The Beauty of Owls
By Josef Woodard
Ambrose Akinmusire has taken a very broad approach to making music these days. In October, he released Owl Song, a spare, subtle trio project featuring guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Herlin Riley. He penned a commission piece, Isakoso Ara, for the Monterey Jazz Festival. Stretching further, he’s writing musical scores for TV and film. And he’s just warming up. We check in with the gifted trumpeter and composer.
By Gary Fukushima
By Allen Morrison
In his first Blindfold Test, pianist and composer Bill O’Connell worried a bit about guessing artists correctly but quickly settled into a comfortable groove at the third annual Hamptons Jazz Festival. O’Connell is a stalwart of the fest, which, in its third year, is gaining traction during its four-month series of concerts at various venues. In the fest’s inaugural year (2021), the Montauk, Long Island resident recorded his ninth Savant album, Live In Montauk, with a stellar lineup of tenor saxophonist Craig Handy, bassist Santi Debriano, drummer Billy Hart and guest trumpeter Randy Brecker. O’Connell warmed up the live session at LTV Studio by playing one of his Latin-inflected compositions on the piano: “Costa Verdes.”
