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Ethan Helm
Russell Scarbrough: Fun Times
by Jack Bowers
Bandleader Russell Scarbrough has an intriguing motto: If it's not fun, we're not doing it right!" He also had an intriguing way of recording his debut album, Fun Times, to which an entire review could be devoted. Suffice to say that the individual parts were taped in isolation owing to the Covid pandemic and sent to Scarbrough for inclusion on the album, sometimes taking up to a year to complete. Scarbrough could afford to be patient," he writes, as [he] ...
read moreCowboys & Frenchmen: Our Highway
by Jack Bowers
Okay, the name may be rather out of the ordinary (Cowboys & Frenchmen?), but once past that, what remains is a burnished New York City-based quintet whose music might best be described as decidedly liberated and contemporary. This isn't free" jazz wherein each member of the group goes his own separate way; there is, however, a large share of free-lancing within the established boundaries of melody, harmony and rhythm that moderate all save the most ungoverned forms of the music. ...
read moreSukyung Kim: Lilac Hill
by Mike Jurkovic
Lilac Hill, Korean-born, Brooklyn based pianist/composer Sukyung Kim's five song, self-produced, engaging debut EP fervently introduces a musical sensibility that is an airy, traditional blend of youthful wit and studied style with a lean, casual sense of swing at its heart. The title track starts the proceedings confidently enough with tight and dynamic group interplay, proving an early and undeniable testament to Kim's solid understanding that as one player shines so too shines the whole ensemble. Stargazer" opens ...
read moreSukyung Kim: Lilac Hill
by Friedrich Kunzmann
There is a lot to admire about Brooklyn-based pianist Sukyung Kim's debut outing, whether it be the thoroughly narrated elements forming the individual compositions, the crystalline transparency of the recording, the dexterous performances by all involved, or the equal amount of innovation and traditional savoir-faire which defines these five original cuts. At just over half an hour, this first contact with the pianist might be short, but what it lacks in quantity it more than makes up for in quality. ...
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Where Is your Wealth
From: Our HighwayBy Ethan Helm
Lilac Hill
From: Lilac HillBy Ethan Helm