Christian Sands // The Absolute Sound

Pianist Christian Sands came out of the gate with his proverbial wheels screeching. A prodigy who cut his first record at the age of 12, he flashed impressive chops both as a sideman in Christian McBride’s Inside Straight Trio an on his previous three albums as a leader for Mack Avenue. On Be Water, as the Zen-like title might suggest, Sands has learned to relax and let his inherent romanticism come to the fore. That quality is apparent from the outset on “Intro,” an atmospheric prelude to this very ambitious project, and on the restful ballad “Still.” Other tunes like “Sonar” and the lovely waltz-time string quartet piece, “Be Water II,” show a newfound maturity in Sands’ game, revealing a more patient and poetic side. This is not to suggest that Sands keeps his abundance of chops totally in check here. His remarkable facility is showcased on the turbulent burner “Steam,” paced by bassist Yasushi Nakamura’s deep groove and featuring muscular bashing from drummer Clarence Penn, and also on the propulsive “Drive,” with an electrifying guitar solo from Marvin Sewell. An added treat is Sands’ soulful reading of Steve Winwood’s “Can’t Find My Way Home.”

Yellowjackets // “Even Song” JazzEd Premiere

GRAMMY® Award-winning group Yellowjackets’ upcoming Jackets XL celebrates their 40th anniversary of collaboration while joining forces with Germany’s iconic WDR Big Band and re-imagining some of the quartet’s classic tunes.

The newest Yellowjackets single, “Even Song,” was originally recorded for 1993’s Run for Your Life arranged by Vince Mendoza. Here the track has been reimagined and revamped in concert with the WDR Big Band. “Even Song” will be released as a single on October 16th, and will be featured on the upcoming album to be released by Mack Avenue Records on November 6th.

Performances From Our Artists

Live Q&A with Joey DeFrancesco Hosted by Alonzo Bodden

Dan Wilson - DTC Organ Trio Live at AVClub (9/29/20)

Emmet Cohen - Live From Emmet's Place Vol.26 Ft. Godwin Louis

Warren Wolf Reincarnation CD Release Livestream

Te Lo Dije: Harold López-Nussa’s pop album

For his latest album, Cuban jazz pianist Harold López-Nussa pays tribute to popular music of the island.

“Te Lo Dije!” [I told you so!] Harold López-Nussa seems to brag from the CD cover of his new record. Te Lo Dije is the ninth LP from the Cuban pianist who tours regularly in France.

The previous (and terrific) Un Dia Cualquiera was recorded in the United States. From the first moment here, it’s obvious that we’ve returned to Havana. “Bocadito de Helado!” is the call of the ice cream man, the intoxicating recording that plays everywhere throughout the capital. These are the kinds of street noises that Alfonso Peña, one of the best sound engineers in his country, weaves into “Habana Sin Sábanas.” For this overture, which can be translated as “Havana Without Makeup,” Harold López-Nussa introduces his new quartet instead of the trio that we are used to.

Christian McBride / Christian McBride Big Band For Jimmy, Wes and Oliver (Album Review)

Following his ambitious homage to leaders of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, The Movement Revisited: A Musical Portrait of Four, Christian McBride returns to his hard-swinging big band with 2020's For Jimmy, Wes, and Oliver. Where The Movement found him drawing inspiration from icons like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, For Jimmy, Wes, and Oliver finds the bassist drawing equal motivation from the work of jazz icons like organist Jimmy Smith, guitarist Wes Montgomery, and saxophonist/arranger Oliver Nelson.