Art of the Duet
By Gary Fukushima
There is a true personal and musical fondness that 67-year-old Fred Hersch and 38-year-old esperanza spalding have for each other. It’s a friendship that now has been documented on Alive at the Village Vanguard (Palmetto), an intimate “lightning in a bottle” gig captured in 2018 that features Hersch on piano and spalding on vocals.
By Bill Milkowski
Through countless gigs and seven studio recordings over the past 10 years, the members of the cooperative trio Thumbscrew (bassist Michael Formanek, guitarist Mary Halvorson, drummer Tomas Fujiwara) have hit on a formula that balances strictly composed, intricately arranged and finely articulated material with blistering, unbridled improvisation.
By Ted Panken
“Beyond category” is a good descriptor for Doug Wamble’s compelling new release, Blues In the Present Tense, on which the 50-year-old singer/songwriter/guitarist – releasing his first album since 2013’s Rednecktellectual, an overdubbed solo recital – artfully mixes multiple genres.
By DB Staff
Check out DownBeat’s annual listing of the year’s best reviewed albums. Perhaps, the ultimate jazz shopping list!
Drummer/vibraphonist Jason Marsalis, in town with the New Orleans Groovemasters, took time for a listening session and chinwag at Detroit Jazz Festival’s Carhartt Amphitheater on a rather rainy day back over Labor Day weekend. The test, before an attentive audience under umbrellas, focused on vibraphone, presented a variety of styles, some international flavor and at least one local hero. Marsalis made perceptive considerations about each selection. This was his first Blindfold Test.
