We’re rockers first and foremost over here, but we’ve always held a deep, heartfelt appreciation for jazz. And frankly, our enthusiasm for a few current jazz artists is greater than it is for a lot of present-day rock music we've been hearing out there.
With that in mind, we felt like shining a spotlight on three of our current faves; the first two are pianists; the other a trumpeter.
- Probably the best known of the three for his numerous Radiohead covers, any of Brad Mehldau’s much-lauded trio recordings is a delight—and his 2006 collaboration with guitarist Pat Metheny is quite solid—but we’d like to recommend Live in Tokyo [Nonesuch-2004], a solo performance in which he clearly channels the legendary Keith Jarrett, Mehldau's original inspiration to play jazz. The almost 20 min. rendition of the aforementioned Radiohead’s “Paranoid Android” is a highlight.
- Jason Moran is tremendous. And The Bandwagon [Blue Note-2003], recorded live with his trio in NYC, is a gem. His covers of Brahms’ "Intermezzo, Op. 118, No. 2"—one of the most sadly beautiful pieces of music we’ve ever heard within the realm of jazz—and the standard “Body and Soul” are pure genius; Moran’s own “Gentle Shifts South”—featuring sampled members of his family narrating their genealogy—is not be missed. Oh, and his reworking of “Planet Rock" is none too shabby, btw.
- He’s been called the new Freddie Hubbard in certain circles, and maybe the title isn’t his yet, but trumpeter Sean Jones sure is a contender. We’ve enjoyed his last three albums: Gemini (2005), Roots (2006) and Kaleidoscope (2007), but the just-released, The Search Within (2009)—all on the Mack Avenue label—might be the best one yet from this modern-day hard bopper. The All Music Guide calls it "exciting music more reliant on teamwork merging with a bigger sound than his previous recordings," while seeking to "attain the type of unified whole found in the best work of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Woody Shaw, or Wynton Marsalis." Sweet.
