A major tenor-saxophonist since the turn of the last century, JD Allen performs a set of vintage ballads on Love Stone, his 13th CD as a leader. Since he is generally a hard-charging soloist who mostly performs originals, Love Stone is a real change of pace for him. In [...]

Formed in 1999, Octobop is an octet based in Northern California that has 1950s West Coast jazz as its roots. It does not stick exclusively to that idiom and repertoire, certainly stretching a bit on their seventh CD, but collectors who enjoy cool jazz will find much to savor [...]

One of the all-time great tenor-saxophonists, Dexter Gordon (1923-90) had a fascinating life that someday should be made into a movie. After stints with the big bands of Lionel Hampton and Louis Armstrong in the early 1940s, he joined the Billy Eckstine Orchestra and became one of the first [...]

Reviews - One of the giants of the jazz piano of the past 35 years, Fred Hersch has recorded prolifically as a leader since the mid-1980s but has yet to make an unworthy or uninspired recording. His playing at times hints at Bill Evans (mostly in the close interplay [...]

Reviews - Clarinetist and tenor-saxophonist Ken Peplowski originally made his reputation as a brilliant swing player who was forward-looking and built upon the innovations of the past. Adrian Cunningham was born and raised in Australia and has been part of the New York jazz scene since 2008. He plays [...]