Reginald Robinson celebrates a landmark recording
One of the most distinctive recordings of 2017 came from the imagination of a Chicagoan who has done more to champion and rejuvenate ragtime music in the past 25 years...
Home > Reviews
All Stories
Victor Parra set to sign off ‘Mambo Express’
The man running the control board at WDCB-90.9 FM looks toward announcer Victor Parra and whispers: “We’ve got 40 seconds.” Parra clears his throat, moves in toward his microphone and,...
Thaddeus Tukes brings poetry to the vibraphone
Chicago long has been a hot spot for nurturing young jazz talent, new generations continuously stepping forward to build on the achievements of their elders. In the case of Thaddeus...
Iyer, Zenon, Cohen among best jazz recordings
The best jazz recordings of 2017: Vijay Iyer Sextet: “Far From Over” (ECM). No single music category encompasses the sonically lustrous, rhythmically dynamic, intellectually bristling music that Iyer’s sextet has...
Joey DeFrancesco turns up the heat at Jazz Showcase
Why was the Jazz Showcase packed on Thursday evening, despite the deep freeze outside? Two words: Joey DeFrancesco. Jazz devotees long have known that DeFrancesco brings an unusual convergence of...
A busy weekend, from Shemekia Copeland to Joey D
As the holiday season approaches, Chicago’s musical tempo quickens. Among the many options this weekend: Shemekia Copeland. Blues singer Copeland’s work shows so much fervor, craft and expressive range as...
Jazz recordings swing in the holidays
Who says holiday albums have to be banal? Not the most creative artists, who turn overly familiar fare into music worth hearing. Following are the best seasonal jazz recordings of...
Joel Paterson proves that Christmas music never gets old
Yes, in the right hands, Christmas music can be hip. Very much so, as Chicago guitarist Joel Paterson and friends established Friday night at the Green Mill Jazz Club. Though...
Carmen Lundy makes a dynamic, belated Chicago debut
How is it possible that a singer of Carmen Lundy’s stature and achievement hadn’t made her Chicago debut as bandleader until Thursday night at the Jazz Showcase? Considering the ambition...
A new approach to Langston Hughes’ ‘Ask Your Mama’
Langston Hughes’ epic poem “Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz” has inspired many readings and reappraisals through the decades, but probably none quite like the one Chicago poet Marvin...