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Continue reading →: Bruno Raberg: EvolverORBIS MUSIC (NO RECORDING DATE) The best way to describe bassist’s Bruno Raberg’s Evolver is to use three other words that begin with the letter “E” — episodic, evocative and empowering. Episodic, because the atmospheric nature of the ten Raberg originals seem like loosely connected episodes, balancing somber ensemble playing…
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Continue reading →: Natsuki Tamura & Satoko Fujii: AloftLIBRA 102-75 (RECORDED DECEMBER 2023) According to Chinese philosophy, the concept of yin and yang is that all things exist as inseparable and contradictory opposites. The familiar black and white symbol of yin and yang illustrates that principle with each side of the relationship being unique, yet complimentary. If you want…
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Continue reading →: Espial: The Act of NoticingDISCUS-MUSIC 172 (NO RECORDING DATE) Inspired by nature as much as they are by each other, Espial delivers an impressionist approach to improvisation on their first outing as an ensemble. The trio of Josephine Davies on tenor and soprano saxophones, David Beebee on electric piano and effects and Martin Pyne…
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Continue reading →: Dan Pugach Big Band: BiancaOUTSIDE IN MUSIC 2401 (RECORDED FEBRUARY 2023) Bianca is a different type of a drummer-led big band session, Different, because it seems that Dan Pugach is more interested in being a leader than the star of the band. The few solos he takes on “Masa” and “Discourse This!” time out…
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Continue reading →: David Bixler: BeatitudeTIGER TURN (NO RECORDING DATE) Too often, musicians sacrifice taste for technique. Not the case on Beatitude, the latest release from alto saxophonist David Bixler. Bixler and a trio he has recorded with for the past several years (Jon Cowherd on piano, Ike Sturm on bass and Rogerio Boccato on…
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Continue reading →: Anthony D’Alessandro: Searchin’ONTARIO ARTS COUNCIL (NO RECORDIN DATE) I am not certain what pianist Anthony D’Alessandro was searching for on Searchin’.If he was searching to cement his reputation as a piano player steeped in the hardbop tradition of Horace Silver and the soul jazz of Les McCann, he succeeded. If he was…
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Continue reading →: Brandon Goldberg: Live at Dizzy’sCELLAR MUSIC 50123 (RECORDED JANUARY 2023) I am not certain where it came from, but my father would always say, “Blessed is a time when the young listen to the old and the old listen to the young.” Pianist Brandon Goldberg’s latest release, Live at Dizzy’s, is a perfect example…
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Continue reading →: The Brenan Brothers: Valley of SilenceDEATH DEFYING RECORDS 28694 (NO RECORDING DATE) Brothers Craig and Jim Brenan wax “musically” on the first jazz concert they attended in 1979 — a performance by the Woody Shaw quintet. Forty-five years later they capture the musical energy of that session on Valley of Silence. More than simply a…
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Continue reading →: Steve Luciano: Under the CoversSELF-RELEASED (NO RECORDING DATE) Guitarist Steve Luciano has the skill to fit right in as a staff musician at Walt Disney World, a member of the Larry Elgart Orchestra, playing for various performing arts centers in Florida and teaching guitar. Under the Covers gives him an opportunity to demonstrate those skills in…
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Continue reading →: Sean Fyfe: Stepping StonesCELLAR MUSIC 32924. (RECORDED MAY 2023) With original compositions such as “See Ya!,” “Stepping Stones,” and “Skitch,” Canadian pianist Sean Fyfe has added to the hard bop songbook. With his latest recording, Stepping Stones, he has also added to Cellar Music’s collection of hard bop infused releases. Everything about Stepping Stones is reminiscent…
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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