Kandace Springs: The Women Who Raised Me

Kandace Springs | Clarence Penn | Steve Cardenas | Scott Colley

Following her critically acclaimed 2016 debut, Soul Eyes, and 2018’s Karriem Riggins-produced Indigo, the singer that Prince said possesses ‘a...

Reviewed in issue May/2020

Don Grolnick: Nighttown

Randy Brecker | Dave Holland | Marty Ehrlich | Joe Lovano | Don Grolnick | Steve Turre | Bill Stewart

Don Grolnick pretty much reached the top of his profession as a first-call New York studio musician in the 1970s...

Reviewed in issue April/2020

Bobby Hutcherson: Montara

Eddie Cano | Ralph McDonald | Willie Bobo | Bobby Hutcherson | Harvey Mason | Ernie Watts | Oscar Brashear | Johnny Paloma | Blue Mitchell | Larry Nash

Like many jazz musicians weaned on Bird and Diz, Hutcherson embraced Latin rhythms throughout his career, and this beautiful album,...

Reviewed in issue February/2020

Big John Patton: Oh Baby!

Grant Green | Ben Dixon | John Patton | Harold Vick | Blue Mitchell

Though Patton is one of the ‘Hammond heroes’ indelibly associated with the 1960s heyday of the instrument he enjoyed a...

Reviewed in issue February/2020

Bill Frisell: HARMONY

Petra Haden | Luke Bergman | Bill Frisell | Hank Roberts

Look no further than the title. Harmony in music, harmony of the soul, harmony in community: Frisell evokes it all...

Reviewed in issue November/2019

Herbie Hancock: Empyrean Isles

Freddie Hubbard | Herbie Hancock | Ron Carter

Along with Maiden Voyage, Empyrean Isles represents Herbie Hancock’s finest work for Blue Note. Empyrean Isles is Hancock’s fourth album...

Reviewed in issue April/2019

Andrew Hill: Point of Departure

Andrew Hill | Eric Dolphy | Joe Henderson | Kenny Dorham | Richard Davis | Anthony Williams

Andrew Hill’s reputation in jazz is based on the solid foundations of 12 Blue Note albums he made between 1963...

Reviewed in issue April/2019

Marcus Strickland Twi-Life: People Of The Sun

Kyle Miles | Charles Haynes | Greg Tate | Akie Bermiss | Mitch Henry | Pharoah Monch | Marcus Strickland

The intermittent superhero theme as well as underlying statement of African-American identity of this album is fitting in the year...

Reviewed in issue Feb/2019

José James: Lean On Me

Pino Palladino | José James | Takuya Kuroda | Brad Allen Williams | Nate Smith | Lalah Hathawy | Marcus Strickland | Kris Bowers

James's recent foray into FM-friendly contemporary R&B has yielded mixed results and at times the more explicitly commercial slant of...

Reviewed in issue November/2018

Tony Allen & Jeff Mills: Tomorrow Comes The Harvest

An odd coupling of two pioneers in their field; Allen the Afro-beat maestro and Mills, who spearheaded Detroit's 1980s techno...

Reviewed in issue November/2018