It cannot be said that Javier Santiago plays the keys without a sense of lyricism and tension. It cannot be said that Santiago doesn't compose songs with powerful arcs that don't let go. In his Ropeadope debut last year, Phoenix, Javier Santiago did this all over, and he did it as a jazz fusion masterpiece, but that may have been due to the tools used for the job, leaning more … [Read more...]
Gilad Hekselman – Seoul Crushing (Stream)
Last year, guitarist Gilad Hekselman released Ask for Chaos, an album so full of great ideas it required two different bands -- his gHex Trio and his ZuperOctave -- to convey them all. There were so many ideas, they couldn't even be all held on one album, so Hekselman is releasing an EP of B-sides, Further Chaos, on May 10th. He just dropped the single "Seoul Crushing" with the … [Read more...]
Watch the Video for “Pheonix”, the Title Track off Javier Santiago’s New Album
I have extremely glowing praise for keyboardist Javier Santiago's album, Phoenix (which I'm feeling confident that it's one of my favorite albums of the year). So it brings me joy to continue to hype this modern fusion fantasy with Santiago's video of the live recording for the title track at Berkeley's Fantasy Studios. It's a total dream of a song that goes for miles. Check it … [Read more...]
Javier Santiago – ‘Phoenix’
The ease with which one can cling to keyboardist Javier Santiago is very reminiscent, oddly enough, of the better corners of smooth jazz. Santiago as a leader melds the best elements of jazz, R&B, and soul in very contemporary senses while maintaining an accessibility that can please many. This is an album that celebrates nature, so why would a human connection to tones not be … [Read more...]
Black Narcissus: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Joe Henderson's 1969 album Power to the People featured a fantastic band: Herbie Hancock on keys, Ron Carter on bass, and Jack DeJohnette on drums (Mike Lawrence also joins on trumpet for several tunes, but sat out for "Black Narcissus"). They opened the album on a mellow note with "Black Narcissus". It's a catchy melody from Henderson's sax that floats nicely on Hancock's … [Read more...]