Pianists Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes married in 2007, so the had plenty of time to practice for this duo piano date, since they have twin grand pianos in their apartment and have played a few gigs together as well. Both of them have long résumés as leaders and…

Some 13 years into his recording career, jazz pianist extraordinaire Bill Charlap‘s first live album is, perhaps, his most exquisite release to date. While virtually all of his studio albums more than adequately showcase Charlap‘s virtuosity, good taste, and ceaseless imagination at the keys, it took the spontaneity of the live…

Similar to 2000’s Hoagy Carmichael-based Stardust, Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein finds pianist Bill Charlap continuing his exploration of great American composers. A longtime fan of Bernstein’s work, Charlap conveys a very personal feeling throughout the album. Some may ask, why is another jazz trio album of standards…

Shim’s extraordinary sophomore outing maintains its razor-sharp focus from beginning to end. The young tenorman’s compositions are ceaselessly inventive; his band is ferocious yet subtle. Vibraphonist Stefon Harris, another Blue Note rising star, joins Shim on several of the tracks, pulling off a burning marimba solo on “Survival Tactics.”…

With electronic fusion on the wane and the “young lions” of the ’80s reaching middle age, a new hybrid of jazz cropped up on albums and in jazz clubs. This combination of styles borrows its harmonic qualities from post-bop but melds it with the rock-solid foundations of funk and…

Don Grolnick’s second and final Blue Note CD picks up where Nothing Personal left off, utilizing identical instrumentation but with mostly different players. Bass clarinetist Marty Ehrlich offers an Eric Dolphy-inspired solo in the pianist’s wild setting of the standard “What Is This Thing Called Love?,” which begins in…

The big question that greets listeners encountering Al Green’s third Blue Note album, Lay It Down, is: what happens when you put that amazing soul-drenched voice in the hands of hip-hop producers Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson of the Roots and James Poyser, and add a slew of superstar guests? Answer:…

In 1990 singer Bobby McFerrin and pianist Chick Corea teamed up for six concerts that were as much about performance art and wacky comedy as about music; to many people’s surprise Corea proved to be as humorous as McFerrin. This CD features musical highlights from a pair of the…

Bobby McFerrin is heard in prime form throughout this date, which was the follow-up to his classic The Voice. A few of the numbers are taken unaccompanied, and these include memorable renditions of “Thinkin’ About Your Body,” “I Hear Music,” and “Mañana Iguana.” Pianist Herbie Hancock duets with McFerrin…

This was pianist Don Pullen’s final recording. A collaboration between the seven-voice Native American Chief Cliff Singers and Pullen’s African Brazilian Connection (a sextet with altoist Carlos Ward and trombonist Joseph Bowie), these performances are definitely not for jazz purists. Most of the music features the vocalists singing in…