High-caliber jazz instrumentalists, of course, are all over the 17 stages of the Montreal Jazz Festival. I even ran into…
FOMO, anyone? In the Thick of the Montreal Jazz Fest
“It’s such a gift to be able to play music in front of, and with, real people,” Norwegian piano hero…
It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Late Plane to Cry
Bonjour Montreal! I made it* My Thursday itinerary for the Montreal International Jazz Festival called for arriving at the Montreal…
Montreal Jazz Fest: I’ve Seen a Few (Editions)
The 42nd edition of the Montreal Jazz Festival will kick off today (June 30) while I’m in the air, enroute…
Montreal Jazz Fest in the News (ongoing round-up of press coverage)
The Festival International de Jazz de Montreal aka Montreal International Jazz Festival opens tomorrow (June 30) and continues through July…
Benevento Does Benevento: The pianist goes it alone, diving into multi-color textures and deep grooves (album review)
Marco Benevento, “Benevento” (Royal Potato Family) Bubbling, exotic sounds à la the beer-bottle percussion bookending Herbie Hancock’s 1973 version of…
Montreal Jazz Fest: Hailing the Return of One of the World’s Great Jazz Gatherings
Hear that, in the distance? It’s getting closer. Now it’s within earshot and in sight, just two days away. The…
Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story (film review)
Critic’s rating: ★★★(94 minutes; PG-13) It’s impossible for me to approach a documentary about Jazz Fest aka the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage…
Trombone Shorty Rides Again, Returning for His First Disc in 5 Years (album review)
Trombone Shorty, “Lifted” (Blue Note) Call it the feelgood jazz-ish release of the year. Lifted, the first album from New Orleans…
Pianist Lynne Arriale Creates More Trio Magic; Tunes Inspired by Health Worker Heroics (album review)
Lynne Arriale Trio, “The Lights Are Always On” (Challenge) Can instrumental music that’s uniformly relaxed and occasionally tinged with melancholy…