There's a fullness in ten years. A lot of work, if rather relentlessly done, can really make a discernible impact. Ten years ago, folks were making all the talk as rather cyclically that jazz was dead. It was such an exhausting conversation. Folks were around making this music, obviously. It couldn't be that dead. The problem was in the awareness and the tweaking of the … [Read more...]
Anthony Dean-Harris’ Favorite Jazz Albums of 2019
Yesterday we unveiled Nextbop's Best Jazz Albums of 2019, which was compiled by our staff as a whole. Today, we continue our Season of Lists with Editor-in-Chief Anthony Dean-Harris' Favorite Jazz Albums of 2019.There's something kind of lovely about the lack of one major cohesive idea present in the genre of jazz at the moment. The idea of what the music can be is larger … [Read more...]
Stream Kneebody’s “When It All Comes Down” featuring Gretchen Parlato from New Album ‘Chapters’
Kneebody, the innovative jazz group made up of trumpeter Shane Endsley, saxophonist Ben Wendel, keyboardist Adam Benjamin and the extraordinary Nate Wood taking the simultaneous roles of drummer and bassist, is back with their seventh album, Chapters, coming October 18th to Edition Records.“The title references the episodic nature of life and the way our personal stories b … [Read more...]
Stream The Bad Plus’ “Avail” From Their Upcoming Album ‘Activate Infinity’
The Bad Plus, helming the power jazz revolution of the early 2000s, were one of the main inspirations behind the creation of this website. We have always admired their blend of unbounded creativity and carefree playfulness, often coupled with significant exuberance and effervescence. Producing several flawless albums over the span of the last eighteen years, the group markedly … [Read more...]
Phronesis Live on Bimhuis TV (Video)
One of the finest piano/bass/drums trio of the Western Hemisphere, Phronesis, have been touring through Europe lately, uniting together again after taking some time for assorted solo work and finding that magic together once again. Fortunately, the Dutch club Bimhuis recorded their March 30th set in Amsterdam and it's the contemplative build one would expect from these guys. … [Read more...]