Category: Music

Ambrose Akinmusire: “A Rift In Decorum: Live At The Village Vanguard” Review

Post author By Paul Semel
Post date June 8, 2017
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0When it comes to jazz, the oeuvres of John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Dexter Gordon guarantee that there’s more than enough albums by sax-led quartets to go around. And when it comes to sax- and trumpet-led quintets, well, once you know Miles Davis, you don’t need to know anything else. But what’s far less common, and for no good reason, are albums by

trumpet-led quartets.

Enter trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, who introduces his fantastic trumpet-led four piece with A Rift In Decorum: Live At The Village Vanguard (CD, digital).

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Music

Exclusive Interview: Justin Pierre & Andrew Reiner Of The Rapture Twins

Post author By Paul Semel
Post date February 14, 2017
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With a name like The Rapture Twins, a first single titled “Would You Kindly” [which you can listen to here], and one of two members having a day job at a video game magazine, you might think the rock duo of former Motion City Soundtrack singer, guitarist Justin Pierre and Game Informer Executive Editor Andrew Reiner are just a couple of musically-inclined gamers celebrating their favorite hobby. And you’d be right…but you’d also be wrong. Because as I learned after talking to them about this new group, while their first song was inspired by the BioShock games, it’s not really about BioShock, just as the rest of their songs won’t be about the games, movies, comics, and other bits of pop culture that inspire them.

Tags Andrew Reiner Game Informer, Andy McDermott, Game Informer, Motion City Soundtrack, Motion City Soundtrack interview, Motion City Soundtrack Justin Pierre, Motion City Soundtrack Justin Pierre interview, The Rapture Twins, The Rapture Twins Andrew Reiner, The Rapture Twins Andrew Reiner interview, The Rapture Twins Andrew Reiner Justin Pierre, The Rapture Twins Andrew Reiner Justin Pierre interview, The Rapture Twins Justin Pierre, The Rapture Twins Justin Pierre interview, Would You Kindly

Music Reviews

Matthew Shipp “Trio Piano Song” Review

Post author By Paul Semel
Post date January 26, 2017
1 Comment on Matthew Shipp “Trio Piano Song” Review

On 2015’s The Conduct Of Jazz, jazz pianist Matthew Shipp inaugurated his new trio — of himself, bassist Michael Bisio, and drummer Newman Taylor Baker — with a collection that seamlessly mixed the frantic energy of free jazz piano with more traditional and steadier jazz rhythms.

But while they’re mining similar territory on their second collection, Piano Song (CD), the threesome are also veering into some different sonic realms as well.

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Music

R.E.M.’s “Out Of Time: 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition” Review

Post author By Paul Semel
Post date November 23, 2016
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Like a lot of bands who’ve issued expanded versions of their old albums, the Deluxe Editions that R.E.M. have released have been great for people who want the album to sound better, but a mixed bag for hardcore fans hoping to hear something new or looking for a complete live show from that era. So it’s not surprising that the reissue of Out Of Time — which is available as both a two-disc regular version (CD, digital) and as a 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (CD, digital) would basically be the same problematic mix of good music and obvious omissions.

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Music Reviews

Miles Davis Quintet’s “Freedom Jazz Dance: The Bootleg Series Volume 5” Review

Post author By Paul Semel
Post date October 20, 2016
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Since they kicked it off in 2011 with the excellent Live In Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Volume 1, Columbia/Legacy’s Bootleg series has presented some amazing, previously unheard live music from the late, great jazz trumpeter Miles Davis.

And they haven’t just been for diehard jazz fans, either. Each collection has included tons of music for people who love jazz but don’t, for instance, need all four nights of Miles’ electric band playing The Fillmore in 1970, just one or two.

But Miles Davis Quintet Freedom Jazz Dance The Bootleg Series Volume 5 (CD, digital) bucks this trend by not only be all studio recordings, but also by presenting previously unheard music that, for the most part, only the most hardcore of diehard jazz fans would want to listen to more than once…unfortunately.

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Music Reviews

Satoko Fujii, Joe Fonda: Duet Review

Post author By Paul Semel
Post date October 17, 2016
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If there’s one truism about jazz duos, it’s that their sparse instrumentation often makes for some moody music. And while that is true for some of Duet, a live album by pianist Satoko Fujii and bassist Joe Fonda, there are also moments on this concert collection where this free-form jazz is anything but moody.

Tags free jazz, Jazz, jazz reviews, Joe Fonda, Joe Fonda review, Natsuki Tamura, Natsuki Tamura review, Satoko Fujii, Satoko Fujii review

Music Reviews

Giovanni Guida, Gianluca Petrella, Louis Sclavis, And Gerald Cleaver: Ida Lupino Review

Post author By Paul Semel
Post date September 15, 2016
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As someone who owns dozens of jazz albums, and has listened to hundreds more, I get especially excited when I hear someone doing something new with the form. It was that way when I heard the Jimmy Giuffre 3 get minimalist and moody on 1961, when I heard Anouar Brahem infuse jazz with Middle Eastern tones on his album Thimar, and now it’s happened again with Ida Lupino (CD, digital), the new album from pianist Giovanni Guida, trombonist Gianluca Petrella, clarinetist and bass clarinetist Louis Sclavis, and drummer Gerald Cleaver. And not just because my grandmother’s name was Ida.

Tags Aidan Gillen, ECM Records, Gerald Cleaver, Gianluca Petrella, Giovanni Guida, Ida Lupino, Jazz, Louis Sclavis, music, Reviews

Music Reviews

Tigran Hamasyan, Arve Henriksen, Eivind Aarset, Jan Bang: Atmospheres Review

Post author By Paul Semel
Post date September 8, 2016
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There’s something to be said for truth in advertising. Take Atmospheres (CD, digital), the new double album from pianist Tigran Hamasyan, trumpeter Arve Henriksen, guitarist Eivind Aarset, and sampler Jan Bang. While that kind of configuration could’ve produced all kinds of noisy instrumentals, or even rock-infused jazz, this foursome have instead made a beautiful collection of jazzy, moody, and, yes, atmospheric tone poems.