When an album gets sampled over and over by hip-hop artists, it’s a clear indicator that something incredibly funky was happening on said release. In the case of Bobbi Humphrey’s Blacks and Blues, there’s a reason so many artists gravitate to the sounds. Larry Mizell laid down the compositions for Humphrey to sink into, with...Read More

Cassandra Wilson could’ve been the “next great” jazz singer, but she chose a vastly more interesting path. By bringing the sounds of blues, R&B, and more into her fold, Wilson tossed a well-deserved middle finger to the gatekeepers who expect jazz musicians to stay in the Real Book and blues musicians to stay in Mississippi....Read More

This year, Jazz88 is sharing space with the team from iHeart Media, including KFAN, while our North Minneapolis studios and offices are undergoing renovations. Turns out, these sports people also know their music, and we’ve received a couple of thoughtful jazz gifts from Mr. Paul Allen. His gifts have been welcome, thoughtful, and, most importantly,...Read More

Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band: “Body and Shadow” (Blue Note) If you’ve read my last few review entries, you may sense a trend. If it seems like I’ve shown a penchant for Blue Note Records it’s probably because I have. It’s difficult to recall the last recent era where the label has been so...Read More

Hiromi/Edmar Castaneda “Live In Montreal” (Telarc) Released October 6, 2017 If you think about it, the harp is just a piano with its guts strewn about. Or, to be more historically accurate, the piano is a harp with little hammers. However you choose to break it down, the two go together like apples and cinnamon....Read More

Kermit Ruffins and Irvin Mayfield: A Beautiful World (Basin Street) Release date: Fri., Sept. 22 There are but a scant few constants you can count on in this woeful world: Frozen pizza is always sub-par, dogs are awesome and New Orleans will always be known for at least two things: they have unsurpassable food and a unique...Read More

John Pizzarelli:  “Sinatra and Jobim @ 50”  (With Daniel  Jobim) (Concord) Full disclosure: Until this year, the 50th anniversary of the historic mind-melding of Frank Sinatra and Antonio Carlos Jobim, I was mildly in the dark about how impactful those sessions were. Before you castigate me, I should mention that I am the victim of...Read More

Joel Shapira: “In Essence” The guitar, and its distant kin, the piano, are self-contained orchestras. Few other instruments possess their range in dynamics and melodic potential. If you’re going to master either, it helps to be keenly aware of that. It also doesn’t hurt to have a universal sphere of interests. I can’t think of...Read More

Taj Mahal and Keb’ Mo’: “TajMo” (Concord) If I ruled the world, and it is decidedly a good thing that I do not, all my recording pipe dreams would bear fruit. Given two brilliant acoustic blues musicians for one recording session, for example, I’d insist that they keep it raw. To quote Jerry Seinfeld: “I’m...Read More

Louis Hayes: Serenade For Horace (Blue Note) Street date May 26, 2017 Blue Note Records has given a home to arguably the greatest recording artists in jazz for many decades. Like all major record labels, particularly those devoted to so-called “boutique music,” they suffered more than one corporate takeover and several facelifts in the wake of...Read More