Jazz : Not Jazz
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James Francies – Flight – (Blue Note) At 22, composer-pianist Francies pushes past the ranks of the really wonderful pianists currently playing and stands near the front of the line. His playing style is personally precise, identifiable the way of a Tatum or Garner or Monk. It doesn’t hurt to have players of the caliber […]
Miggy Augmented Orchestra – Colorful – (Artists Share) Migiwa Miyajima is Japanese composer/pianist currently living in New York. With stunning arrangements and unbridled intellectual energy she layers melodic fragments and juxtaposes swing tropes with free jazz and neo-classical musics creating an amalgam both familiar and outlandishly different. If there is a difference in how many […]
by Hobart Taylor Now let us celebrate the orchestra in a box, the piano. Shai Maestro – The Dream Thief – (ECM) Composer pianist Maestro, working here in a trio setting with bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Ofri Nehemya, is profoundly expressive in his writing and arrangements without being ponderous or overly assertive in differentiating […]
by Hobart Taylor Note: We at KUCI are dedicated to championing the outstanding work of artists and composers regardless of fame or popularity. Many, I dare say most of the artists reviewed here may be completely new to you. Some others are more familiar and these we hope to contextualize in fresh and evocative ways. […]
by Hobart Taylor Miki Yamanaka – Miki – (Cellar Live) Composer/pianist Yamanaka is joined here by my favorite drummer this week, Bill Stewart, renowned vibraphone player, Steve Nelson, and bassist Orlando le Fleming in a stunning debut. A master at “comping”, providing support for other soloists, she shapes each of these basically joyous dashes through […]
by Hobart Taylor Jessica Jones Quartet – Moxie – (New Artists Records) Jessica Jones. Why isn’t played all the time on the radio is beyond me. If I have anything to do with it, and I probably don’t, I will scream from the rafters, or at least post on this website JESSICA JONES. Tenor saxophonist/composer […]