Steve Coleman and Five Elements: PolyTropos / Of Many Turns

by Troy Dostert
December 10, 2024

Perpetually churning rhythms, telepathic detours, unexpected juxtapositions: these are the stock-in-trade of Steve Coleman's Five Elements. And once again the intrepid alto saxophonist's inimitable approach surfaces on PolyTropos / Of Many Turns, a generous, two-disc helping of music that manages to be both intricately complex and fundamentally accessible at the same time. With two live dates captured in France in March of 2024, one can easily appreciate the infectious energy Coleman's group can generate, with rhythmic and melodic permutations galore, ...

Celebrating innovative releases from the Pi Recording catalog

by Hobart Taylor
December 4, 2024

This week we feature Pi Recording artists including the Tyshawn Sorey Trio, Anna Webber, Steve Coleman and the Five Elements, Luke Stewart, Jen Shyu, Henry Threadgill, Patricia Brennan, Matt Mitchell, Kate Gentile and others. Playlist Aaron Parks “Little Beginnings" from Little Big III (Blue Note) 0:00 Brandee Younger “Tickled Pink" from Somewhere Different (Impulse) 4:48 Host Speaks 7:47 Patricia Brennan “Solar" from Maquishti (Valley of Search) 9:08 Christopher Hoffman Henry Threadgill “What Comes" from Vision is the Identity ...

Steve Coleman, Berne/Formanek & Arthur Blythe

by Maurice Hogue
November 26, 2024

If you are as big a fan of Steve Coleman as I am, you will most definitely dig his latest release, Poly Tropos/Of Many Turns, which captures Steve and Five Elements tearing it up at live performances in France earlier this year. Toronto electric bassist Rich Brown contributes an amazing pulse throughout, and Coleman's on fire as usual. Relative Pitch Records has managed to come up with the very first recorded meeting of saxophonist Tim Berne & bassist Michael Formanek; ...

My Conversation with Steve Coleman

by AAJ Staff
August 8, 2024

This article first appeared at All About Jazz in July 1999. The pressure to succeed in music is so heavy, the monkey on artists' backs must feel like King Kong. With so many fearing the guillotine of inconsequentiality, it is no wonder artists feel the inherent need to dress in see-through chain mail to MTV award shows or create and re-create themselves, going through more image makeovers than they have records. It all gives me a headache. But ...

Basketball and Jazz: The Art of Improvisation, Part 2

by Ludovico Granvassu
June 19, 2024

As continue exploring the connections between jazz and basketball, in this set we focus on compositions inspired by iconic athletes like LeBron James, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Michael Jordan, George Gervin, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant. At the top of the set a collaboration between Quincy Jones and Shaquille O'Neal.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Quincy Jones feat. Shaquille O'Neal “Stomp" Q's Jook Joint (Qwest) 0:16 Host talks 6:29 ...

Steve Coleman Five Elements Sala degli Arazzi-Piacenza Jazz Festival 2024

by Danilo Codazzi
March 10, 2024

A Hip-Hop Jazz Thing @50 - Part 1

by Ludovico Granvassu
August 19, 2023

Hip-Hop's birthday has been officially identified as August 11, 1973 and many initiatives marking its fiftieth anniversary are already under way. Should you catch yourself wondering--as a jazz fan--about how jazz and hip hop influenced one other... you may find a few clues on this program. And since you're in a celebratory mood, you can also celebrate the airing 250th episode of Mondo Jazz. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & ...