Clean Feed

No, the pan-African days aren't gone. Something remained of the Sun Ra Arkestra and the Art Ensemble of Chicago fascinations for the Mother Continent and its rhythms. We can find it in this new project by Harris Eisenstadt, a Canadian ex-pat New York-based jazz drummer who had the opportunity to study in Gambia and Senegal with griot musicians.

There aren't many jazz bands lead by the guy playing the bass, but the tradition is strong (remember Mingus?), so strong that we can feel it in the DNA of the music performed by Re:Action.

Guitarist (and sometimes bassist) Joe Morris has in “Elm City Duets” a new chapter of his ongoing objective to play with his lifetime heroes: after the meeting with the renowned multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton, resulting in a box with 4 CDs released by the label Clean Feed, here is another duo with a veteran of improvisation: Barre Phillips. And what a wonderful encounter this turned to be!

A member of the celebrated Rova Saxophone Quartet, saxophonist and flutist Steve Adams develops his own personal projects in the jazz and contemporary music fields with equal praise from both the media and listeners.

You always get your hands dirty with hard work and indeed the John O'Gallagher Trio does just that.

Down Beat Magazine listed Darren Johnston as one of the “25 Trumpeters of the Future”, but in the measure that he is bringing the future to the present. Canadian of origin, but one of the most interesting musicians of the Bay Area scene, Johnston is involved in the best new jazz and creative music coming from the West Coast of the United States.

The emergence of Angelica Sanchez on the international scene dates back to 1995 when she relocated from Arizona to New York. She has left her personal mark in numerous collaborations with world-class musicians and her remarkable CD “Life Between” documents her individual improvisational and compositional voice.

You may not be familiar with van Huffel's and Tassignon's names, but don't direct your attention to something else so quickly. Why? Because you're gonna hear about the saxophonist and the singer very often in the years to come. Both are values in fast ascension in the international scene and it's best to follow their tracks since the beginning.