This is another post in my recent "Blah blah Jazz" series. Every now and then I would visit the local bookstore and read some magazines, which almost always include Jazz Times because of its extensive review section. I listened to the following albums reviewed in the latest issue:
Still Dreaming: this is the name of the album as well as the name of the group led by saxophonist Joshua Redman, who paid homage to his dad Dewey Redman, and Ornette Coleman, who has collaborated with the senior Redman. The
review implied this album sounded more conventional than expected. Well, to me, it has just the right amount of "un"conventionalism. Or I might as well listen to Dewey and Ornette themselves!
Adam O’Farrill’s Stranger Days - El Maquech: As the grandson of Chico O'Farrill, you would expect to hear Afro-Cuban jazz. It certainly has those elements but there are more! I recommend reading
NPR's interview with him regarding this excellent album.
Dave Holland - Uncharted Territory: this is a collaboration of the versatile bassist with avant garde saxophonist Evan Parker. If your last name is Parker and you play jazz, you'd better play something that break away from the tradition, like Charlie Parker and William Parker did! (I did manage to find one
album with both William and Evan) The first track is totally misleading in the sense that it sounded "conventional" but I can reassure you the rest is not. Very challenging material.
JD Allen - Love Stone: I have read magazine articles mentioning this saxophonist before but never really listen to his music. However, with Liberty Ellman on guitar I figure you can't go wrong. I expected something adventurous to be honest but this album is all about standard ballads, played in a refreshing way though.
Buster Williams - Audacity: finally, an album that I expected to be conventional and sounded conventional indeed. This is straight ahead jazz at its finest. You can't go wrong if you are a fan of jazz.
