In place of my usual "Top Ten of 2005" favorites listing, here’s something of a "shoppers’ guide," an overview of some of the most noteworthy CD releases of 2005, accenting some dandy platters off the beaten path/under the radar/etc. Call this "Shopping for Music Fans Made (sort of) Simple!" For the bebop/hard bop devotees, 2005 has been a very good year. Some of the sharpest entries feature musicians no longer with us Woody Shaw, Stepping Stones (Columbia/Legac …

As one year slowly fades into memory (sort of--still some unfinished business, alas), lots of writers like/need to share their views on the best (and sometimes worst) of 2008...the following is my take on the jazz/creative music of the year that was: In no particular order: 1. Saxophone Summit, Seraphic Light Three of the (arguably) finest American jazz tenor sax guys alive-Joe Lovano, Dave Liebman, and Ravi Coltrane-pay alternately joyo …

CONCERT PREVIEW: You lucky West Coasters! Coming to your side o’ the country is guitarist Joel Harrison’s Free Country band, which specializes in very creative, sometimes far-in, sometimes far-out reinventions of classic country (and occasionally folk) tunes. Country music and jazz have always been uneasy riders, strange bedfellows, and only occasionally allies, simpatico: there was Fusion decades before the term had been coined and it was called Western Swing (Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Hank Penn …

What becomes a semi-legend most? Jazz trumpeter/composer Eddie Gale is hardly a household name even in jazz households but he’s been a part of some very influential musical events in the post-bop and avant-garde arenas. Gale performed on Cecil Taylor’s Unit Structures and Larry Young’s Of Peace and Love (both on Blue Note) as well as playing in several editions of the Sun Ra Arkestra. As a leader, he helmed two under-recognized albums that were a fascinating amalgam of soul-jaz …

Like fellow NYC’er John Zorn, trumpeter/composer Frank London has his fingers in so many musical pies it’s a wonder he has time to sleep: Klezmatics, Klezmer Conservatory Band, the big band/Ellington tribute band Ballin’ The Jack, They Might Be Giants, Les Miserables Brass Band, his own Hasidic New Wave and his Klezmer Brass Allstars. For those unfamiliar, Klezmer is an old-world-carried-to-the new-world form of small-band (usually) Jewish/Hebraic/Yiddish folk-oriented dance music in the new wor …