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Charlie Ballantine: East by Midwest
by Dan McClenaghan
A bracing guitar/bass/drums trio outing from guitarist Charlie Ballantine, East By Midwest, sounds as if it was recorded in a large, high-ceilinged warehouse with a cement floor, that floor buffed into the next dimension to a high polish, this giving the music a beautiful resonance. Retro? Think Link Wray or Dick Dale and The Deltones. Modernistic? Think John Abercrombie on some of his early ECM Records efforts. Or Neil Young and Crazy Horse Ballantine and his cohorts--drummer Dan ...
Continue ReadingAmanda Gardier: Auteur: Music Inspired by the Films of Wes Anderson
by Robert Middleton
Amanda Gardier's Auteur is not just an album--it is a cinematic experience captured in sound, an exploration of one of America's most singular film directors, Wes Anderson, through the language of modern jazz. The album showcases Gardier's ability to translate visual storytelling into a sonic narrative that is vibrant, eclectic and highly expressive. With Auteur, Gardier has created what is, arguably, one of the most fascinating and inspired jazz albums of 2024 (it was released in January) and ...
Continue ReadingCharlie Ballantine and Amanda Gardier: Midwest Jazz Auteurs Move East
by Robert Middleton
Guitarist Charlie Ballantine and saxophonist Amanda Gardier are young, up-and-coming jazz musicians who are a rarity: they are married and perform together. Hailing from the heart of the Midwest in Indianapolis, they both began playing at a young age, influenced by both jazz and popular music. Together, they have recorded several exceptional albums. Since 2014, Ballantine and Gardier have released a total of 12 unique and exciting jazz albums. They include projects as varied as Life is Brief ...
Continue ReadingThe Most Exciting Jazz Albums since 1969: 2020-2023
by Robert Middleton
In the 72 Jazz Thrillers series we've gone from 1969 to 2023, an expansive 54-year journey. From the jazz vanguard of Bitches Brew to the dynamic movie soundtrack of Roy's World, from the sublime guitar of Bill Frisell to the singing guitar of Charlie Ballantine, the thing that all these jazz albums have in common is their amazing listenability, music you can enjoy for years and never get bored. At least I haven't been. Thanks for reading, and I encourage ...
Continue ReadingCharlie Ballantine: Jazz Guitar Without Borders
by Mark Sullivan
Indianapolis-born jazz guitarist/composer Charlie Ballantine has a special relationship with American music of all kinds: jazz, folk, the blues (his father was a blues guitarist, providing some of Ballantine's earliest musical memories) and contemporary rock. He is acclaimed as one of the finest and most versatile young guitarists on the scene today. Yours truly described his style by stating “Jazz, rock, and folk music peacefully coexist in Charlie Ballantine's world." In addition to an impressive body of original ...
Continue ReadingCharlie Ballantine: Falling Grace
by Robert Middleton
At 33, Ballantine has recorded eight albums and they are all gems. His range is wide and eclectic with tributes to Bob Dylan, Thelonious Monk and Kurt Vonnegut. But his December 2022 release stands out as a masterpiece of artistry, melody, and deep feeling. Falling Grace doesn't hit one over the head right away, but you might find you can't stop playing it over and over again. Ballantine's guitar style is crisp as an autumn morning, bluesy as ...
Continue ReadingQuinn Sternberg: Cicada Songs
by Chris M. Slawecki
On Cicada Songs, bassist Quinn Sternberg paints a dreamy portrait of a languid summer evening at home, a visit to a comfortable front porch full of snoozing dogs, meandering cats, and the natural summer serenade of its title track. The first Cicada song is “June," Sternberg and company's collective musing about what Sternberg's beloved dog named June might dream about. “June" opens with a shimmer of cymbals, like you're passing through the gossamer curtain of sleep and are ...
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