Email Author Jim Macnie

2013 Stories by Jim Macnie

• Bill McHenry Quartet

  published May 1, 2013

  Expect the band to have its chemistry refined: This is the final half of the tenor saxophonist’s two-week stint. McHenry is an improviser... More >>

• Peter Evans Trio

  published April 24, 2013

  The steely nature of Evans' sound doesn't take long to woo listeners—its overarching authority is hard to resist. That sound walks on the... More >>

• 'Celebrating Duke Ellington'

  published April 24, 2013

  The zest Wynton Marsalis puts into these repertory romps matches the acuity they bring to the Ellington material in particular: Writing of this... More >>

• Dayna Stephens

  published April 24, 2013

  Expression may be paramount, but grace remains a sought-after element of jazz. The ever-maturing tenor saxophonist keeps seeking on the new... More >>

• Ed Simon Trio

  published April 24, 2013

  The pianist recorded his new live disc at the club last year, and as usual the oomph he gets from his extraordinary rhythm section highlights the... More >>

• The Claudia Quintet

  published April 10, 2013

  John Hollenbeck’s fivesome stands out because by design: Its accordion, vibes, and reeds combo is, too say the least, unique. Every time... More >>

• Jamie Saft

  published April 10, 2013

  Saft’s work always rings with intentions: From the reggae riddims of his New Zion Trio to the roar of Spanish Donkey's skronkprov, the... More >>

• Honey Ear Trio

  published April 3, 2013

  Last year's Steampunk Serenade was a blast. The sax/bass/drums cooperative rolled through an array of landscapes (I liked the... More >>

• Jaleel Shaw

  published April 3, 2013

  Highly regarded but under heralded, the saxophonist is an improviser who starts a solo and pulls his audience right along with him. There's always... More >>

• Vinnie Golia

  published April 3, 2013

  The West Coast wizard doesn’t come to town often enough, but this visit for a Roulette Jazz Composer Series show finds him playing one of... More >>

• Rez Abbasi Trio

  published April 3, 2013

  The guitarist continues to tantalize with electric excursions that investigate his Pakistani roots and cosmopolitan personality. On last... More >>

• Tomasz Stanko New York Quartet

  published March 20, 2013

  The Polish trumpeter always has one foot in town these days, so he’s built a Gotham foursome to help keep him company. Everything from the... More >>

• James Falzone's Klang

  published March 13, 2013

  There was something eerie about the clarinetist's music on last year's Brooklyn Lines...Chicago Spaces, and it wasn't just because... More >>

• SF Jazz Collective

  published March 13, 2013

  The West Coast octet is a talent-heavy bunch that stumps for the power of repertory while also planting a flag for originality. At home last fall,... More >>

• Michael Formanek

  published March 6, 2013

  It's architecture you notice first in the bassist’s work, as his pieces are built on elaborate designs that steadily reveal their inner... More >>

• Michael Carvin

  published March 6, 2013

  The veteran drummer is one of those rare artists who generates a specific energy when he plays. Long story short, you can feel a perpetual wave of... More >>

• Joel Harrison 8

  published February 27, 2013

  The guitarist-composer augments music from his lovely 2011 album Search with a new extended piece, "Train Dreams." Harrison blends jazz... More >>

• I Don't Hear Nothing But The Blues Trio

  published February 27, 2013

  Drummer Mike Pride and saxophonist Jon Irabagon have been messing with extended improv forms for the past few years, the tension and tumult of... More >>

• Steve Lehman Trio

  published February 27, 2013

  The alto saxophonist's horn lines are the definition of wily, zig-zagging through angled rhythmic terrains with the kind of authority that... More >>

• Mostly Other People Do the Killing

  published February 20, 2013

  There's no less frenzy in the puckish jazz band's new Slippery Rock, but there is more melody, and therefore more coherence. From Jon... More >>

• Gary Peacock, Marc Copland, & Joey Baron

  published February 20, 2013

  A piano trio that thrives on the wisdom of agility, this band moves from rumination to rumble as the evening unfolds. The idea isn't to keep... More >>

• 'Alternative Guitar Festival'

  published February 13, 2013

  In a Twitter world built on pith, a five-artist one-night fest makes sense. Joel Harrison curated this leftie-prog affair to propose an aesthetic... More >>

• Joe Lovano Us Five

  published February 13, 2013

  These days the balance between in and out is exemplified by the master saxophonist, and this particular band of his, a duel-drummer quintet that... More >>

• Michael Dease

  published January 30, 2013

  The chops-heavy trombonist is a master of glide. His mainstream swing often impresses with the graceful way it invites lyricism to the fore. If... More >>

• David Virelles Continuum

  published January 30, 2013

  The Cuban pianist's beguiling Continuum was one of jazz's signal achievements of 2012, and lots of year-end lists took note. Its... More >>