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Sergio Pamies: Time to Say

by Jack Bowers
Spanish themes and rhythms reign supreme on Time to Say, Granada-born composer, arranger and pianist Sergio Pamies' fourth album, one that is enhanced on its opening and closing numbers, respectively, by the presence of renowned woodwind artists Dave Liebman and Paquito D'Rivera. Not that Pamies' septet needs much help, as everyone is laser-focused and totally in sync. At the same time, Pamies, trumpeter Alex Norris, trombonist Marshall Gilkes and saxophonist Michael Thomas (on alto or soprano) are ...
Continue ReadingGino Amato: Latin Crossroads

by Richard J Salvucci
The urge to take advantage of a successful commercial genre never really dies. Back in the 1960s, a studio orchestra nominally assembled by bandleader Glen Gray released a recording, Sounds of the Great Bands in Latin (Capitol, 1964). It took tunes like Early Autumn" or A String of Pearls" and added a Latin" flavor with jazz enhancements. No doubt, this was an early recognition of the success of Cal Tjader. The vinyl may or may not have done well, but ...
Continue ReadingSamuel Torres, Lizz Wright, Nicole Mitchell and more

by Hobart Taylor
New music from Samuel Torres, Modney, Lizz Wright and Nicole Mitchell plus a newly released historic recording featuring Mal Waldron, Steve Lacy, Reggie Workman and Andrew Cyrille Playlist Bag of Bones Some Rain" from No One Gets Saved (577) 0:00 Wadada Leo Smith & Amina Claudine Myers Conservatory Gardens" from Central Park's Mosaics of Reservoir, Lake, Pathways and Gardens (Red Hook) 7:17 Host Speaks 16:19 Troy Roberts Jive Dumpling" from Green Lights (Toy Robot) 19:12 Lizz Wright ...
Continue ReadingReggie Quinerly: The Thousandth Scholar

by Chris May
The Thousandth Scholar is Los Angeles-based drummer and composer Reggie Quinerly's fifth album, each out on his Redefinition label. Quinerly themes his albums. His debut was Music Inspired By Freedmantown (2012), a tribute to the Houston neighborhood where he was born and raised. It was followed by Invictus (2015), a salute to hard bop, Words In Love (2018), which dealt with vocals, and New York Nowhere (2021), a portrait of life in the city (Quinerly studied at the New School ...
Continue ReadingJennifer Wharton's Bonegasm: Grit & Grace

by Jack Bowers
Asked to name the traits women most need to succeed in today's business world, Forbes magazine in a 2019 article underlined two of them as grit and grace." One woman who took the advice to heart is bass trombonist Jennifer Wharton. She came late to jazz but has since made it her domain of choice, founding the trombone-centric septet Bonegasm and recording three albums under its name, the most recent of which, Grit & Grace, endorses Forbes' position by using ...
Continue ReadingJennifer Wharton's Bonegasm: Grit & Grace

by Dan Bilawsky
Blessed be the 'bone of invention and intention that is Jennifer Wharton. A mere six years ago, the noted bass trombonist had the idea to form a slide-centric septet and commission new music to bring her oft-neglected and ballasting instrument to the fore. Driven to act on that concept, Wharton thought things through, put a plan in motion and willed Bonegasm into existence. That aptly-titled band recorded its eponymous debut in 2018, released that revelation of a record in 2019, ...
Continue ReadingMary Foster Conklin: These Precious Days

by Pierre Giroux
Mary Foster Conklin is a New York-based singer with an eclectic approach to the choices she makes in deciding upon a repetoire for her fifth release, These Precious Days. Unafraid to step outside the nine dots, she has focussed the project on lesser-known jazz and popular compositions by predominately female songwriters. Joining Conklin are a number of top shelf New York musicians including pianist and arranger John Di Martino, violinist Sara Caswell, bassist Ed Howard, drummer Vince Cherico, guitarist Guilherme ...
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