Guitarist Miles Okazaki has for some time been working on playing the complete works of Thelonious Monk. This process has made for some great Instagram videos, but it was unlikely folks saw it coming that he'd release every single Monk song as a massive solo guitar album, or that he'd spring the album on the world today without any forewarning. In fact, as Okazaki notes, "This … [Read more...]
Anthony Dean-Harris’ Favorite Jazz Albums of 2017
These albums, my favorites of 2017, didn't merely stay with me. They didn't just stay in rotation or live on my phone. They were part of my life, the subject of many a moment. They haunted me delightfully. They were the products of artists who made music to make people feel things and were very much successful when it came specifically to me. When it comes to the subject of … [Read more...]
Miles Okazaki – ‘Trickster’
Miles Okazaki's compositions sound like he's creating an elaborate portrait from mosaic, octagon-shaped tiles. His style of play is dense, weaving around in his phrases with so many loops and curlicues, it's dizzying. There's a lot going on under the surface, and even the surface is still pretty busy. That his work isn't too top heavy, most particularly his latest album-- … [Read more...]
Miles Okazaki – “Mischief Maker” (Stream)
Guitarist Miles Okazaki can get (unfortunately the pun was not intended) tricky. As a composer, he encompasses a sound that spirals constantly until one may feel things could get out of control, but he manages to keep both hands on the steering wheel. Even as a player with Steve Coleman and the Five Elements or other groups that trod the roads of unclear melodies, Okazaki has … [Read more...]
Steve Coleman and the Council of Balance – ‘Synovial Joints’
Steve Coleman has always been a musician who could find the rhythm in anything. His compositions would seem to indicate his soul is a metronome. Steve Coleman's work has always seemed to exhibit finding the tune of the universe and all its disparate parts, as difficult as that concept may be to articulate. This description may not even be the best way to describe his work, but … [Read more...]