John Hebert

Guitarist Pete McCann is sometimes compared to both John Scofield and Pat Metheny, and you'll hear more than a shade of the latter in his buttery tone and lush use of reverb on several of this album's tracks. But on McCann's sophomore effort there's also quite a bit of Bill Frisell in his approach to melody – listen to the slow-footed "Knew Blues" and the ringing open chords and skewed phrasing on "You Remind Me of Someone." On "Ornery," a brilliant tribute to free jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman, McCann pays homage not just to Coleman's notorious disregard for the chord progression during solos, but also to the man's amazing ability to write delightful, sometimes downright hooky melodies. McCann also chooses his few covers well, delivering a thoughtful rendition of Cole Porter's "I Love You" and a slightly Latin-tinged interpretation of the Steve Swallow composition "Falling Grace."

Fred Hersch - Whirl (2010) {Palmetto Records ‎PM2143}
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© 2010 Palmetto Records / Transdreamer ‎| PM2143
Jazz / Post Bop / Piano

A couple of weeks before the release of Whirl, Fred Hersch was the subject of a long and chilling New York Times Magazine piece by David Hadju. The article related that in late 2008 Hersch, who has suffered from HIV/AIDS-related illnesses for years, had been experiencing symptoms that gradually took his motor functions away – he became delusional; he couldn't swallow, eat, or drink; and he fell into a coma and began to experience the shutting down of his vital organs. Miraculously, he somehow survived. Apparently, Hersch wasn't ready to die or to stop making music, and Whirl is the evidence, his first recording since recovering from his illness, issued on Palmetto and featuring bassist John Hébert and drummer Eric McPherson.

Mary Halvorson Octet - Away With You (2016) {Firehouse 12 FH12-04-01-024}
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© 2016 Firehouse 12 / Mary Halvorson | FH12-04-01-024
Jazz / Avant-Garde Jazz / Guitar

Continuing her streak of outstanding releases, guitarist extraordinaire Mary Halvorson once again shows her determination to build upon her unique style as a composer and bandleader. She's taken her septet from 2013's superb Illusionary Sea and added an eighth member, pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn, and the resulting music is typical Halvorson: harmonically complex, emotionally compelling, and full of interesting moments worth savoring.

Methodical design, rough-and-tumble play, and thoughtful exchange are often viewed as mutually exclusive concepts in jazz. Saxophonist Michaël Attias' Nerve Dance, however, obliterates that line of thinking and any potential obstacles that could separate those realms. This is a work that's cultured, contumacious, and conversational in nature. It's principled art unbound.