Mikael Tariverdiev – Visions in Black & White

Mikael Tariverdiev was a Russian cinema and TV composer of Armenian extraction but raised Tbilisi, Georgia, a true man of the Soviet world.  Though he was quoted as not particularly liking jazz, he was as good an improviser that Russia ever produced. From the release’s Bandcamp page: “Visions in Black Continue Reading

Brian Auger – Auger Incorporated

Brian Auger is the father of Acid Jazz and really needs no introduction, but his Bandcamp site provides a fine one anyway for those of you readers who haven’t had the pleasure of being introduced to the man: “Soul Bank Music announces a back catalogue deal with legendary musician and Continue Reading

Duke Ellington – Such Sweet Thunder

Duke Ellington’s Shakespearian masterpiece, Such Sweet Thunder, is the first album I bought for its typography alone.  I had heard older releases by him, had classic discs like Money Jungle, but this album caught my eye because I had had a deep interest in typography around 1994-1995.  The text on Continue Reading

Noël Akchoté – J​.​(​B​.​)​B. (For Jaimie)

The avant-garde music scene lost an incredible talent in the form of Jaimie Branch, who passed away on August 22nd at the age of 39.  The blog’s friend, Noël Akchoté offers a lovely tribute album by transcribing the trumpeter’s work into works for solo acoustic guitar.  It’s a raw album Continue Reading

Ivan Grebenschikov – Photo of A Changing World

Our friends at Fancy Music are releasing consistently good music in the contemporary classical, jazz and progressive rock fields.  Ivan Grebenschikov composes music which manages to combine all three genres effortlessly, and adds in free jazz, rock and Latin American music into a fine stew.

The Four Sounds ‎– Jazz From District Six

Mad About Records has produced a South African jazz artifact that is finally getting the wider recognition it deserves.  The Four Sounds features bassist Basil Moses, who worked with such stellar local artists as Dollar Brand, and his brother Clifford, who croons on the songs Beautiful Katrina and The “Goema” Continue Reading

Joey DeFrancesco – In the Key of the Universe

Organist Joey DeFrancesco passed away yesterday, leaving perhaps the most impressive background of any jazz organist in the past 20 years or so.  Here is a list of artists he worked with: Miles Davis, Houston Person, John McLaughlin, David Sanborn, Arturo Sandoval, Larry Coryell, Frank Wess, Benny Golson, James Moody, Continue Reading