Alex Wintz’s Live to Tape was a compelling display of the guitarist, composer and educator’s chops, taste, and improvisational powers. Working with bassist Dave Baron and drummer Jimmy Macbride, Wintz went a more direct route than his formidable 2017 debut as a leader, LifeCycle. “Idris” opened this Best of 2020 Jazz entry with Wintz’s warm, evocative tone and […]
A Slang of Ages Q&A with Preston Frazier ⸻ Preston Frazier: New Stages feels like a long time in the making. When did the idea first take shape? Mark Wade: The concept actually goes back about eight years. I came across a solo piano piece by Frédéric Chopin, who has always been one of my […]
Steely Dan’s Walter Becker was born on February 20, 1950. To celebrate the birth of the late guitarist, bassist, and producer, Walter Becker has released yet another previously unreleased gem from the Becker vaults. This year, we get a stirring live version of “My Waterloo”. The song, originally released on the brilliantly sublime 1994 album […]
Ambitious concepts in jazz can sometimes collapse under their own weight. Fortunately, New Stages from the Mark Wade Trio does the opposite. Instead of feeling like a lecture on classical adaptation, the album plays like a fluid, imaginative jazz suite that draws centuries of music into the trio format. Double bassist, Wade—joined by long-time pianist […]
— Preston Frazier: Tim, how are you? Timothy Carman: I’m good. Happy to be here. Thanks for having me on. Preston: Great to see you and talk about Parlor Greens ! Your debut, In Green We Dream (2024), was one of my favorites of the year. Now we’ve got Emeralds, your second release. Before we […]
Eclectic is surely an overused word in music journalism, yet it applies perfectly to The Longest Way Round, the latest release from the Ben Rosenblum Nebula Project. Rosenblum, an accomplished sideman who has taken his accordion and piano skills around the world, is unafraid to stand on the edge of jazz and look outward. Fortunately, […]
Argovia have been circling the upper tiers of modern prog/metal for a minute now, and “Ebb & Flow” feels like the track where they stop knocking and step through the door. Built on tension rather than flash, the song breathes in slow waves—atmospheric keys, restrained guitar figures, and a rhythm section that understands the power […]
As Toto gears up for its 2026 tour, Joseph Williams sat down with Slang of Ages to talk long-form shows, deep cuts, studio archaeology, and what it really takes to sing at this level night after night. Here’s the conversation — ⸻ Slang of Ages: You’re about to head out on the 2026 tour. What […]
Pianist, band leader, and composerEdward Simon doesn’t interpret tradition so much as invite it into the room, pour it a drink, and let it stretch out. Venezuela: Latin American Songbook Vol. 2 is intimate, unhurried, and deeply grounded—jazz trio music that breathes with the cadence of memory. With bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Adam Cruz […]
Multi-instrumentalist Fernando Perdomo never stays in one place for too long. The talented guitarist, producer, and songwriter has continued his year-long Clouds series while slightly altering his flight plan, with Clouds 2 having 13 progressive rock tracks instead of the usual 10. That does not mean there is filler, however. Track #11, “Thunder” is as […]
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