Carmen Staaf’s New LP Takes on Williams and Monk
Jazz artist Carmen Staaf’s Sounding Line makes compelling sonic arguments about the relationship between the tunes of Mary Lou Williams and Thelonious Monk.
Will Layman
Will Layman is a writer, teacher and musician living in the Washington, DC area. He has been a contributor to National Public Radio and WNYC's "Soundcheck" as a jazz critic. He plays rock, funk, and jazz in the bars and clubs in and near the nation's capital. His fiction and humor appear in print and online.
Jazz Saxophonist Jon Irabagon Is a Magician and Shapeshifter
It’s a blessing that artists like Jon Irabagon are unafraid to defy convention, playing music both challenging and satisfying, rich in feeling but daring to have an edge.
Henry Threadgill Extends His Compositional Daring Into Intimacy
On Listen Ship, you will hear some of the finest creative musicians in the world lose themselves in Henry Threadgill’s patterns and plans. It’s a gentle, daring classic.
Jazz Trio Fieldwork’s ‘Thereupon’ Is Buoyant and Open
Fieldwork are a cooperative jazz band spanning the last quarter-century. Yet their music still sounds a lot like the future. Their new LP is where “New Jazz” is in 2025
Stephen Philip Harvey’s Vocabulary of Jazz Composition Is Vast
Stephen Philip Harvey is consistently fresh and inventive. When it sounds beautiful, that’s OK with him, but it’s also fine if his imagination leans toward dissonance, funk, or sci-fi.
Dave Douglas’ ‘Alloy’ Shows Incredible Confidence and Focus
The main event on Alloy is how Dave Douglas deploys a small-group ensemble that has no few precedents: three trumpets and a rhythm section.
Bassist Linda May Han Oh’s New LP Is Full of Sonic Jewels
Linda May Han Oh’s Strange Heavens is concise and beautifully organized. The music is both spontaneous and carefully crafted. Not a note is wasted.
José James Explores Disco Through a Creative Jazz Mindset
In conversation, jazz singer José James is literate and a good listener, clearly excited about connecting music to politics, culture, and history.
Jim Snidero Interprets Charlie Parker on Fascinating New LP
It’s fabulous to hear a jazz modernist like Jim Snidero refract Charlie Parker so masterfully through a fresh lens on Bird Feathers.
Tim Berne’s ‘Yikes, Too’ Creates Adventure and Magic
Tim Berne’s Yikes Too is three imaginative jazz musicians in a sandbox, building and molding, occasionally smashing a bit, but most typically creating magic.
Jazz Pianist Caili O’Doherty Reclaims Lil Hardin Armstrong
We chat with Caili O’Doherty about her career, new recording celebrating the life of Lil Hardin Armstrong, and how hard it is to make jazz in the current climate.
Jazz Singer Michael Mayo Astounds With a Stunning Voice
Jazz singer Michael Mayo is young but has a stunning voice and unique approach that blends tradition and his own material into one hypnotic sound.