Free jazz-adjacent saxophonist Ivo Perelman and pianist Matthew Shipp are both so prolific that they sometimes don’t give their songs proper titles. On 2020’s Amalgam, for instance, the songs were called “Part 1,” “Part 2,” etc., while the ...CONTINUE
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Not every artist is willing (or able) to try something new 60-something years into their career. But that’s exactly what jazz pianist and singer Ben Sidran is doing on Swing State (CD, digital), the first instrumental album of ...CONTINUE
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Like his frequent collaborator Ivo Perelman, jazz pianist Matthew Shipp is almost as known for being prolific as he is for being expressive and versatile. In fact, if the website Discogs is accurate, Shipp has appeared on nearly a ...CONTINUE
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Back in November I was introduced to the idea of a jazz quartet being all sax players when I heard (and reviewed) the album The Circumference Of Reason by the ROVA Saxophone Quartet. Which is good because, without it, ...CONTINUE
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In my never-ending quest to find jazz groups of atypical instrumentation and configuration, it never occurred to me that one possibility might be a quartet where four people play the same kind if instrument. Which may be why — ...CONTINUE
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Throughout his career, saxophonist Ivo Perelman has worked with many different musicians, in many different configurations. But some of his best work has come when he’s teamed up with a piano player, be it Karl Berger (2014’s Reverie, ...CONTINUE
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While many jazz bands take their names from their leaders and number of members — like, for example, The Miles Davis Quintet or The Red Garland Trio — there have been such exceptions as Return To Forever. But pianist ...CONTINUE
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In the hands of people who are truly skilled or creative, the same ingredients can yield very different results. Just ask anyone who’s eaten Mexican food. Or Italian food. Or…well, you get the idea. It’s something I thought of ...CONTINUE
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In May of 1967, jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins went to Holland to do a show, record some tunes, and play live on TV. All of which was lost to time…”was” being the operative word there. All three performances were ...CONTINUE
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