The “must listen” pile has been growing steadily, so I again offer up a few quick first- or second-impression reviews to reduce its height. The four featured albums include two jazz releases that follow the familiar format of improvising on a written composition and two that offer intuitively improvised compositions. All four albums have much to offer.
Artrio—one, a new release from saxophonist Alex Murzyn, pianist John Funkhouser, and bassist Terry Burns—resident New Mexicans all—offers a master class in small ensemble jazz and a satisfying reminder of the high quality of the musicians here in New Mexico. They’ll celebrate their work with a CD release party at Q Bar, Friday, October 6. I was honored by their invitation to write the album’s liner notes, which, slightly adapted, also provide this review.
