Progressive - CD Reviews (378)
Israel-born guitarist Eyal Maoz pulls many tricks out of his bag for his second release on Tzadik Records. With traditional Jewish music underpinnings here and there, th…
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Joe Morris picks up his electric guitar for this multifaceted progressive-jazz endeavor, while switch-hitting as a bassist in recent years. He gained prominence via his …
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When the first notes of Prospice hit, you know these guys have something to say, and they’re gonna sing it loud and proud. The Wings of Fire Orchestra’s second release, …
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Finnish-born pianist/composer Mika Pohjola has been touted as one of the most significant Scandinavian musicians of his generation. The Helsinki native, who has resided …
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This Naples, Italy based septet derives its group moniker from a popular Slavic brandy, that perhaps corresponds to its exquisite fusion of jazz-rock, prog-rock, Middle …
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Colin Riley was the Associate Composer for the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in the mid 1990’s and is a driving force in Britain’s contemporary classical impetus, but i…
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With his Bad Touch band, saxophonist Loren Stillman purveys polytonal attributes, and largely dappled with textural mechanisms, for what equates to a cohesive and…
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Woodwind ace and exploratory composer Louis Sclavis sports a superior musical identity. The Frenchman has gotten his hands into a little of everything over the years, wh…
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This vibrant Seattle-based quintet abides by a rather distinctive group-centric sound that draws upon the musicians’ influences, spanning electronics, jazz, jazz-fusion,…
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This all-world jazz quartet led by British sax great John Surman, rings like a new meeting with old friends. Surman, guitarist John Abercrombie and drummer Jack DeJohnette …
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A member of Philip Glass' ensemble since 2007, some of Crowell's pieces on Spectrum have a decidedly minimalist bent. It's a little funny, because the disc opener, "…
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To those of us who grew up in the 1970s, the phrase 'instrumental progressive rock' conjures images of musical excess typified by thunderous drum fills, soaring Baroque key…
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Recorded on August 11 and 12, 2006 at the Smoke Jazz and Supper Club in New York City, Live At Smoke from Challenge Records shows the David Berkman Quartet to be …
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Bassist/composer Michael Bates is a young man with a significant voice. On his fourth date as a leader we find the high-impact quartet, captured live at New York City’s …
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Tenor sax ace Sean Nowell’s second date as a leader provides some insight into his broad musical vernacular, since the Birmingham, AL., native has composed film scores a…
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In the realm of speculation of might-have-beens there is Steve Kuhn’s eight-week collaboration in 1960 with John Coltrane, along with bassist Steve Davis and drummer Pete L…
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Captain Beefheart’s (Don Van Vliet) multi-octave vocal range and bizarre lyrics about nature, for example, often paralleled his teenage bud, Frank Zappa’s off-the-wall r…
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Thinking Out Loud by Atlanta, GA based Trey Wright Trio, raises the bar for energized, collaborative and highly listenable guitar, bass and drum trio music. Pay…
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No doubt, James Carney is a promising young keyboardist and composer. The New York City resident’s fifth outing is a commissioned piece and according to the artist, "was…
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This, the fifth album by the Indonesian progressive jazz group Simakdialog, continues their tradition of writing thickly scored music accentuated heavily by percussion f…
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