Flutist Jamie Baum Works with Poetry and Dynamic Voice
Jamie Baum merges powerful poetry, sophisticated arrangement and composition, and a range of historical influences not restricted to one tradition or tonality.
jonathan finlayson
Steve Coleman and Five Elements Fuse Jazz and Hip-Hop Live at the Village Vanguard
On Live at the Village Vanguard Volume II, Steve Coleman and Five Elements blend New Jazz and hip-hop. The sound is liquid and flowing, tidal and a tidal wave.
Liberty Ellman’s ‘Last Desert’ Is Unafraid to Charm You and Challenge You
Guitarist Liberty Ellman's compositions for this brilliant sextet on Last Desert demand that you pay careful attention, but not that you tolerate harsh tonalities.
The Best Jazz of 2018
The definition of "jazz" has never been broader, and the music has never been brighter. Two PopMatters critics pick their favorites in four modern jazz categories.
Jonathan Finlayson’s Jazz Is Cerebral and Strutting on ‘3 Times Round’
Trumpeter and composer Jonathan Finlayson's third recording continues his streak of crackling, urgent music, this time matching his horn with two saxophones in a set of swirling new jazz.
Steve Coleman and Five Elements Promise That Jazz Remains Our Endless Well of Creativity
The program recorded here across two sets at the legendary New York club is immaculate in sound and conception—as good a summary of the core idea of Steve Coleman's music as we will ever have.
Jonathan Finlayson and Sicilian Defense: Moving Still
Moving Still is the most gorgeous, enticing, classic album of 2016 in jazz so far.
Liberty Ellman: Radiate
Liberty Ellman's first album in nine years makes the case that he should be composing and recording more often.