Bill Milkowski
Bill’s Contributions
05/20/12 Albums
Megaphone Heart
Jessica Lurie Ensemble
A member of the Tiptons Sax Quartet, Seattle-born, Brooklyn-based saxophonist-composer Jessica Lurie assembled an adventurous ensemble of guitarist-banjoist Brandon Seabrook, pianist Erik Deutsch, bassist Todd Sickafoose and drummer Allison Miller for her...
05/18/12 Albums
Explosion!
Jim Holman
Chicagoan Jim Holman flaunts prodigious chops and a seasoned approach to piano that belies his 23 years on his impressive debut as a leader. With the loosely swinging rhythm section of bassist Brian Sandstrom and drummer Rusty Jones, he turns in stellar...
05/18/12 Concerts
Undead Music Festival 2012
Tonic Reunion, MMW marathon highlight third annual alt-jazz bash in NYC
05/17/12 Albums
Mettle
Michael Musillami Trio + 4
For 10 years now, guitarist Michael Musillami has had the kind of hand-in-glove fit with drummer George Schuller and bassist Joe Fonda that is truly rare in jazz. A prolific composer with a freebop bent, Musillami paints on a much bigger canvas here by augmenting...
05/16/12 Albums
Alex Foster's Condition
A longtime stalwart of the Saturday Night Live house band and former member of Jack DeJohnette’s Directions and Jaco Pastorius’ Word of Mouth big band and sextet, saxophonist Alex Foster stretches considerably as player-composer on his first leader project...
05/14/12 Albums
If Not Inertia
Ergo
This wildly experimental electro-acoustic ensemble, led by trombonist, composer and computer maven Brett Sroka and featuring guitarist Mary Halvorson, drummer Shawn Baltazor and keyboardist Sam Harris, concocts some strangely compelling music. From the droning...
05/12/12 Albums
The Calling
Romain Collin
Sidestepping the head-solos-head formula that most jazz piano trios use to death, French-born Romain Collin and his crew of bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Kendrick Scott summon up evocative soundscapes that develop gradually, as on the bombastic “Storm”...
05/10/12 Albums
Feyas
Gabriel Guerrero
A dazzling pyrotechnician and accomplished composer, Colombian pianist Gabriel Guerrero incorporates rhythms from his native country into the fabric of thoughtful originals like the percolating “Hope,” the elegantly swinging “Ritual,” and “Charlie,” named...
05/10/12 Albums
The Continents
Chick Corea
This ambitious two-CD set showcases the remarkably prolific Chick Corea in three seemingly disparate settings. Disc one is a globally inspired six-movement concerto for jazz quintet and chamber orchestra, depicting six continents. “Africa” is underscored...
05/10/12 Albums
Bassprint
Marlene Rosenberg Quartet
A fixture on the Chicago scene, versatile bassist-composer-bandleader Marlene Rosenberg is joined on this smart, eminently swinging set by three Windy City transplants: guitarist Scott Hesse, Parisian-born drummer Makaya McCraven and the fine saxophonist...
05/08/12 Albums
The 11th Gate
Dennis Rollins Velocity Trio
British trombonist Dennis Rollins deftly blends electronics, virtuosity and a fondness for groove on this dynamic trio project. Joined by Hammond B3 organist Ross Stanley and the slamming young Portuguese drummer Pedro Segundo, Rollins comes out with driving...
05/06/12 Albums
Departures
Nicolas Masson
Swiss-born tenor saxophonist Nicolas Masson is a thoughtful composer and an improviser with golden tone and an obvious command of his instrument. But his aesthetic here is so insufferably dour, the trudging tempos so interminable, they’ll have the listener...
05/04/12 Albums
Life in Hand
Tony Martucci
With such empathetic players as pianist Marc Copland, trumpeter John D’earth and bassist Tom Baldwin onboard, the flexible D.C.-based drummer-bandleader Tony Martucci steers from inside to outside with ease and authority. On “The Other Shoe,” the band navigates...
05/03/12 Concerts
Wayne Shorter at Jazz at Lincoln Center
The enigmatic saxman and his virtuosic quartet flow free at Rose Theater
05/03/12 Albums
Uneasy Dreams
Christian Artmann
Flutist Christian Artmann was on a fast track to becoming a classical performer in his native Germany when he had his jazz epiphany as a teenager at the Aspen Music Festival. Since then he’s been striking a balance between jazz improvisation and composition...
04/29/12 Albums
Moments
Michael Campagna
A Fort Lauderdale native and current resident of Genoa, Italy (where he teaches at the Niccolò Paganini Conservatory), Michael Campagna makes great strides on his sophomore release. The tenor saxophonist’s playing and writing are first-rate throughout, highlighted...
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ReportAbout Bill Milkowski
The author of a renowned biography of Jaco Pastorius and other books, Bill has been a regular JT contributor since 1991. He has done many cover stories and profiles for the magazine. In addition, he currently writes the UnderTones column in every issue, spotlighting up and coming artists and recordings.