Kevin Whitehead

Kevin Whitehead appears in the following:

Trio Infuses 'Transylvanian Folk Songs' With Mystery And Clarity

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Lucian Ban, John Surman and Mat Maneri bring a fresh treatment — and musical chemistry — to the bare-bones folk transcriptions of the 20th-century Hungarian composer Béla Bartók.

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Saxophonist Dayna Stephens' 'Liberty' Feels Right For The Way We're Living

Wednesday, May 06, 2020

The Dayna Stephens trio's improvised grace in a compact setting — where players are interdependent, but no one steps on any toes — sets a good example for life during the pandemic.

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Remembering Trailblazing Jazz Saxophonist Lee Konitz

Friday, April 24, 2020

Konitz, who died April 15, had one of the longest careers in jazz. He was an intuitive soloist, with a mercurial tone, a quick mind and lifelong commitment to improvisation.

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Lisa Mezzacappa's 'Cosmicomics' Riffs On Italo Calvino's Scientific Surrealism

Tuesday, April 07, 2020

Mezzacappa's new sextet was inspired by stories from the late Italian writer. Cosmicomics is alive with slippery music, light-touch humor and sounds that curve through time and space.

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Jazz Guitarist Jeff Parker Crosses Musical Genres On 'Suite For Max Brown'

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Parker's breezy new album, which mixes live music with vintage synthesizers, draws on R&B, early hip-hop, droning electronica, jazz-funk, Afropop and flailing '60s-rock solos.

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Remembering McCoy Tyner, A Jazz Legend Who Created His Own Style

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Tyner, who died on March 6, placed thundering piano chords under fast, right-hand melodies. He led his own groups for decades, but was frequently associated with one early employer, John Coltrane.

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Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt Is Understated And Nuanced On 'The Art Of Intimacy, Vol. 1'

Monday, March 02, 2020

Though Pelt can certainly play uptempo with a lot of fire, he also loves to play ballads, including a batch of obscure ones. A new album showcases his more introspective side.

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Carla Bley's Trio Brings A Scaled-Down Dynamic To 'Life Goes On'

Monday, February 24, 2020

Bley spent decades leading big bands. Now in her 80s, the jazz composer and pianist has a new album with longtime pal and partner bassist Steve Swallow and English saxophonist Andy Sheppard.

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Jazz Trio's 'Pearls' Puts New-As-Can-Be Improvisations On Golden Oldies

Monday, February 17, 2020

American saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, Swiss bassist Christian Weber and German drummer Michael Griener reach back in time on their new album, improvising their way from Scott Joplin to Sweets Edison.

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Jazz Guitarist Jeff Parker Crosses Musical Genres On 'Suite For Max Brown'

Monday, February 10, 2020

Parker's breezy new album, which mixes live music with vintage synthesizers, draws on R&B, early hip-hop, droning electronica, jazz-funk, Afropop and flailing '60s-rock solos.

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New Reissue From Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis And Johnny Griffin Is A Love Letter To Fans

Monday, January 13, 2020

In the early 1960s, saxophonists Davis and Griffin co-led a jumping two-tenor band. A live recording of their 1962 Seattle show is now available on Ow! Live at the Penthouse.

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With 'Even Better,' Michael Formanek's Very Practical Trio Lives Up To Its Name

Monday, January 06, 2020

Though their improvising gets rowdy at times, the Very Practical Trio players don't neglect the tune when they jam. Kevin Whitehead says the ensemble's new album has a nice give and take.

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Todd Marcus Tames The Raucous Bass Clarinet On 'Trio+'

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Marcus gets a clean, unfettered sound from both his band and his instrument on his new album. Trio+ is crisp, tight and varied — with more good melodies than we can dip into.

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Erroll Garner's 'A Night At The Movies' Reissue Radiates Joy

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

The late jazz pianist spins out new and old melodies and cracks little musical jokes on a new series of reissues representing albums he recorded for various labels between '59 and '73.

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Reissue Captures Nat King Cole Before He Broke Through To Mainstream

Tuesday, November 05, 2019

Early in his career, Cole formed a trio with guitarist Oscar Moore and bassist Wesley Prince. Hittin' the Ramp, a new 7-CD roundup, showcases the band that help catapult Cole to stardom.

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Indian Percussion Infuses 'Good Hope' With Complex, Crossfire Beats

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Indian percussionist Zakir Hussain joins with saxophonist Dave Holland and bassist Chris Potter on a new album that that's clear and confident, with plenty of fire.

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'Fresh Air' Marks The Centenary Of The Birth Of Jazz Singer Anita O'Day

Friday, October 18, 2019

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead offers an appreciation of the singer, who died in 2006, then we listen back to a 1987 interview. O'Day first became known in 1941 when she joined Gene Krupa's band.

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Taylor Ho Bynum's 'Ambiguity Manifesto' Is A Playground For Jazz Improvisers

Wednesday, October 09, 2019

Bynum's album features nine musicians, including guitarist Mary Halvorson, a newly minted MacArthur fellow. Each improviser sings the tune — or sings around it — in their own way, in their own time.

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Singer/Composer Jazzmeia Horn Is A Double Threat On 'Love & Liberation'

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Horn pulls together her sundry influences — including jazz, pop, gospel and vintage Broadway — on her second album. The resulting tunes are so good, other singers are sure to try them on.

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Clarinetist Ben Goldberg Unites Jazz And Poetry On 'Good Day For Cloud Fishing'

Thursday, September 05, 2019

Goldberg's mini box set includes 24 new poems by Dean Young — as well as a dozen pieces inspired by Young's poetry. The playfulness on both sides of the equation makes this mixed-media project work.

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