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Xander Naylor: Following Energies

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Music,  like a story or a painting, will many times be inspired by real life experiences and then the artist's imagination takes over, giving listeners a window into the artist's soul.  Composer, guitarist, leader, and Burlington, Vermont native Xander Naylor gives audiences a window into his soul, crossbreeding introspection with modern jazz improvisation and North Indian Hindustani classical music, drawing on over fifteen years of study with tabla maestro Samir Chatterjee. He reveals, "I’ve been studying with Samir since 2008.  I was magnetically drawn to him when I attended one of his masterclasses at The New School.  I had heard his tabla playing on a record and was immediately drawn to the sound and the depth of its spirit, which was unlike anything I had heard." "I couldn’t quite put my finger on it," he confesses.  "It’s interesting, he plays tabla, I play guitar; it doesn’t always happen like that.  The virtuosity of his playing is one (huge) th...
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Album Review: Ride Five from Takashi Matsunaga

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  Album: Ride Five Artist:  Takashi Matsunaga Label:  Ride Five Label Release Date:  July 6, 2026 Website:  www.takashimatsunaga.com The pairing of pianist Takashi Matsunaga and bass player Christian McBride form an elegant choreography played off the cuff on Matsunaga's 2026 endeavor Ride Five .  Matsunaga initiates the call as McBride asserts rhythmic patterns that complement Matsunaga's statements.  Together, their dialogue is spontaneous while forming harmonious narrations that beckon the listener to be attentive during the recital. "Air in Bloom" is the most abstract piece, combining disjointed keys with curtly ticking notes from the bass, creating erratic pulses, coursing random patterns, and moving into the warm and slow simmer of "Unfolding Drops," as the bass and keys swivel and bubble softly.  Their rapport demonstrates an adaptability that is organic, loaded with agility and elasticity.  The pair boast an active mindset in "Pure, B...
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Album Review: A Study in Songbook from Dr. Gianni Bianchini

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  Album:  A Study in Songbook Artist:  Dr. Gianni Bianchini Label: Gianni Bianchini Entertainment LLC Release Date: August 1, 2026 Website:  www.giannibianchini.com A Study in Songbook from vocalist-pianist Dr. Gianni Bianchini presents him supported by bassist Ross Kratter and drummer Sam Hart in a classical repertoire that expresses cabaret swing in a modern light.    His vocal  inflections inject the lyrics with emotion and verve, maintaining a jovial disposition throughout the recording. “I Thought About You" pervades a happy-go-lucky mood as the prancing gait of Bianchini’s keys kindle weightless flights,  turning reflective through “Dindi," an Antônio Carlos Jobim gem that draws out the bluesy timbres of Bianchini's register.  His nimble playing on the keys infuse "After You've Gone" with buoyant undulations, sliding into the slow bluesy shimmies of “Sweet Lorraine," bolstered by a sleek and conversational swagger.  The swinging vi...
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Album Review:: Plays at the Wrong Time from Haruna Fukazawa

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  Album:  Plays at the Wrong Time Artist:  Haruna Fukazawa Label:  Orange Paw Records Release Date:  July 31, 2026 Website:  www.harunaflute.net From frolicking jetstreams to gently flowing brooks, flutist Haruna Fukazawa dazzles and enchants audiences with her 2026 recording Plays at the Wrong Time, a collection of original works and jazz standards.  Her playing is customized and lyrical, resembling a glittering waterfall of sparkling tones and harmonic phrasing, producing a lively animation.  Joining Fukazawa along the adventure are soprano saxophonist and fellow flutist Steven Wilson, pianist David DeMotta, bass player Bill Moring, and drummer Steve Johns.  From the swinging romp of the title track to the improvised sprints of Victor Young's vintage tune "When I Fall in Love," and the smooth classical strut of "Mellow Shadow," Fukazawa's works are multi-faceted, offering audiences a ride that is filled with merriment and pleasing surprise...
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Album Review: Passionata: The Music of Gregg Hill from the Technocats

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  Album:  Passionata: The Music of Gregg Hill  Artist:  Technocats Label: Cold Plunge Records Release Date: August 28, 2026 Website:  www.gregghilljazz.com www.coldplungerecords.com  The Technocats is a contemporary jazz ensemble rooted in Michigan’s fertile jazz community.  Their 2026 release Passionata: The Music of Gregg Hill shows them exploring the jazz language through improvised exchanges and melodic phrasing, using the music of Gregg Hill as their source.  Led by bass trombonist Chris Glassman, alongside guitarist Nathan Borton, the group brings together a motley crew of performers, arrangers, educators, and improvisers, who develop their harmonic concepts from the straight-ahead jazz marketplace, merged with contemporary influences and individual expression. The ensemble’s arrangements are cultivated by each player contributing to the compositions progression, creating a collaborative environment where written material evolves through in...
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New Release: Stomp Your Stuff from Oliver-Smith Incomparables

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    New Release:  Stomp Your Stuff from Oliver-Smith Incomparables Release Date:  August 28, 2026 Label:  Turtle Bay Records Website:  https://www.halsmithjazz.com/ Roaring '20s ragtime, Tinpan Alley romps, Vaudeville hootenannies, and Prohibition Era hot jazzz merge together on Stomp Your Stuff , the 2026 recording from the Oliver-Smith Incomparables.  Reimagining nostalgic material from the Chicago-based Melrose Brothers publishing catalog, and channeling the chutzpah of vintage Jelly Roll Morton, pianist Andrew Oliver and drummer Hal Smith are joined by Colin Hancock on coronet and alto sax, Andy Schumm on clarinet and cornet, T.J.  Müller on trombone, cornet and vocals, Jacob Alspach on guitar and banjo, and Dan Anderson on string bass and tuba, forming the 7-piece ensemble the Incomparables. Together, they induce a party atmosphere, curating some of the best traits of Americana-inspired, speakeasy jazz.  From its cheerful syncopated groo...
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New Release: What Next? from Russ Anixter and The Hippie Big Band

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    New Release:  What Next? from Russ Anixter and The Hippie Big Band   Label: RussAnixter.com Release Date: August 7, 2026 Artist Website: https://russanixter.com Orchestrator, arranger and bandleader Russ Anixter presents his second endeavor with the Hippie Big band, entitled What Next?   The 11 piece ensemble of brass, woodwinds, percussion, drums, guitar, bass, along with Danny Louis on organ, and Bill Hayes on vibes, xylo and toys, creates an energetic collection.  Retooling and improvising through such jazz and pop classics as Paul McCartney and John Lennon's "I Saw Her Standing There," Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia's "Shakedown Street," and a mashup of Led Zepplin's "No Quarter" with Miles Davis's "Bitches Brew," Anixter demonstrates a modern ingenuity that breathes new life into vintage material.  The marching band cadence of Dr. John Creaux and Mac Rebennack's "I Walk on Guilded Splinters" is tweaked with ...
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