I’d never heard of New Orleans pianist James Booker before this here reissue of his last studio record from 1983. How did I miss out on this tragic guy who died not long after this release at the age of…

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Indian violinist Nistha Raj does an impressive job here mixing Central Asian sounds and harmonies with jazz sensibilities and lyricism. Each track has a different mix of instrumental combinations, going from traditional folk to mainstream jazz without any time travel…

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Beat Kaestli tackles an unexplored source of inspiration on this intriguing album: The great French Songbook. He’s supported by the team of Jesse Lewis/g, Will Holshauser/acc, Matt Wigton/b and Fred Kennedy/dr for a wide swath of Gaul influences. With folksy…

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The title of keyboardist/composer Chris Campbell’s latest release comes from Aristotle’s famous teaching. Using that theme, Campbell brings together a collection of artists that use instruments from all over the creative map, mixing and matching genres and creating a sound…

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It seems that the mandolin is getting a lot of popularity within the jazz realm. Don Stiernberg, who’s released a number of sessions on his own, has put together a first rate book/cd via Mel Bay to get past the…

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Pianist/composer Daniel Szabo trios up with bassist Edwin Livingston and drum icon Peter Erskine for a fresh collection of originals that mix melody with intuitive interplay. Szabo has a wonderful control of dynamics here, going to infinitesimally small sounds on…

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Eli Degibri has a “throwback” sound on his tenor: rich, thick with early morning fog that burns off in the afternoon. He fronts a quartet with Gadi Lehavi/p, Barak Mori/b and Ofri Nehemya/dr through a mix of standards and clever…

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Here are a pair of female vocalists that say a lot by understatement. Amy Cervini released an impressive tribute to Blossom Dearie last year; this one takes a bit of different direction in that she mixes country and jazz sensibilities…

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If you like the fire-intensity of Ivo Pereleman’s tenor, this guy is right up your alley. Tenor saxist James Brandon Lewis fronts a trio with William Parker/b and Gerald Cleaver/dr, both Pereleman alumni, and mixes outside with bop and blues,…

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