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CD Reviews

Lost in Translation, Found in Sound: Schaerer’s Anthem for No Man’s Land

Andreas Schaerer, Luciano Biondini, Kalle Kalima, Lucas Niggli – Anthem For No Man’s Land (ACT, 2025) Swiss vocalist Andreas Schaerer, often compared to Bobby McFerrin…

Bokani Dyer - Radio Sechaba cover artwork. A photo of the artist playing a keyboard.

CD Reviews

Bokani Dyer’s Radio Sechaba Tunes Into South Africa

Kevin Baker February 25, 2025 No Comments Bokani Dyer contemporary jazz South African music world jazz

Bokani Dyer – Radio Sechaba (Brownswood Recordings, 2023) Multi-award-winning pianist and composer Bokani Dyer expands his musical vision with Radio Sechaba, a 15-track album that…

The album cover for Unity by Yosef Gutman Levitt & Itay Sher features a minimalist gradient design. The background transitions from deep blue at the top to a lighter turquoise hue towards the bottom. A small, subtle circular shape, possibly representing a moon or planet, is visible near the lower part of the cover. In the bottom right corner, a warm orange hue appears, contrasting against the cool blue tones. The typography is clean and understated, with the album title Unity centered in white uppercase letters, while the artists' names are positioned discreetly in the upper corners

CD Reviews

Sounds of Devotion: Yosef Gutman Levitt & Itay Sher Reimagine Hasidic Nigunim

Angel Romero February 24, 2025 No Comments contemporary jazz Hasidic music Itay Sher Jewish music western classical music Yosef Gutman Levitt

Yosef Gutman Levitt & Itay Sher – Unity (Soul Song Records, 2024) Bassist Yosef Gutman Levitt and guitarist Itay Sher take a contemporary, orchestral approach…

The album cover for With Eyes Closed by Matt Panayides Trio features an abstract, watercolor-style background with overlapping brushstrokes in shades of blue, orange, pink, green, and yellow. The title, "With Eyes Closed," is centered in bold, modern black typography, while "Matt Panayides Trio" appears in a smaller, straightforward font at the bottom.

CD Reviews

Panayides Reworks Old Jazz Tunes

Charlie Melville February 13, 2025 No Comments contemporary jazz Matt Panayides Trio

Matt Panayides Trio — With Eyes Closed (Pacific Coast Jazz PJ93456, 2024) Matt Panayides, a New York City-based virtuoso guitarist and composer, is recognized for…

$The album cover for Ice Breaking by the Dag Arnesen Trio features a close-up of a fractured ice formation, illuminated by golden and blue reflections against a deep black background. The typography is clean and modern, with "Ice Breaking" in a cool blue hue. The names of bassist Magne Thormodsæter and drummer Øyvind Skarbø appear beneath the title, while the Losen Records logo sits subtly in the corner.$

CD Reviews

Breaking the Ice with Dag Arnesen’s ‘Ice Breaking’

Charlie Melville February 11, 2025 No Comments contemporary jazz Dag Arnesen

Dag Arnesen – Ice Breaking (Losen, 2024) Dag Arnesen’s Ice Breaking presents an exploration of jazz, introducing original compositions with new stylistic approaches. With all…

Sara Caswell — The Way To You cover artwork. A photo of Caswell holding a violin to her chest.

CD Reviews

Sara Caswell’s violin sings with clarity, passion, and a touch of mystery

Charlie Melville January 29, 2025 No Comments contemporary jazz jazz jazz violin Sara Caswell

Sara Caswell — The Way To You (Anzic Records, 2023) After a seventeen-year hiatus as a leader, jazz violinist Sara Caswell re-emerged with The Way…

Ginetta's Vendetta - Fun Size cover artwork. A photo of the artist holding a pocket trumpet, wearing a yellow dress with a red background.

CD Reviews

Ginetta’s Vendetta: Pocket-Sized Powerhouse Delivers “Fun Size” Jazz

Charlie Melville January 22, 2025 No Comments contemporary jazz Ginetta's Vendetta pocket trumpet trumpet

Ginetta’s Vendetta – Fun Size (Kickin’ Wiccan Music, 2024) Ginetta M., a multi-talented musician, composer, and bandleader, shines on Fun Size, her sixth album with…

Lars Danielsson,Verneri Pohjola,John Parricelli, "TRIO" Edition Palmer IIcover artwork. An abstract design with red and pinkish colors.

CD Reviews

European Jazz Masters Unite for ‘TRIO’ at Château Palmer

Charlie Melville October 13, 2024 No Comments contemporary jazz John Parricelli Lars Danielsson Verneri Pohjola

Lars Danielsson, Verneri Pohjola, and John Parricelli – TRIO (ACT, 2024) Lars Danielsson, Verneri Pohjola, and John Parricelli come together to create TRIO, a jazz…

Bill Laurance & The Untold Orchestra - Bloom cover artwork. A golden sphere with vertical rectangular spikes.

CD Reviews

Bill Laurance & The Untold Orchestra Presents Piano Finesse Enhanced by a Magnificent Orchestra

Angel Romero September 3, 2024 No Comments Bill Laurance contemporary jazz jazz

Bill Laurance & The Untold Orchestra – Bloom (ACT Music, 2024) Bloom is the ACT Music solo debut of Grammy-winning British pianist and composer Bill…

CD Reviews

Drummer Dafnis Prieto Conveys Complex Ideas Through Music

Charlie Melville September 3, 2024 No Comments contemporary jazz Cuban music Dafnis Prieto

Dafnis Prieto – 3 Sides of the Coin (Dafnison Music, 2024) Celebrated drummer and composer Dafnis Prieto returns with his tenth album, 3 Sides of…