Jazz
Taylor Ho Bynum's 'Ambiguity Manifesto' Is A Playground For Jazz Improvisers
Bynum's album features nine musicians, including guitarist Mary Halvorson, a newly minted MacArthur fellow. Each improviser sings the tune — or sings around it — in their own way, in their own time.
Singer/Composer Jazzmeia Horn Is A Double Threat On 'Love & Liberation'
Horn pulls together her sundry influences — including jazz, pop, gospel and vintage Broadway — on her second album. The resulting tunes are so good, other singers are sure to try them on.
Pianist Fred Hersch Scales Up The Intimacy On 'Begin Again'
Hersch often works in small settings, either as a piano soloist, or in a duo or trio. But he amplifies his message on his latest album by teaming up with Germany's WDR Big Band.
'The Balance': Abdullah Ibrahim Is Deeply Rooted Yet Sounds Like No One Else
The latest album from the 84-year-old South African composer and pianist showcases his work as a master composer of melodic mood pieces.
Branford Marsalis Revels In Jazz's Timeless Challenges On New Album
Saxophonist Marsalis has been leading a quartet for the last 20 years, with only one personnel change; their new album, The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul, shows they're still going strong.
Herlin Riley's Swinging, Modern Style Shines On 'Perpetual Optimism'
The New Orleans drummer produces jazz with its own distinct character on his new album. Critic Kevin Whitehead says Perpetual Optimism is marked by Riley's upbeat nature and attention to detail.
Betty Carter Concert Recording Captures The Singer At The Top Of Her Game
Carter had a late-career renaissance when she performed for New York's Jazz at Lincoln Center in 1992. Critic Kevin Whitehead says the recording showcases how much feeling Carter put in her singing.
Trumpeter Steph Richards Follows Her Horn's Lead On 'Take The Neon Lights'
Richards is a musician who's attuned to her instrument's idiosyncrasies and pet sounds. On her new album, she's helped along by the collective sound environment created by her quartet.
All The Parts Fit Together Like Clockwork On Allison Miller's 'Glitter Wolf'
Miller's band, the sextet Boom Tic Boom, keep good time — and appear to have a good time — on their new album. "You can hear how much her crew enjoy playing this music," critic Kevin Whitehead says.
Line Between Good And Bad Taste Blurs On Oscar Peterson's 'Motions & Emotions'
A 50-year old album by pianist Oscar Peterson and a studio orchestra has been reissued by the German label MPS. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead confesses to having mixed feelings about it.