Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
For Utica Box, drummer Dan Weiss (center) convenes an acoustic ensemble—a group that contrasts the electric display of his 2018 Starebaby.
(Photo: John Rogers)Drummer Dan Weiss apparently relishes the compositional colors afforded to his groups when he doubles-up instrumentation.
Last year’s Starebaby found Craig Taborn and Matt Mitchell pushing their keyboards toward ferocity amid a largely electric ensemble. So, as a follow-up, listeners might be expecting something propelled by a current and vaguely chaotic. Instead, Weiss convenes an acoustic ensemble, bringing in bassists Thomas Morgan and Eivind Opsvik, who pluck and bow across Utica Box, the bandleader’s Sunnyside album due out Nov. 11.
Weiss’ subtle funk and round tone on kick open “Orange,” which premieres below, giving the work a vibrancy that slowly fades, only to re-emerge later on during the 11-minute track. Moments of delicate improvisation are interspersed with concerted ensemble work, but it all still retains some of the nefarious feel of Starebaby. Alternately, it sounds like a storm announcing the end of summer or fall’s cool and placid afternoons.
“In my mind ‘Orange’ is the most balanced track on the recording,” Weiss wrote in an email about the song, which also counts pianist Jacob Sacks. “Everyone gets a chance to shine, improvisation and composition are on equal planes, the timbral palette is vast, and the melodic and harmonic material is expansive.”
For more information about the album, visit the Sunnyside website. DB
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
“Cerebral and academic thought is a different way to approach music,” Flea says of his continuing dive into jazz. “I’ve always relied on emotion and intuition and physicality.”
Mar 30, 2026 10:30 PM
In the relatively small pantheon of certifiable rock stars venturing into the intersection of pop music and jazz, the…
Vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater will be among the headliners at this year’s DC JazzFest.
Mar 2, 2026 9:48 PM
The first wave of artists scheduled to perform at the 2026 DC JazzFest have been announced. This year’s headliners…
Blindfold Test proctor Ted Panken, left, with the Grammy-winning Nicole Zuraitis.
Feb 24, 2026 12:00 PM
After earning the 2024 Best Jazz Vocal Album Grammy for her seventh album, How Love Begins (La Reserve), comprising 12…
“These days, with curated news, where people only get half the story, people can’t even speak to family members anymore,” Schneider laments.
Mar 10, 2026 1:43 PM
Maria Schneider is doing her part to try to fix what ails America. Which got her thinking about crows, specifically,…
