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Jackson Potter: small things

by Dan Bilawsky
Grandiose gestures are well and good, but it's actually the small things, both independent and aggregated, that often prove most impactful. Those micro events or occurrences can lead to serious matters or link together to create an incredibly meaningful web of wonders at the macro level. That's a fact that Jackson Potter most certainly recognizes. For ...
Randal Despommier: South

by Dan Bilawsky
Growing up in Metairie, Louisiana--a mere six miles from New Orleans--alto saxophonist Randal Despommier's formative experiences were rooted in the Crescent City's fertile sonic soil. A stone's throw away from the action, he was able to cut his teeth on the local scene(s) and put his horn to good use in Mardi Gras parades. In addition, ...
Anat Cohen and Oded Lev-Ari: On Togetherness, The 3 Cohens and The Art of Interaction

by Dan Bilawsky
As clarinetist Anat Cohen and arranger Oded Lev-Ari sit down to chat on a frigid February morning, they're completely cognizant of a pair of major milestones on the horizon in early 2025: Anzic Records--the label they initially launched with valued partner and supporter Colin Negrych, and have long run as a two-person team--marks its 20th anniversary; ...
Posi-Tone Swingtet: In Jazz We Trust

by Dan Bilawsky
In the mid-'90s, when Posi-Tone released its first album, the recording industry landscape was completely different than it is today. Small independent labels were not the norm, every artist did not have their own imprint and Napster had yet to arrive to kick off the access revolution. It was, quite simply, a different world--one where label ...
Believers: Hard Believer

by Dan Bilawsky
Belief--the cornerstone of conceptual development and the impetus for any pursuit, artistic or otherwise--is central to the shared mission binding guitarist Brad Shepik, bassist Sam Minaie and drummer/percussionist John Hadfield in this aptly titled trio. Through their eponymous 2020 debut--a strong album that flew under the radar due to its pandemic-era release timing--these three established an ...
Noah Preminger: Ballads

by Dan Bilawsky
Balladry becomes Noah Preminger. And that may come as a surprise to some. Over the past seventeen years and about as many releases, this critically-acclaimed tenor saxophonist has often made his mark going the opposite way--in myriad bold-and-beyond settings where he's thrown haymakers with precision, explored duo dynamism with bassist Kim Cass, pushed the envelope through ...
Ben Patterson Jazz Orchestra: Mad Scientist Music

by Dan Bilawsky
"Mad Scientist Music"--the tag that Harry Schnipper, owner of venerated D.C. jazz venue Blues Alley, admiringly applied to Ben Patterson's creations--is an apt description for this trombonist's work. Synonymous with pure innovation, the titular field is all about pushing the limits, exploring the unknown, and making bold calculations before throwing caution to the wind and letting ...
Carl Allen: Tippin'

by Dan Bilawsky
Save for a pair of co-led albums with bassist Rodney Whitaker, it's been more than two decades since master drummer Carl Allen released an album under his own name. Rectifying the situation, he delivers this high-appeal, in-the-pocket trio program with bassist Christian McBride and tenor saxophonist Chris Potter. When choosing the personnel for ...
Judy Wexler: No Wonder

by Dan Bilawsky
Judy Wexler imbues every song she touches with a sense of realism, wonder and depth that's ever so rare. An inimitable artist, this celebrated singer adds volumes to each story she encounters, be it a post-millennial jazz tune, '60s counterculture anthem, glimmering Brazilian jewel or any number of other finds. In the case ...
Duduka Da Fonseca Trio: Rio Fantasia

by Dan Bilawsky
After 15 years in operation, the Duduka Da Fonseca Trio remains one of the most vital Brazilian combos in the business. Since forming this Rio de Janeiro-based unit with pianist David Feldman and bassist Guto Wirtti back in 2009, the celebrated leader/drummer/composer has created an impressive body of work highlighting a triangular symbiosis like no other. ...