Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
In Memoriam: Al Foster, 1943–2025
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
Carla Bley (left), Steve Swallow and Andy Sheppard recorded Life Goes On for the ECM label.
(Photo: Caterina di Perri/ECM)Kurt Rosenwinkel Bandit 65, Searching The Continuum (Heartcore)
Because jazz remains a mostly acoustic music, the striking thing about guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel’s Bandit 65 is how overwhelmingly electronic it sounds. Rosenwinkel, fellow guitarist Tim Motzer and drummer Gintas Janusonis all are credited with “electronics.” The range of tones and textures are so deep and beguiling that it’s easy to get lost in the sheer lushness of the sound. Doing so, however, would be a bit like missing the forest for the trees, because the real genius of Searching The Continuum is that each of these tracks was spontaneously conceived of and recorded live.
Emilio Solla Tango Jazz Orchestra, Puertos: Music From International Waters (Avantango)
The high concept that drives Puertos: Music From International Waters has no right to work. Dedicating each song to a different port seems like a hokey idea lifted out of the era of stereo demonstration LPs. But what moves Puertos beyond a simple pastiche is that Emilio Solla has invested heavily in each of the pieces here. It’s the difference between seeing each city from the deck of a ship and exploring the back alleys of each place. The thread running through the various ports is how imperialist conquests, the slave trade and immigration mixed with native traditions to create distinctive yet linked music from Cadiz to Buenos Aires and New York.
Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead, Legacy Holder (Vision Ahead Music)
Marc Copland, And I Love Her ([Illusions] Mirage)
Chick Corea, Plays (Stretch)
Frisell/Lage/Riley, John Zorn: Virtue (Tzadik)
Jimmy Heath, Love Letter (Verve)
Sigurd Hole, Lys/Mørke (Elvesang)
Laubrock/Davis, Blood Moon (Intakt)
Wynton Marsalis, The Ever Fonky Lowdown (Blue Engine)
Ron Miles, Rainbow Sign (Blue Note)
Hedvig Mollestad, Ekhidna (Rune Grammofon)
Nous, Nous II (Our Silent Canvas)
Aaron Parks, Little Big II: Dreams Of A Mechanical Man (Ropeadope)
Redman/Mehldau/McBride/Blade, Round Again (Nonesuch)
Eric Revis, Slipknots Through A Looking Glass (Pyroclastic)
Michele Rosewoman’s New Yor-Uba, Hallowed (Advance Dance Disques)
Felipe Salles Interconnections Ensemble, The New Immigrant Experience (Tapestry)
Sara Serpa, Recognition (Biophilia)
Walter Smith III & Matthew Stevens, In Common 2 (Whirlwind)
Kevin Sun, The Sustain Of Memory (Endectomorph)
Foster was truly a drummer to the stars, including Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson.
Jun 3, 2025 11:25 AM
Al Foster, a drummer regarded for his fluency across the bebop, post-bop and funk/fusion lineages of jazz, died May 28…
“Branford’s playing has steadily improved,” says younger brother Wynton Marsalis. “He’s just gotten more and more serious.”
May 20, 2025 11:58 AM
Branford Marsalis was on the road again. Coffee cup in hand, the saxophonist — sporting a gray hoodie and a look of…
Roscoe Mitchell will receive a Lifetime Achievement award at this year’s Vision Festival.
May 27, 2025 6:21 PM
Arts for Art has announced the full lineup for the 2025 Vision Festival, which will run June 2–7 at Roulette…
Benny Benack III and his quartet took the Midwest Jazz Collective’s route for a test run this spring.
Jun 3, 2025 10:31 AM
The time and labor required to tour is, for many musicians, daunting at best and prohibitive at worst. It’s hardly…
To record Dream Manifest (Dom Recs), Croker convened artists from his current and recent past ensembles, plus special guests.
Jun 10, 2025 4:13 PM
Partway through his early set at Smoke Jazz Club, Theo Croker blinks the room back into focus. He leans over the piano.…
