While distinct in sound, two new jazz albums—’Interpret It Well’ and ‘Astral Long Form: Staircase in Space’—have much in common Read the article >>

Drummer/vibraphonist Ches Smith’s previous release on the Pyroclastic label could not be more different from this one. Last year’s Path of Seven Colors was well received: it was the Guardian’s 2021 jazz album of the year. That disc was an exploration of the …

The header on Delbecq’s website reads undocile jazz beats and more. Perhaps the most prominent characteristic of his music is the textured sound he makes with his prepared piano, changing its tone using dried wood and erasers and any other …

Tony Malaby’s Sabino, The Cave of Winds (Pyroclastic) The Cave of Winds finds saxophonist/composer Tony Malaby draws inspiration from the freedoms and sonic qualities he explored during his COVID-era sessions under a New Jersey turnpike. For this project, he also reconvened …

A review of the tenor saxophonist’s album inspired by live performances under the New Jersey Turnpike When COVID-19 quarantines put the kibosh on live performances, Tony Malaby took to the streets. To be more specific, the tenor saxophonist started hosting …

BEST OF 2021: DJ AND STAFF PICKS Hungry for more? Dig into 2021’s personal favorites from KCRW Music’s genre experts, airwave curators, and, of course, our listeners — because, let’s be real, one list can’t cover it all. READ MORE

Jazz isn’t an orthodoxy, a religion, a form of faith healing, or a tribal rite — you don’t have to be in the room with it the moment it happens to reap its benefits. When I had to scramble to …

Jazz isn’t an orthodoxy, a religion, a form of faith healing, or a tribal rite — you don’t have to be in the room with it the moment it happens to reap its benefits. When I had to scramble to …

Completing the top 10 were Ches Smith (leading a battalion of horns and fellow percussionists on the voodoo-inspired Path of Seven Colors); Artifacts, a lithe chamber group (Nicole Mitchell, flute; Tomeka Reid, cello; Mike Reed, drums) unafraid to fall into …

Ches Smith & We All Break, “Path of Seven Colors” (Pyroclastic Records): Given my comments above, it is fitting that my favorite jazz album of the year features top-flight instrumentalists and a terrific lead singer who, on some selections, performs …