Violinist Zach Brock, bassist Matt Ulery, and drummer Jon Deitemyer first started playing together in 2005 in Chicago. It was a musical companionship that made sense and held to various degrees over the years, overcoming Brock's move to New York and how time and friendships can naturally grow and evolve. The three have grown most respectable careers in their own way but that … [Read more...]
Saxophonist Greg Ward Previews New Album ‘Stomping Off From Greenwood’; Hear Single “Metropolis”
Alto saxophonist and composer Greg Ward has a new album in store for us coming January 11th to Greenleaf Music on which he introduces his new band: Rogue Parade. Ward’s fourth album Stomping Off From Greenwood does, in fact, feature a quintet of heavyweight creative Chicago musicians namely, guitarists Matt Gold and Dave Miller, bassist Matt Ulery and drummer Quin K … [Read more...]
Quin Kirchner – ‘The Other Side of Time’
When speaking of jazz cities, New York and New Orleans are the ones that immediately come to mind, however, Chicago also deserves a shout. The city is no stranger to jazz creativity, being the home of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians and having a scene which honed the chops of talented modern jazz names such as Tomeka Reid, Jaimie Branch and Matana … [Read more...]
Black Diamond – ‘Mandala’
Compellingly making a swinging post-bop sound is a bit of an accomplishment these days. A music that can get a bit cerebral always needs an anchor but knows when to drift. Maintaining a delicate balance requires a steady hand at the wheel; it's fascinating hearing a quartet that has two, yet in Mandala, the new album from the group Black Diamond let by tenor saxophonists Artie … [Read more...]
Nextbop’s Favorite Jazz Albums of 2016
There's no universal theme or overall consensus in jazz this year. No overblown hype machine, no clamoring for a seemingly agreed upon savior, no important trendsetting bucking of past conventions to take on new ones. Artists made art this year, as they do every year, and in the realm of jazz, they made art together. Collaborators collaborated, improvisors improvised. We, … [Read more...]