jazz Archive
03 Dec 2019
Hundred-word Reviews for December 2019, #1
As 2019 heads toward its end, there’s time for one more house-cleaning set of quick reviews. Here’s a look at notable new releases in jazz, blues rock and even country. […]
30 Nov 2019
Joseph Hasty: Learning, Teaching, Working and Playing
Originally from Hickory and currently settled in Morganton, multi-genre multi-instrumentalist Joseph Hasty is immersed in a life of music. By day he’s a schoolteacher, but when class lets out, he’s […]
22 Nov 2019
Righteous Jazz: A Conversation with Jeff Lorber and Mike Stern (Part 2 of 2)
Continued from Part One … [To Jeff Lorber] What is the most significant difference between your approach to your instrument today as compared to the way you played at or […]
21 Nov 2019
Righteous Jazz: A Conversation with Jeff Lorber and Mike Stern (Part 1 of 2)
Nominally a jazz fusion keyboardist and composer, Jeff Lorber is known for a particular kind of highly melodic and accessible jazz. Detractors might cal lit “smooth jazz,” a term that […]
20 Oct 2019
Kamasi Washington: Can You Hear Him?
The career of saxophonist and composer Kamasi Washington bubbled under for a number of years before the Los Angeles-based artist broke through on a national and worldwide level. Hints of […]
13 Oct 2019
Diana Krall: Here to Stay
While she is popular the world over, contralto Diana Krall got off to a modest start. Her official debut release, 1993’s Stepping Out earned positive reviews, but it didn’t initially […]
07 Oct 2019
The Midnight Hour: Looking Back to Move Forward
Evoking the spirit of the Harlem Renaissance while exploring modern musical territory, The Midnight Hour combines jazz arrangements with a decidedly hip hop aesthetic. Led by two leading lights of […]
04 Oct 2019
Album Review: The New Mastersounds — Shake It
It may well not have been their explicit intention, but over the last two decades, the New Mastersounds have helped a strain of jazz to become mainstreamed into widespread popular […]
20 Sep 2019
Hundred-word Reviews for September 2019, Part 2
More capsule reviews! New music! Vinyl titles are noted with the designation (LP). Fastball – The Help Machine If you’re a certain age, you remember “The Way.” If you were […]
19 Sep 2019
Hundred-word Reviews for September 2019, Part 1
Once again, it’s time for a passel of quick reviews. Twenty in all – ten today, as many tomorrow. All deserve a listen. Titles on vinyl are noted as such […]