jazz Archive
19 Sep 2025
The Mind Movies of Adrian Younge
This feature appeared previously in SPIN Magazine. Some artists combine genres as a stylistic challenge, motivated by curiosity: Can it even be done? But when Adrian Younge blends musical forms […]
09 Sep 2025
Album Review: Soft Machine – Floating World Live
In my recent look at Soft Works’ Abracadabra, I laid out a very rough sketch of the convoluted timeline that is the Soft Machine story. One of the mileposts in […]
08 Sep 2025
Album Review: Soft Works – Abracadabra
From its beginnings, pioneering Canterbury group Soft Machine was an anomaly: a “rock” group that leaned decidedly toward jazz, yet worked within the rock idiom, as part of the rock […]
04 Sep 2025
Album Review: The Haas Company – Thirteen
I’ve written before of my belief that fusion gave birth to smooth jazz. The latter being an unforgivable sin, I look askance at any new release presenting itself as fusion. […]
08 Jul 2025
Something Enduring About April: Adrian Younge
One of the most creative and prolific artists in today’s music, composer-musician-arranger Adrian Younge has recently completed and released Something About April III. The concluding entry in a trilogy of […]
01 Jul 2025
30 Days Out, July 2025 #1: Glenn Miller Orchestra, Thelma & the Sleaze, Postmodern Jukebox
An act from the distant past, another that takes modern songs to that past, a lesbian Southern Rock band and one of the finest local-based artists WNC has to offer: […]
19 Jun 2025
Album Review: Charles Mingus – In Argentina: The Buenos Aires Concerts
A landmark musician and composer, Charles Mingus is among the most important artists in jazz, and in music overall. Yet those without deep knowledge of his work tend to place […]
13 Jun 2025
Hundred-word Reviews for June 2025: Jazz
More of my capsule reviews. Five great new jazz releases this time. Daggerboard & Erik Jekabson Orchestra – The Axes Volume II Daggerboard is one of the most fascinating jazz […]
05 Jun 2025
Album Review: Mrs. Fun – The Summit
Outside of the classical realm – which is a different bag altogether – when most people think of live music, they picture either a band or a solo artist. Duos […]
15 May 2025
30 Days Out, May 2025 #2: After Ours, Takaat, David Lowery, Larkin Poe
A local act that released one of my favorite albums in recent memory, a band consisting of sidemen who play with one of the most fascinating guitarists working today, and […]