Author: Jackie Oldham

[Photo credit: Leo Howard Lebow] n their delightful new album, Next of Kin, Mark Osteen’s Cold Spring Jazz Quartet (CSJQ) takes listeners on a rhythm-driven journey dedicated to the band’s loved ones for inspiring the music on the album.  But the definition of “loved ones” goes beyond immediate family to include all living things on the planet. | Read more>> Read More

With his latest release, Movin,’ the venerable John Lamkin II, with The Favorites Jazz Quintet, starts out swinging and never stops! The tempos, styles, and moods of the ten songs on this record range from fast to slow, ebullient to mournful, but the central theme, as Dr. | Read more>> Read More

Oriana, released March 25, 2023 by Phil Ravita Jazz, is Ravita’s second album as a leader, following the highly praised 2021 album Jagged Spaces. In addition to bassist and leader Ravita, this quartet consists of Greg Small, piano; Nucleo Vega, drums; Benny Russell, saxophone; and Mark Leppo, vibe, conga; with vocalist Deidre Jennings. | Read more>> Read More

Todd Marcus is a widely acclaimed Egyptian-American musician, composer, and arranger, raised in New Jersey but long based in Baltimore, Maryland. As a composer and arranger, he says he is self-taught. But as a self-taught musician myself, I know that he has music in his blood—and this, along with his early musical training, is credential enough for his amazing composing and arranging skills. | Read more>> Read More