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...]
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...]
Jeff Ballard – ‘Fairgrounds’ (Album Review)
It's hard not to love Jeff Ballard's solo work. He's a percussionist who isn't afraid to get weird. He's probably best known for his branching out work with the Brad Mehldau Trio, but that's an acoustic group. They're a trio, one Ballard has been a part of for the last fourteen years. But the last time Ballard released an album as a leader was in 2014. Time's Tales was a … [Read more...]
Broken Shadows – The North Door – June 20, 2018
Paper burns at 451°F. At what temperature do master musicians start burning? When everything is going just right on stage? Broken Shadows -- the quartet of Tim Berne on alto saxophone, Chris Speed on tenor saxophone, Reid Anderson on bass, and Dave King on drums -- concluded their tour in Austin, Texas, last Wednesday, an appropriate location for a band united to celebrate … [Read more...]
Smells Like Teen Spirit: A Critical Analysis of Covers
Bringing outside influences into jazz and bringing jazz to other genres has been going on probably since there was a concept of jazz as a genre. Witness hip-hop and electronic producers sampling from jazz records and Robert Glasper playing J Dilla tunes. Witness David Bowie backed by a group of incredible jazz musicians, DJ Logic joining Medeski, Martin, and Wood, Miles Davis … [Read more...]