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 … More

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 … More

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 … More

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 … More

Meet Victor Wooten, Concerto Composer (feature)

The bass guitar and the symphony orchestra may strike some as strange bedfellows. But it’s not like they’ve never met … More

Farewell, Ira Sabin, a Major Force in the Jazz World

Farewell to Ira Sabin, a jazz drummer who turned his attention to jazz journalism. In 1970, Sabin founded the publication … More

Jeremy Pelt x 2: “Noir en Rouge” & (with Jim Snidero) “Jubilation! Celebrating Cannonball Adderley” — my review for JazzTimes

Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt shines on two recently released albums: “Noir en Rouge: Live in Paris” (High Note Records) documents his … More

Vincent Herring, “Hard Times” — my CD review for JazzTimes

“Is this disc’s title an apropos description of the current era, with its semi-permanent malaise, and anger seemingly just below … More

Mark Whitfield, “Live and Uncut” — my CD review for JazzTimes)

Guitarist Mark Whitfield remains a gifted improviser and bandleader, as demonstrated by “Live and Uncut” (Chesky), a set with bassist … More

Vijay Iyer Tops 2017 NPR Jazz Critics Poll

Congrats to pianist-composer Vijay Iyer, who again tops the NPR Jazz Critics Poll, a carryover from the old Village Voice Jazz … More