Charlie Haden’s romantic Quartet West returns after an 11-year recording hiatus with Sophisticated Ladies, a ballad collection featuring six of today’s top jazz vocalists. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the results.
MoreWhile trumpeter Brad Goode is well-versed in many jazz styles, he is most interested in progressive jazz. For the past two decades, he has developed a harmonic theory that involves stacking dissonant chords on top of each other. In this feature review, Thomas Cunniffe explains Goode’s theories and reviews two albums that feature the polytonal style.
MoreCOTA is an active jazz support group headquartered in the Pocono Mountains 75 miles west of New York City. The combination of its picturesque location and the region’s avid jazz fans has attracted several musicians to the area. Bob Dorough has been part of the COTA family for years, and his new CD of Duets is a fundraiser for the organization. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the all-star disc.
MoreAnyone who wishes to become a jazz vocalist must find a way to stand out from the crowd. In this month’s vocal CD reviews, Thomas Cunniffe discusses the music of Dee Dee Bridgewater, Lainie Cooke and Joanna Pascale, three women whose sounds differ a great deal, but who all possess a distinctive approach to their music.
MoreCulled from 24 sets over a two-week stand at New York’s Blue Note, the new album by Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez and Paul Motian, Further Explorations started out as a tribute to Bill Evans but became an examination of the entire piano trio format. Thomas Cunniffe reviews this stunning double CD.
MoreThis month’s instrumental CD reviews spotlight three musicians equally impressive as composers and performers. Trombonist Marshall Gilkes reunites with the WDR Big Band for “Köln”, Pianist Oded Lev-Ari leads a unique 11-piece ensemble on Threading, and Myra Melford’s quintet pay tribute to the late Uruguayan author Eduardo Galeano with the suite Snowy Egret. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the compositions and performances.
MoreThe spirit of collaboration is a common thread in this month’s vocal CD reviews. Thomas Cunniffe discusses the latest releases by the Caswell Sisters (with Fred Hersch), New York Voices (and the WDR Big Band of Cologne) and Sandy Stewart (with Bill Charlap).
MoreTribute albums are nothing new in jazz, but recent releases by Anat Cohen and Joe Lovano offer deep insights into the music of Benny Goodman and Charlie Parker, while also giving us prime examples of jazz in the present tense. Thomas Cunniffe reviews Cohen’s Clarinetwork and Lovano’s Bird Songs.
MoreIn the New Orleans, Chicago and Swing Eras, the clarinet was an essential part of any jazz ensemble. But few clarinetists tackled bebop and the instrument lost its dominance in jazz as a solo instrument. The trend may be reversing, with three new clarinet albums released in the past few months. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the new discs by Dave Bennett, Ken Peplowski and Anat Cohen.
MoreA change in repertoire can offer new insights into a musician’s artistry, and introduce them to a new set of fans. This month, Thomas Cunniffe examines new albums by vocalists Jacqui Dankworth, Stacey Kent and Tierney Sutton, and discusses how each singer triumphs with the new material.
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