The Listening Guide
🎶 The listening guide: five albums, released during the past twelve months, chosen around a weekly theme 🎶
This week, we explore Chicago’s lively jazz scene. Some of our selected albums were recorded live in the city’s most interesting performance spots, whilst others are studio projects from artists based — or with roots in — the city. Each project is fresh, dynamic, collaborative, and a reflection of the city’s fantastic scene.
Angel Bat Dawid & Tha Brothahood – LIVE
Johnson/Rempis/Abrams/Spencer/Cunningham – Harmattan
Kahil El'Zabar – America the Beautiful
Chicago Underground Quartet – Good Days
Dustin Laurenzi's Natural Language – A Time and a Place
Album of the Week
Our NQ Jazz Album of the Week is the new project from renowned pedal steel player, Susan Alcorn. Featuring guitarist Mary Halvorson, violinist Mark Feldman, bassist Michael Formanek, and drummer Ryan Sawyer, the project hears Alcorn demonstrating her capability not just as an improviser, but also a composer. This collection is dark, subtle, textural, and daring.
Classic Album
Born on this day a century ago, we recognise the work of the late multi-instrumentalist and prolific jazz sideman Jerome Richardson with this week’s classic album selection. While the Oakland-born musician led on a handful of his own album during the late fifties and early sixties, today we highlight his contributions to one of the most enduring and celebrated jazz albums of the 20th century: Charles Mingus’ The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. Richardson was able to contribute soprano sax, baritone sax, and flute parts, locking in with altoist Charlie Mariano and tenorist Dick Hafer. It’s a landmark recording worth revisiting anytime, anywhere.