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Harmony and the Harmonic Series: I-V to Rule Them All
by Kurt Ellenberger
Preamble Since writing my article on Music and Evolution, I have received many emails asking the same question: “How does harmony and the movement of chords function in conjunction with the harmonic series and our ability to predictively 'hear' simple resolutions to complex wave relationships?" This article will try to answer that question by delving into the relationship between the three most important chords in tonal music--I, IV, and V. These three chords and their relationship with each other are ...
read moreFlukten: Flukten
by Chris May
A supergroup of the best sort--based on talent rather than streaming numbers--Flukten consists of four musicians from some of the most creative bands in Norway, a stylistically varied crowd including Hanna Paulsberg Concept, Atomic, Espen Berg Trio Trio and Trondheim Jazz Orchestra. The group--tenor saxophonist Hanna Paulsberg, guitarist Marius Klovning, bassist Bárður Reinert Poulsen and drummer Hans Hulbækmo--debuted in 2021 with Velkommen Håp (Odin). The sound was, approximately, in the same bag as Britain's similarly constituted Partisans: jazz-rock played with ...
read moreSteps Ahead: Trains
by Scott Lichtman
"Trains" by Steps Ahead, represents an apex of a certain era of jazz-rock fusion. The band was a supergroup, featuring Michael Brecker on saxophone, Mike Mainieri on vibraphone and rotating top names filling out guitar, drums, bass and keys. By the mid-'80s, the band had evolved from an acoustic sound to one based more on synthesized timbres, power electric guitar and sharp snare/bass drum rhythms. With the release of Magnetic in 1986, they hit gold with “Trains," a head-bobber of ...
read moreMazz Swift: The 10000 Things: PRAISE SONGS for the iRiligious
by Gareth Thompson
The writer and critic Amiri Baraka (1934-2014) spoke of free jazz in terms of an essential and spiritual Blackness. Further, he described a return to collective improvisation as the “all-force put together." More vitally he suggested that free jazz reinforced the valuable memories of a people while at the same time creating new forms. This reasoning and sense of the “all-force" might apply to Juilliard-trained violinist Mazz Swift, who blends old praise and protest songs, electronica and mindfulness into their ...
read moreThe (Record Store) Day After - Part 2
by Ludovico Granvassu
More un-earthed gems and special edition re-issues released for Record Store Day in this set, which also focuses on two wonderful Sun Ra tribute albums produced by the Red Hot Organization. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & Pyeng Threadgill)" 0:00 Lettuce “VIBE" VIBE (Lettuce) 0:16 Host talks 6:10 Kenny Garrett, Svoy “Ascendence" Who Killed AI? (Mack Avenue) 7:48 Host talks 11:42 Brother Jack McDuff “[Untitled]" Ain't No Sunshine: Live ...
read moreAndy Ezrin: I Was Here
by Jack Bowers
Pianist Andy Ezrin should be heard more often, and by a far wider audience. Like all commanders of the keyboard, he can make his chosen instrument sing, sigh, sway or soar, as he does the Fender Rhodes and Hammond B3 organ whenever he so chooses. On I Was Here, Ezrin doubles as composer, performing thirteen of his charming compositions in groups ranging from trio to quintet before playing the last one, “Cascades," alone. Saxophonist Donny McCaslin sits ...
read moreLast Ark Out, Evgeny Pobozhiy, Michiel Stekelenburg, Celso Pixinga and Benjamin Croft
by Len Davis
New releases from Evgeny Pobozhiy, Last Ark Out, and guitarist Michiel Stekelenburg. Brazillian musicians Celso Pixinga, Igor Willcox and Henrique Mota. UK keyboard player Benjamin Croft, Japanese band T Square, guitarist James Liebow and California band Syncatto. Playlist Evgeny Pobozhiy “Stream" from Stream (Self Produced) 00:00 Last Ark Out “Scorpio" from Lift (Multiverse Mute) 06:50 Michiel Stekelenburg “Tempest" from Catharsis (Challenge) 13:50 Henrique Mota “Nobre" from E Pra Jazz (On Records) 20:44 Celso Pixinga-Igor Willcox “North Zone" from ...
read moreRoger Kellaway: Live At Mezzrow
by Pierre Giroux
Roger Kellaway's latest offering Live At Mezzrow is a masterclass in jazz artistry. With Kellaway on piano--leading his trio of first class musicians, including bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Dennis Mackrel along with guest guitarist Roni Ben-Hur on a couple of tracks--they embark on a celebration of mostly historical jazz standards from the songbooks of Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Billy Strayhorn among others, as well as one of Kellaway's own pieces “All My Life." For those of a certain ...
read moreIsle of Klezbos, Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O, Marimbazzi, Ben Nicholls and more
by Cliff Furnald
This edition of RootsWorld includes music from Isle of Klezbos & Metropolitan Klezmer (US), Vaev (Denmark), Marimbazzi Duo (Poland), Malcolm Jiyane Tree-O (South Africa), Compostela (Japan), Remon Nakanishi (Japan), Faraualla (Italy), Yann Falquet (Quebec), Alba Carmona (Spain), Alterne ( Denmak, Belgium and Estonia), Ragnhild Furebotten (Norway), Ben Nicholls w/ John Smith (England), and Ken Lovelett (US). ...
read moreGeorge Colligan Quartet At Magy's Farm
by Ian Patterson
George Colligan Quartet Magy's Farm Dromara, N. Ireland May 8, 2024 Ordinarily the words George Colligan and Dromara would not belong in the same sentence. Colligan is one of the world's great modern jazz pianists. Dromara is a small village and sparsely populated townland in the County Down hills that bleed into the Mourne Mountains. Since the early '90s, Colligan has worked with heavyweights of the genre such as Lee Konitz, Benny ...
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