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Continue reading →: Bill O’Connell: TouchJOJO RECORDS (RELEASED JANUARY 17, 2025) Every so often pianist Bill O’Connell shifts his focus from leading and recording with Latin jazz bands to recapturing the simplicity and naturalness of his 1978 trio recording Searching Trio. He returned to that format in 2017 with The Three of Us, and he…
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Continue reading →: Carl Allen: Tippin’CELLAR MUSIC 3262 (RELEASED JANUARY 10, 2025) I am not certain why drummer Carl Allen’s first recording as a leader in 20 years is titledTippin’? For me, a more appropriate name could be the title of an Irving Berlin classic included on this set — “They Say It’s Wonderful.” The…
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Continue reading →: THE BEST RELEASES OF 2025 (ACCORDING TO ABE)I was honored to be asked to submit my top ten recordings of 2025 to Cadence Magazine. I have reviewed many of these recordings on this blog. I hope you will continue to watch for 2025 releases in the months ahead. 01. Leo Genovese: Estrellro 2 (577 Records)02. Fay Victor:…
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Continue reading →: Dave Stryker: Stryker With Strings/Goes To the MoviesStrikezone 8827 (Recorded February & March 2024) It’s a case of jazz déjà vu. In 1965, a jazz guitarist with a string of critically acclaimed small group sessions to his name went into the studio with a larger ensemble and recorded an album that included several pop tunes. Sixty years…
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Continue reading →: Jesssica Jones: Edible FlowersREVA RECORDS 1004 (RELEASED JANUARY 3, 2025) The Covid lockdown put a halt to the 2020 West Coast Tour of the Jessica Jones Quartet. Fortunately, they were able to record before some of the members headed back to the East Coast. After that session, the band feasted on a meal…
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Continue reading →: Alex Bayer: A Slight Change of PlansKLAENG RECORDS (RELEASED DECEMBER 6, 2024) In The Republic, Plato said that art imitates the objects and events of ordinary life.Bassist Alex Bayer says a similar thing about A Slight Change of Plans. “Life is full of twists and turns, and so is jazz,” he explains. So, it is no surprise that…
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Continue reading →: Eva Novoa: Trio, Vol. 1577 RECORDS (RECORDED IN 2021/RELEASED NOVEMBER 2024) In the true definition of the word trilix, three independent threads in free improvisation intertwine to form a strong bond on Trio, Vol. 1. Those threads are Spanish pianist Eva Novoa, Cuban drummer Francisco Mela and American multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter. The three tunes…
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Continue reading →: Elam Friedlander: Sound – ElementsCELLAR MUSIC (RELEASED DECEMBER 6, 2024) The word “element” in the title of bassist’s Elam Friedlander’s debut recording most likely refers to the natural/spiritual elements each tune captures — fire, water, earth and air. However, it could also refer to the human elements that come together on Sound – Elements…
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Continue reading →: Satoko Fujii: Yama Kawa UmiNOT TWO RECORDS. (RELEASED DECEMBER 6, 2024) Some jazz instrumentalists, such as Lester Young, were known for their ability to tell stories through their playing. Others, like pianist Satoko Fujii, are known for their ability to paint pictures. As the title of her latest release suggests, Fujii, along with trumpeter…
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Continue reading →: Jason Palmer: The Cross Over, Live in BrooklynGIANT STEP ARTS GSA 16 (RECORDED AUGUST 2023) Jason Palmer calls the meeting to order with his opening trumpet call on this live session recorded at Ornithology in Brooklyn. One by one, the other participants enter the conversation. Drummer Marcus Gilmore comes in with blistering rhythms in a free exchange…
Hello,
Welcome to Papatamus Redux
I started reading Cadence in the early 1980s. Since that time, I have come to respect editor and jazz critic Robert Rusch for his intelligent, succinct and unbiased reviews. Over the past twenty years, it has been my pleasure to get to know Robert and his family, making frequent trips from our home in Iowa to New York’s North Country. Several years ago, I was honored to be asked to help edit Robert’s Papatamus column.
I was equally honored to be asked by his family to keep Robert’s legacy of intelligent, succinct and unbiased jazz reviews alive with Papatamus Redux. You can view older editions of Papatamus at papatamus.com.
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