There's something about the natural build of Sam Harris' songs on his new album, Harmony. The pianist who has work with Ambrose Akinmusire, Melissa Aldana, Logan Richardson, and others has recently released a trio album of five humble songs, numbered rather than named, that seemingly unfurl rather than play out. Simple quiet ideas, unshowy phrases, build from ostinatos into … [Read more...]
Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire Unveils 22-minute Album Trailer for ‘Origami Harvest’
Ambrose Akinmusire’s fourth studio album, Origami Harvest, drops tomorrow once again on the famed Blue Note label. We’ve already written about the project, which features New York’s Mivos Quartet on strings, Das Racist’ Kool A.D. on the mic, and Walter Smith III on tenor, with the core band comprised of pianist Sam Harris and drummer Marcus Gilmore, in greater details. However, … [Read more...]
Ambrose Akinmusire Drops First Single Off New Album ‘Origami Harvest’
Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire has always pushed the envelope, bringing about unabashed avant-gardism and exultant individualism to the music he so lovingly creates. His latest project is no different. Stemming from a challenge given to him by curators Judd Greenstein of Manhattan’s Ecstatic Music Festival and Kate Nordstrum of St. Paul's Liquid Music Series, Akinmusire was … [Read more...]
Martin Nevin – “Sculpting in Time” (Video)
Bassist and composer Martin Nevin has shared the stage with the likes of Albert “Tootie” Heath, Greg Osby, Ethan Iverson, and Ambrose Akinmusire, but Tenderness is Silent, to be released June 29th, marks his debut as a leader. Hard to categorize, drawing inspiration as much from jazz as from chamber music, Nevin’s compositions are introspective, deeply contemplative and … [Read more...]
Ambrose Akinmusire – ‘A Rift in Decorum: Live at the Village Vanguard’
I'm writing this review 39,000 feet in the air, flying back home to Texas after spending the last week meandering through the streets of New York City. The more I see of NYC, so storied and important in the history of jazz, the more I see it as an entity and amalgam of influences rather than a city. NYC's importance in the development of the genre cannot be understated, and … [Read more...]