Reviews - Page 3

Anthony Jackson is a living legend of modern music. Like his hero, the great James Jamerson, millions of music lovers know his music who might not know his name. He is a true innovator, a great musical mind and a man of great integrity. He invented and pioneered the 6-string extended range bass guitar (his contrabass guitar), used a pick...

Let the Games Begin… is one funky record! It sounds like it was fun to play this music and it’s definitely fun to listen to. It’s a playful, funky, groove-driven, mostly instrumental record that reminds me a little of those 70s jazz-funk records that recorded when the session superstars got together to have fun. Derek Frank is an in-demand bassist...

Saltman Knowles are a hard swinging, straight-ahead contemporary jazz group formed by bassist Mark Saltman and pianist William Knowles. Their latest release, Yesterday’s Man on the Pacific Coast Jazz label features strong original compositions, unusual instrumentation and melodic soloing. There are memorable tunes, driving rhythms and fabulous wordless vocals. This is foot tapping music powered by a special rhythm section....

Wow, I love this record! Portland, Oregon resident and No Treble contributor Damian Erskine has produced an essential record that’s a real joy to listen to. So to Speak combines odd meters, Afro-Cuban percussion, passionate playing and carefully crafted arrangements to create a fine jazz fusion record. Damian composed all the tunes and his rich, sonorous bass playing is at...

A top notch free jazz record featuring two improvising masters, Temporary is a great example of state of the art freely improvised upright bass. Both William Parker and Giorgio Dini play expressively and passionately and both are wonderfully skilled in the use of the bow. The record consists of five free improvisations that demonstrate Parker and Dini’s passionate playing, focussed...

Brandon Seabrook’s Seabrook Power Plant is a brutal, take-no-prisoners record. The music sits between free jazz and Black Sabbath-influenced sounds but places the banjo firmly at the center of the music. It is quite engaging despite a forbidding exterior. For sure you will hear things in this record you have never heard before. Seabrook is the leader, a Brooklyn-based guitarist...

Clang & Chime, the latest release by American bassist/singer Seth Horan is a beautiful record, focused around finely crafted songs. Seth writes thoughtful and thought-provoking lyrics; sings like he means it and uses his bass to accompany himself with chordal parts, basslines, countermelodies and percussive lines. On this record he is accompanied by Petteri Sariola on guitar and vocals on...

Wild, loud and at times verging on chaos, this is not music for everyone; but I loved this record. No one else sounds like Many Arms, who follow their own path and clearly make this music because they love it – it is certainly not designed for radio formats. The band names the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Ornette Coleman, Black Flag, Bernard...

Historicity is an exciting and unique record. The album takes jazz music forward and is destined to be one of the classic piano trio albums, and is firmly within the stream of jazz but innovative and freewheeling as all the best jazz is. Despite its unusual approach it’s a hugely accessible record: vital, rhythmic and engaging. Vijay Iyer refers to...

Many things come to mind with the upright bass. I guarantee that Donovan Stokes will prove to you that this instrument is more than what you think it is. Gadaha is an acoustic solo bass album – and it’s awesome. That’s right young travelers, there is an acoustic no-overdub upright bass album that that will drop your jaw both for...

In case you missed them, here are the most popular features from last week. Lessons Jon Burr: Melodic Construction: Extensions on Dominant Chords, Part 1 Evan Kepner: The Zen of Ear Training – Part 2 Columns and Features Phil Wain reviews Wayne Krantz – Krantz Carlock Lefebvre Damian Erskine covers Shortcuts in his latest Ask Damian column. Ray Riendeau is...

Krantz Carlock Lefebvre is the first studio document of a trio that has been performing together since 1997, although Wayne Krantz regularly releases live recordings from his website. It’s also Krantz’s first studio album under his own name for fifteen years. Krantz is a phenomenal guitarist, and this is a record that guitarists will reference for years to come. Krantz...