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Continue reading →: Art Hirahara: Good CompanyPOSI-TONE RECORDS 8260 (RECORDED FEBRUARY 2023) The cover design for Good Company says it all — three instruments, each with their own distinct colors , combine to form even more colors. The primary colors of this unique ensemble are pianist Art Hirahara, guitarist Paul Bollenback and trumpet/flugelhorn player Ron Horton.…
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Continue reading →: Rolf Billberg: At Subland Malmo, Sweden 1965Rolf Billberg: At Subland Malmo, Sweden 1965 STEEPLECHASE RECORDS 26043. (RECORDED IN 1965/RELEASED AUGUST 2024) At a time when many saxophonists were under the spell of the great Charlie Parker,a handful of players were enthralled more with the cool sounds of Lee Konitz. Swedish born Rolf Billberg was one of…
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Continue reading →: Dave Scott: Setting StandardsSTEEPLECHASE RECORDS 31965 (RELEASED AUGUST 2024) In his liner notes for Dave Scott’s first Steeplechase release (Song For Amy), jazz critic Mark Gardner noted “this is a group with much to say and a stimulating, unhackneyed way of saying it.” Even though only one member of that group (bassist John…
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Continue reading →: Jeff Rupert: It Gets BetterRUPE MEDIA 71524 (SEPTEMBER 2021) There is an ice cream shop not far from our home that specializes in funky and creative flavors. Yet, they seem incapable of producing a good vanilla. Sounds like some of the recordings I have been hearing lately – lots of funky and creative adaptations,…
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Continue reading →: Glenn Zaleski: Star DreamsSUNNYSIDE RECORDS SSC 1744 (RELEASED AUGUST 2024) Pianist Glenn Zaleski and his trio explore the past, create the present and foreshadow the future of the classic piano trio format on Star Dreams. When it comes to re-interpreting jazz from the past, Zaleski and his trio of bassist Dezron Douglas and…
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Continue reading →: Steve Hirsh: Out on a LimbSOUL CITY 0020 (RECORDED APRIL 2023) Seems like “freedom” is the new buzz word for politicians these days. Yet, forward-thinking jazz musicians have been talking and playing about freedom since the music’s inception. One of the latest examples of that freedom is the collective featured on Out on a Limb…
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Continue reading →: Javon Jackson: Javon & Nikki Go to the MoviesPALMETTO RECORDS (RELEASED AUGUST 2024) Like the poem “Vegetable Soup” that Nikki Giovannni recites under the funky beat and soulful sax of Javon Jackson’s “Have You Heard,” Javon & Nikki Go to the Movies is a blend of tasty ingredients. Start with the trio of pianist Jeremy Manasia, bassist David…
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Continue reading →: Neta Raanan: Unforseen Blossom (sic)GIANT STEPS GSA 12 (RECORDED APRIL 2023) There is no question that saxophonist Neta Raanan, vibraphonist Joel Ross, bassist Simon Willson and drummer Kayvon Gordon are exceptional players. However, as evidenced by Unforseen Blossom (sic), they are simply not good editors. As I remember from my days in advertising copywriting…
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Continue reading →: Ed Neumeister: CoversMEISTEMUSIC RECORDS (RECORDED FEBRUARY & APRIL 2024) I was excited to hear Ed Neumeister’s Covers. Not because of the familiar tunes he “covers” on this release, but because of the saxophonists noted on the back cover —Caroline Davis, Ingrid Laubrock and Billy Drewes. Sadly, these musicians only appear on three…
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Continue reading →: Joel Futterman: ForeverMAHAKALA 078 (RECORDED DECEMBER 2022) If recordings came with instructions, “Go with the flow” is all listeners would need to know to experience Forever. The “flow” is Joel Futterman’s spontaneous and emotional approach to solo piano. Three improvisations flow from rhapsodic to rambunctious, light to dark, meandering to methodical and…
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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