With such a geographically visual image for an album title, vibraphonist Tim Collins leads his quartet through six original compositions and two covers where one's mental imagery can conjure various sublime locations through the tonal colors that this ensemble strives for and attains. Collins' quartet – pianist Danny Grissett, bassist Matt Clohesy, and drummer Tommy Crane – assert their energy immediately on "TNT," the very energetic and appropriately- named opener.  Collins' sound benefits from Grissett's accompaniment, which propels the melody while Crane explores his entire kit.  Crane's tom-tom runs and cymbal splashes help evoke a scene of being at sea.  At times, this song's more potent, scenic parts recall Tony Williams' "The Overture" from The Story of Neptune.  When the soloists clear a path for Crane at the song's crescendo, he responds with a solo that keeps the waves crashing against the rocks.

The scrolling notes of pianist of Yelena Echemoff embroider imagery soundscapes that soothe, excite and entrap the listener in an experience beyond earthly dimensions. Her latest album Flying Steps features Peter Erskine on drums and Darek Oleszkiewicz on double bass, and establishes Echemoff as an engaging pianist and composer of ambient bliss.

  Multi-instrumentalist, engineer and producer Joe Blassett's Chillin' Out In Dark Places is a difficult recording to categorize. While it has nice subtle rhythmic grooves in the background of every track, the material placed on top of the smooth waves is multihued, angled, and at times quite disjunct. The layering effect sometimes works well, but at other times the collages are difficult to discern.

Fjordne (given name, Shunichiro Fujimoto) produces music that is adventurous, expansive and a bit other-worldly, yet highly listenable and absorbing. His approach is to feature the piano as the melodic centerpiece and have electronic sounds create various moods around it. The effects change from track to track, but are sometimes wistful, other times nostalgic and occasionally mysterious.

Rarely does an ensemble come along that has its own vision, one that is rooted in the music the members heard around them and grew up with, yet is still original in conception. That is truly the case with the Montalban Quintet. One of the first to incorporate indie music conceptualizations placed within jazz frameworks, this ensemble has staked out a unique path.

  Psychedelic pranksters M'lumbo return with the amusingly titled Celestial Ghetto. The title of the album is quite fitting as M'lumbo draw from many sources, and can alternate seamlessly between the gritty and the ethereal. With M'lumbo, there is no distinction between high and low art where refined soloing is juxtaposed against a sense of nutty humor. This might be irritating to some (why obscure a perfectly good solo with seemingly random samples?) but this recording is refreshingly free from intellectual pretenses.

Dear jazzreview music community - Just this August my debut, 'Cycles Of Fusion' was released. The music style blends elements of jazz, rock, blues, and funk into groove-based compositions featuring retro/vintage keyboards & atmospheric soundscapes over loop/sample-based rhythm section arrangements. I have made the track "Eternal Boundaries" available here for free download. Hope you'll enjoy it.

A life long musical journey began when Dave picked up his first guitar at age five. The journey continued in earnest when he began his professional music studies at Berklee College Of Music where he received double Bachelor of Arts degrees in Jazz Composition and Music Production & Engineering. As a master guitarist and composer his original compositions embody a unique blend of rhythms, harmonies and musical textures. His music transcends traditional Latin music by combining jazz elements with acoustic and electric instruments, while introducing new Latin Fusion grooves.  

Hello jazzreview music community! I am keyboard and electric guitar player Chris Rossi out of the Boston, Mass. area on the Net Dot Music label - an Internet based independent record label specializing in instrumental fusion: all-instrumental music that blends several styles and genres. My music style blends elements of jazz, rock, blues, R&B, and funk into groove-based compositions featuring retro/vintage keyboards & atmospheric soundscapes over loop/sample-based rhythm section arrangements. If you enjoy jazz rock, jazz fusion, ambient jazz, some progressive rock or other related instrumental music fusion, you will probably connect with my music.

Hello jazzreview music community! I am keyboard and electric guitar player Chris Rossi out of the Boston, Mass. area. Just this August my debut, 'Cycles Of Fusion' was released. The music style blends elements of jazz, rock, blues, and funk into groove-based compositions featuring retro/vintage keyboards & atmospheric soundscapes over loop/sample-based rhythm section arrangements. I have made the track "Reflection" available here for you all to download and hopefully enjoy.

Hello jazzreview music community! I am keyboard and electric guitar player Chris Rossi out of the Boston, Mass. area on the Net Dot Music label - an Internet based independent record label specializing in instrumental fusion: all-instrumental music that blends several styles and genres. My music style blends elements of jazz, rock, blues, R&B, and funk into groove-based compositions featuring retro/vintage keyboards & atmospheric soundscapes over loop/sample-based rhythm section arrangements. If you enjoy jazz rock, jazz fusion, ambient jazz, some progressive rock or other related instrumental music fusion, you will probably connect with my music.

Rise and Fall - A meditation on civilization undone, inspired both by the present and representations of the past. These mostly live loop improvisations feature fretless bass, acoustic bass guitar, and midi-following synths and effects. Sequenced compositions utilize rhythms adapted from ancient Greek poetry.

Dave Flippo's FLIPPOMUSIC explores the role of "musical shamans" as they present "Tao Tunes", a musical jazz setting of the ancient Chinese text Tao Te Ching.  The original music by Flippo explores over 10 different musical styles and presents some extensive arrangements.  Guest Artists: Larry Gray-cello, Neal Alger-guitar, Hamid Drake-percussion.

EEA is constructed of three members from the Program for Improvisational Music at the University of Nevada-Reno. Saxophonist Peter Epstein earned his Bachelor’s degree a…

That all of the great European jazz music being made today solely resides at ECM Records would be as foolish a thought as thinking that smooth jazz artists, by following…

The forward-looking sextet Knu Gmoon is lead by New Jersey native and bassist Noah Jarrett. His eclectic musical background finds great summation in his compositions and…

Have you ever wondered what the colors of the rainbow would sound like if they could sing? It is pretty much what guitarist Lawrence Blatt has done on his latest recordi…

Trumpeter/composer Jon Hassell has worked with innovators Brian Eno and La Monte Young, along with immersing himself in the traditional musics of Africa and Asia. The re…

That there are still musical surprises left in the world is a wonderful thing. Who would have guessed Elton John performing with Lady Gaga or Elton John performing with …

Following in the footsteps of Jacques Loussier, Knudsen and his mates Daniel Olsson and Fredrik Nilsson take selected pieces from the French impressionists and use them as …

Sam Barsh draws from an eclectic group of influences to form his own distinctive blend of jazz, with touches of ambient music and rhythm and blues in the sapient mix. Hi…

On their eponymous debut disc, the Italian duo Bespoken artfully straddles the worlds of ambient music and free improvisation. Though I am not familiar with either of the m…

New York born, but Denmark raised percussionist Marilyn Mazur sealed her spot in history during her four plus years of work in both the studio and on tour with Miles Dav…

Highly acclaimed new urban jazz keyboardist Bob Baldwin has recently released a DVD entitled Memoirs From The Hudson on NuGroove Records. The DVD features footage…

This is one of those records that is classified by its unclassifiable nature. The Dinosaurus Records website throws out a few suggestions such as "jazztronica," "chillou…

Zim Ngqawana is a world musician proficient on brass, keyboards and woodwind instruments in addition to being a penetrating vocalist. Born in Port Elizabeth along South …

Hearing David Chenu’s album Two is like listening to someone finally telling the truth. It’s dark, stark and magnetic. This is not what you would label "happy" …

In the world of virtuoso guitarists, Michele Ramo and Mundell Lowe are probably near the top of the pile. Yet in this album of duets on jazz classics, there is no flag w…

I know nothing about the principals on this disc, so we’ll cut to the chase. The Geographers is a disc of pure improvisation from the UK label …

Grand Pianoramax is the self-titled debut "Nu-Jazz" album from keyboardist Leo Tardin. As a huge fan of the New York inspired techno-jazz-funk-fusion blend, I am ver…

Dre’ Pauls is a DJ from Chicago. He has been perfecting his skills since the beginning of his career as a DJ in 1985 during the Chicago House Music scene. Dre’ was once a m…

Guitarist Jesse Batiuk's debut release Bluephoria features a blend of simple melodies and smooth improvisations. He is featured on all instruments, with the guitar a…

Los Angeles native Jesse Batiuk puts his guitar playing abilities on full showcase on his debut release Bluephoria. Batiuk goes for a vintage tone and vibe. Playing over mo…

Julian Thomas - heard him singing live at a Concert in February in Leicestershire and just wow, yep original voice, original material and great entertainer. What more can y…

When Mary Martin Stockdale develops her own contributions to New Age Music, she lends a degree of authenticity to them from which other musicians may not have benefited. Fo…

When Mary Martin Stockdale develops her own contributions to New Age Music, she lends a degree of authenticity to them from which other musicians may not have benefited. Fo…

Trumpeter John McNeil’s second effort for OmniTone Records presents an intimate musical sojourn, framed upon a sleepless evening. For example, he brandishes a Miles Davis-l…

Trumpeter John McNeil is a new quantity to this writer -- upon further research I learned he's been around since the 70s, playing with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra an…

Drummer Paul Motian has been in some of history’s most cutting-edge jazz bands: Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music Orchestra, Carla Bley, Paul Bley…

Polish duo Skalpel deliver somber, cinematic textures, at times paired with a classy, light-hearted and swingy approach to lounge. A stylish taste for retro landscapes info…

It seems to me that a blurb from the conductor of the Nashville Symphony Pops orchestra is the wrong way to go when getting a recommendation for a funk/hipster/groove/loung…

Two thousand four is a year of many things, including Leap Year, a year of U.S. Presidential elections, The Year of the Monkey, and hopefully a year of worldwide economic r…

Swedish band, Oddjob, are not afraid to take chances. Koyo showcases the many talents of this up and coming group. With intricate compositions and stellar arrangemen…

Jeff Gibbs, a talented pianist, has an interesting claim to fame: two tracks from his album, "Reflections", were used for the soundtrack of Michael Moore's documentary, "Bo…

Michael Bluestein has played keyboards, recorded and toured with Grammy Award-winning artists Boz Scaggs and Shelby Lynne, journey drummer Steve Smith, 4 Non Blondes co-fou…

It seems a bit odd to write about Ottmar Liebert’s Euphoria’s Nouveaumatic on a website called JazzReview.com; there is simply no way to write about this with…

What does Loss "sound" like? There are pieces of music that distill bereavement, where you can feel it long after the music’s over -- such as Samuel Barber’s "Adagio…

Clint Eastwood has long claimed that had his acting, directing and producing careers not been successful, he would have chosen to be a musician. Over the last 30 years, the…

At best, "Sax Across America" is the type of music you’d hear when you are trying to talk to a warm body at your bank which recently has been swallowed up by a larger bank …

The idea is very simple. Provide a CD of songs that helps people who have been at a high level of stress throughout the day to unwind and be able to talk to each other away…