Tag Archives: Jazz music

Arild Andersen, Daniel Sommer, and Rob Luft’s As Time Passes

A seasoned veteran working a date with talented younger artists is a trope almost as old as jazz music itself. It finds one of its most delightful recent expressions in this ecstatic album anchored by leading Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen, … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Arild Andersen, Daniel Sommer, and Rob Luft’s As Time Passes

Noah Haidu’s Standards II

Standards are standards for a reason. They’re such classic, durable, memorable pieces of music with catchy melodies and emotional hooks that they can be adapted to any setting and still stir the listener’s heart. And they catch the players’ heartstrings, … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Noah Haidu’s Standards II

Nils Økland Band’s Gjenskinn

The advance for Gjenskinn arrived on a Friday in mid-February and I spent most of the weekend listening to it on repeat. It’s music that perfectly complements things like taking a rainy walk on a cold February day. This is … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Nils Økland Band’s Gjenskinn

Liv Andrea Hauge Trio’s Ville Blomster

This trio’s first studio album opens with what could be a classical solo piano piece, a lilting parlor waltz with a hint of jazz in a couple of blue chords. But over its five minutes it slowly opens up into … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , | Comments Off on Liv Andrea Hauge Trio’s Ville Blomster

Marthe Lea Band’s Herlighetens Vei

Stretching jazz in different directions is a common goal of the members of the Marthe Lea Band, and this Norway-based quintet certainly does just that on its sophomore date Herlighetens Vei. With sounds and influences as wide-ranging as Ugandan and … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Marthe Lea Band’s Herlighetens Vei

Gary’s Top 5 albums of 2023 in jazz, World roots, and Americana

My music coverage for Green Man Review focuses mainly on jazz, World roots, and Americana. And that matches the music I listen to personally as well, pretty much in that order. I’ve found that the lines between those three “genres” … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Gary’s Top 5 albums of 2023 in jazz, World roots, and Americana

Norman Granz’s Duke Ellington At The Cote D’azur With Ella Fitzgerald And Joan Miro, And Duke: The Last Jam Session

I was surprised when I opened my new Duke & Ella CD to find no CD inside, but a two-disc DVD set. Surprised, but not disappointed. Not disappointed at all! The two-disc release, Duke Ellington at the Cote d’Azur with … Continue reading

Posted in Film, Music | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Norman Granz’s Duke Ellington At The Cote D’azur With Ella Fitzgerald And Joan Miro, And Duke: The Last Jam Session

A late 2023 jazz omnibus review: Ahmad Jamal’s Emerald City Nights, Cal Tjader’s Catch The Groove, Chet Baker’s Blue Room, Lafayette Gilchrist’s Undaunted, and Espen Berg’s Water Fabric

The end of every year brings a flurry of music releases that’s hard to keep up with. To the usual year-end releases designed to appeal to holiday gift buyers has now been added the new tradition of archival sets being … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on A late 2023 jazz omnibus review: Ahmad Jamal’s Emerald City Nights, Cal Tjader’s Catch The Groove, Chet Baker’s Blue Room, Lafayette Gilchrist’s Undaunted, and Espen Berg’s Water Fabric

Trond Kallevåg’s Amerikabåten

Norwegian guitarist and composer Trond Kallevåg’s Amerikabåten is one of my favorite albums of 2023 – and of this still young though momentous decade. It’s his third as a leader on Hubro, following his acclaimed 2019 debut Bedehus & Hawaii, … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Trond Kallevåg’s Amerikabåten

Benet McLean’s Green Park

Way back in the ’90s I started listening to Django Reinhardt because Richard Thompson named him as an influence. The more I listened to Django the more enamored I became of the playing of Stephane Grappelli, his fiddling compatriot in … Continue reading

Posted in Music | Tagged | Comments Off on Benet McLean’s Green Park