Wednesday, November 2 2011
Aram Bajakian: Aram Bajakian’s Kef
Kef is postmodern chamber jazz that swings proficiently with an always-apparent – and quite convincing – Eastern vibe.
Friday, July 8 2011
Thelonious Monk: Monk’s Music
No matter how many times it gets reissued, a great album is still a great album. Monk's Music will never sound anything short of terrific.
Friday, June 24 2011
Counterbalance No. 39: Miles Davis’ ‘Kind of Blue’
The Great List of the most acclaimed albums of all time makes its first foray into jazz, beginning with Miles Davis’ 1959 favorite. With no lyrics to quote, Counterbalance’s Eric Klinger and Jason Mendelsohn are having difficulty writing this introduction.
Wednesday, June 8 2011
Harriet Tubman: Ascension
Their band is named after one of American history's most revered women. Their album is named after one of John Coltrane's most ambitious works. Harriet Tubman's Ascension walks the talk.
Monday, June 6 2011
Miles Davis: The Definitive Miles Davis on Prestige
The latest Miles Davis collection chronicles some of the best, most interesting and hungry tunes the legend ever offered.
Wednesday, May 11 2011
(It’s Always) Time For McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner epitomizes the restless spirit and inspiration that characterizes all of our great artists. He was already a master by the mid-’60s; his work with John Coltrane could be studied and analyzed the way entire catalogs of music get dissected by critics. He was neither sated nor satisfied though, so he kept pushing and his work became increasingly ambitious, wide in scope and rewarding
Tuesday, May 3 2011
David Liebman: Lieb Plays the Blues à la Trane
Don't let the lofty title fool you, saxophonist David Liebman is just playing covers and having fun here.
Thursday, April 14 2011
Pitom: Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes
By the end of Blasphemy and Other Serious Crimes you should be exhausted by the experience, but you mostly feel rejuvenated, aware that something meaningful has happened.
Thursday, March 17 2011
Gerald Cleaver’s Uncle June Ensemble: Be It As I See It
This album is really scattered, but we are all the better for it.
Wednesday, March 16 2011
Joel Harrison String Choir: The Music of Paul Motian
This chamber music tribute to the music of Paul Motian deserves more discussion than it will likely receive.
