles’ Genius + Soul = Jazz (Impulse!, 1960) blurred lines between the two styles. Later, Yusef Lateef – as […]
An artist’s final recording is often an unusual gift to the world. In large part, this derives from the fact that no one truly knows when they will leave. Even so, some can sense that their time is near, and this shows in their works. For David Bowie, his parting thoughts came through on Blackstar […]
Memorial day weekend 1921 started just like any other day in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma. One of the wealthiest communities in America, this segment of the city was such an economic powerhouse it would be dubbed “Black Wall Street.” By the end of the weekend, the prosperous region would be turned to rubble. […]
It hasn’t even been a year since Thumbscrew released their superb record in tribute to Anthony Braxton, but the trio is already back with Never Is Enough (Cuneiform Records, 2021). Braxton’s influence is still apparent, especially in the more rigid moments, but this album is a completely different experience. For much of the runtime, the […]
Fifty years ago, Joni Mitchell released the most iconic album of her career, one that changed the trajectory of music forever: Blue (Reprise, 1971). Writing uniquely warm, evocative lyrics and integrating folk guitar, piano, and dulcimer with adventurous harmony, Blue was widely successful upon its release and continues to influence new works today. However, part of its excellence derives […]
If 2020 has shown us anything, it is how quickly circumstances can change. One day you are living your “normal” life. The next you are unexpectedly shut-in for the foreseeable future. So when R+R = Now – a band intended to reflect upon and respond to the events of the current moment, not weeks or […]
