Shawn Purcell, Symmetricity Review The pandemic set the world upside down, which inevitably means great recordings fell through the cracks as we navigated through this unprecedented modern time. One of those recordings is from guitarist Shawn Purcell, his album Symmetricity might not be hot off its pressing, but it is still smoking hot and relevant. Purcell has … Read more
Troy Roberts, Stuff I Heard Review In November of 2019, we had the pleasure of reviewing Troy Roberts album Days Like These, and it was evident Roberts was amassing a versatile discography. With the release of his 12th album Stuff I Heard, Roberts steps forward with a cinematic theme, paired with elements of his Nu-Jive … Read more
Anson Wright, Only Love Review Guitarist Anson Wright has lived a varied life, all centered around the pursuit of study and excellence. A graduate of Princeton, Wright left his post-graduate studies at Columbia to pursue his creative endeavors. A published novelist (Jericho) Wright has always pushed his abilities to a depth of inclination. Studying under … Read more
Chris Rand, The Gathering: Rebound Review Chris Rand is a UK saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. Rand has performed with the Rolling Stones Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood, and as a guest artist with George Porter Jr (The Meters) and Guitarists Mick Taylor and Chris Jagger. He has also performed with guitarist Elliot Randall (Steely Dan, … Read more
Larry Willis, I Fall in Love Too Easily (The Final Session at Rudy Van Gelder’s) Review Larry Willis is a jazz pianist and composer that has performed with many legendary names in the genre. He has played and recorded with Paul Murphy, Dizzy Gillespie, Lee Morgan, Woody Shaw, Hugh Masekela, Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Stan … Read more
Wanderlust, When in Rome Review Wanderlust is an Australian contemporary jazz band led by trumpeter Miroslav Bukovsky that formed in 1991. Bukovsky is a distinguished jazz trumpeter that was one of the founders of the renowned Jazz ensemble, the Ten Part Invention (TPI), along with Roger Frampton and John Pochee. He has performed with the … Read more
Jenny Davis, Rearranged Review So many times, in the jazz genre, female composers are overlooked if they are also singers. There is merit to a crafted, well-honed lyric, something the general populous can connect with conveying the story within the melody and easing a suffering heart or adding an accent to a joyous occasion. Going … Read more
Tamuz Nissim, Capturing Clouds Review Vocalist Tamuz Nissim originally hails from Tel Aviv, the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Transplanting to New York, her pursuit of traditional jazz with a specialty focus of creating original vocalese pieces has been a centric cornerstone of her continued releases. Her latest album … Read more
Pat Battstone & Giorgia Santoro, Dream Notes Review Pianist Pat Battstone is at it again; his release schedule is as prolific as his writing. This time around, he has partnered with flutist Giorgia Santoro on his latest endeavor Dream Notes. The album is inspired by Improvisations to the artwork, “Appunti Onirici,” of Daniela Chionna. Battstone explains, … Read more
Wayne Escoffery, The Humble Warrior Review Wayne Escoffery is a New York city-based tenor saxophonist and composer. He is A Grammy Award winner and DownBeat Critics Poll winner. Although Escoffery is only thirty-two-years old, he has already enjoyed a stand-out career and ample accolades. He has performed with a who’s who of jazz, including Herbie … Read more