Ron Unz

"Moments" features 69 minutes of music originating from 1988. Two bonus tracks have been added. This time, the music possesses a more personal, human touch, as Boots captures significant memories with his heavenly electronic compositions. Romantic tenderness, whimsical impressions, sad losses, powerful accomplishments… he presents specific memories in a manner that transcends details, evoking similar events in all of our lives with this sentimental music.

Saxophonist WAYNE ESCOFFERY reflects on love, loss, and solitude on his stunning new album, the atmospheric and haunting, ALONE, featuring a remarkable all-star quartet with Gerald Clayton, Ron Carter & Carl Allen.

The brilliant and beloved cornetist and composer Ron Miles released his Blue Note debut Rainbow Sign in 2020 shortly before his tragic death in 2022 from a rare blood disorder. His legacy is honored with the release of Old Main Chapel, a recording that captures a sublime live performance by Miles’ trio with guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Brian Blade in 2011 at Old Main Chapel in Boulder, Colorado. The 7-song set featured 6 of Miles’ indelible originals along with a cover of “There Ain’t No Sweet Man that’s Worth the Salt of My Tears.” The CD package includes heartfelt remembrances by Frisell, Blade, pianist and frequent collaborator Jason Moran, Blue Note President Don Was, and Ron’s daughter Justice Miles.

Saxophonist WAYNE ESCOFFERY reflects on love, loss, and solitude on his stunning new album, the atmospheric and haunting, ALONE, featuring a remarkable all-star quartet with Gerald Clayton, Ron Carter & Carl Allen.

Ron Carter's offering here is a solid program that has two Spanish-flavored numbers and two traditional jazz compositions that feature five top-caliber musicians at their best. "El Noche Sol" is influenced by Anadalucian folk music, as is the slower, soulful "Sabado Sombrero". Hubert Laws on flute is prominent on all four tracks and a highlight on the CD is the nifty solo work by drummer Billy Cobham on "So What". The final track, "Arkansas", so named for a child's homework project, closes out the album. The CD would have benefitted from the inclusion of a few more numbers but the music is enjoyable and illustrates the group's versatility in interpreting music forms different from what they were accustomed to playing.

In 1978 a tour was set up that would feature three of the top jazz stars of Milestone Records (tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, pianist McCoy Tyner, and bassist Ron Carter) in a quartet with drummer Al Foster. The resulting recording has many strong moments, including Rollins' unaccompanied solo on "Continuum," his duet with Tyner on "In a Sentimental Mood," Tyner's showcases on "A Little Pianissimo" and "Alone Together" (the latter a duet with Carter), and the bassist's lengthy reworking of "Willow Weep for Me." The quartet pieces generally work well too, with these compatible but very individual stylists blending together much better than one might expect.

German synthesist Frank Klare has been recording electronic music for many years, as a solo artist and with bands like Synco and Traumklang. Klare is joined on this release by Ron Boots, who lends his EM expertise to three of the album's seven tracks. Generous atmospherics fill a cold sky with mounting warmth. Layered sequences descend from the beyond, adding strong definition and appealing melodies to this harmonic flow. A feeling of sedate calm is laced with strident chords that elevate the tranquillity to more dynamic territory, generating a lavish disposition of sonic majesty and meticulous intention. Long intros melt into involved compositions that bristle with verve and passion. This slow-building fashion allows each melody to evolve and flourish in an unhurried manner, resulting in tunes that flaunt earnest creativity with abundance…

For this set, the two young trombonists Wycliffe Gordon and Ron Westray provide plenty of fireworks both in their individual solos (which are consistently colorful) and in the ensembles. Teamed up with pianist Marcus Roberts, bassist Reginald Veal and drummer Herlin Riley, Gordon and Westray perform 11 originals that they wrote or co-wrote. The music sometimes looks toward the swing tradition but also has some post bop and fairly free selections. The extroverted personalities (and occasional humor) of the co-leaders make this often-rambunctious set of strong interest.