instrumental Archive
24 Sep 2022
Album Review: BakerzMillion – Live in Racine
While it is unlikely ever again to have a fan base on par with its 1950s-’60s heyday, hard bop jazz remains very much alive. And even with all manner of recording technology advancements, the way to hear hard bop is live and in person. There’s a thrilling interactivity that comes with experiencing the music as
18 Aug 2022
Album review: Azymuth – Telecommunication
It may be difficult to imagine such a thing today, some five decades after the fact, but in the early 1970s, jazz/funk/fusion was more than a blip on the commercial landscape of the music industry. Though jazz would – sadly, and in short order – soon morph into the dreaded “smooth jazz” of artists like
01 Aug 2022
30 Days Out, August 2022 #1: Local Punk Showcase, Fireside Collective, Man or Astro-Man?, Thundercat
Two show showcasing local talent of of very (very) different character, some super-quirky original rock, and one of today’s hottest tickets: those are among the highlights of live music in Asheville over the next 30 days. Let’s dig in. Artists: Local Punk Showcase: Deathbots, Cloud City Caskets, Pink Eye, Busy Weather Venue: The Orange Peel
16 Jul 2022
Album Review: Albare & Co. — Freedom
One of the great things about jazz is its expansiveness. While there are certainly artists working within the idiom who take an insular approach to their creativity, at its best the form allows itself to be influenced by music (and art, for that matter) well beyond the frontiers of what we would consider jazz. Albare
15 Jul 2022
30 Days Out, July 2022 #2: The Deslondes, The Aristocrats, Rebekah Todd, L.A. Witch
One act with local ties, a supergroup, an emerging artist to watch and some no-holds-barred west coast rock are among the highlights of live music in Asheville over the coming 30 days. Artist: Rebekah Todd Venue: The One Stop Date: Friday, July 15, 9 p.m. Door: (?) With two albums and an EP to her
20 Jun 2022
Album Review: Allan Holdsworth — Jarasum International Jazz Festival 2014
“In the moment.” That’s one of the phrases bassist Jimmy Haslip employs in his brief liner note essay for this, the latest in the ongoing series of archival live Allan Holdsworth performance releases. This set documents a concert in Gapyeong-gun, South Korea. The show was the final stop on a two-week pan-Pacific tour that included
14 Jun 2022
EP Review: Stick Men — Tentacles
Considering the degree to which each of its members is known for other projects, it’s remarkable that Stick Men even exists. Drummer extraordinaire Pat Mastelotto has been on every King Crimson album and tour since 1994. Bassist/Chapman stick player Tony Levin is one of the world’s most recorded musicians, having played on considerably more than
30 May 2022
Album Review: Bill Evans – You Must Believe in Spring
Bill Evans was a prolific as he was gifted. In the course of his short life, Evans released more than 50 albums, and contributed his piano talents to at least as many releases by other artists. He died in September 1980, and shortly after his passing, a new album appeared. Recorded in 1977, You Must
18 May 2022
Album Review: Dave Brubeck Trio – Live from Vienna 1967
The latest in posthumous recordings courtesy of the Brubeck Editions series, Live from Vienna 1967 is a thrilling, you-are-there live recording featuring the pianist and superb sidemen Joe Morello on drums and upright bassist Eugene Wright. It’s worth noting that the November 12, 1967 performance at the Konzerthaus in Vienna, Austria wasn’t supposed to feature
18 Apr 2022
Hundred-word Reviews for April 2022, Part 2
Picking up where I left off yesterday, here are five more brief capsule reviews of new albums. This is a remarkably eclectic assortment. Speedfossil – No Anesthesia If you like your rock tuneful, forceful and intelligent, focus your attention on this album, from a New England quartet called Speedfossil. The tunes are strong and memorable,