Best Local Jazz Act

In July, Russell Gunn realized a dream project come true with the release of Get It How You Live, which features the Atlanta-based trumpeter-composer-producer?s 19-piece big band, the Royal Krunk Jazz Orkestra. The polyglot nature of the city?s dynamic jazz scene is expertly manifest in Gunn?s hybrid concoction of jazz, funk, neo-soul and hip hop. less...

Innovative groups such as MONKIER are changing the face of modern jazz by fearlessly blending sounds and reshaping the character of the music. Since starting in 2013, Monkier has expanded into an eight-piece ensemble featuring Zac Evans (sax and vocals), Andrew Lastrapes (guitar), Robert Boone Jr. (drums), Brandon Boone (bass), Umcolisi Terrell (sax), Justin Powell (trumpet), Will Hollifield (sax), and Richard Sherrington (trombone). With ambitious compositions such as “Cold Open/Closure” from this year’s Highs/Lows full length, the group straddles the fringes of hip-hop and jazz, flowing from intimate rap verses into sprawling fusion breakdowns. With each new song Monkier revels in musical spontaneity and adventure, and raises the bar for Atlanta music. www.whoismonkier.com. less...

While much of saxophonist/clarinetist Eric Fontaine’s musical catalog falls into the category of jazz composition, there is a growing output of his work that can be filed under improvisation. Fontaine’s alternately smooth and explosive playing has graced Atlanta’s jazz scene for more than a decade. He’s played with acts as diverse as the Soulphonics and the 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra, among many others. In his new Living Space Trio, Fontaine joins with cellist/guitarist Benjamin Shirley and percussionist Scotty Bryan for a reflective journey through time and space that can be heard on two different recordings for the local Behip Records label. These days, Fontaine frequents Elliott Street Pub’s Tuesday night Kevin Scott jams and the Sounds from the Underground series. Not only has his documentation of the local jazz scene been constant and concise, as evidenced by the treasure trove of clips on his YouTube channel, he’s a major contributor to the seismic rumblings that define the raw and esoteric corners of Atlanta’s jazz, rock, and experimental music scenes. www.ericfontainejazz.com. less...

Unwilling to settle for restaurant gigs spent politely playing jazz standards, THE 4TH WARD AFRO-KLEZMER ORCHESTRA demonstrates a formidable balance of African-inspired rhythms and Yiddish inflections. The group’s original compositions, under the direction of trumpeter Roger Ruzow, are a barrage of disciplined, baroque big-band numbers that evoke the sights and sounds of South Africa, Israel … and Cabbagetown. That sense of old-world style mixes with humor that’s both classy and rollicking to produce an old-world sound, attitude and direction. www.afroklezmermusic.com. less...

The JASPECTS are an innovative musical collective who have mastered the subtle art of code switching. The sextet revels in everything from straight-ahead jazz to heavy hip-hop grooves without losing any cool points. Similar to the buck-the-system aesthetic of Miles Davis, the group’s latest release, Double Consciousness, expands jazz possibilities for a new generation of listeners while simultaneously appeasing older jazz heads. Leave it up to a band of Morehouse graduates to funk up a history lesson.

www.jaspects.com

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Pianist TAKANA MIYAMOTO is probably the hardest-working lady in the Atlanta jazz scene. She plays weekly at local clubs; records and performs solo and with collaborators such as Julie Dexter and Lizz Wright; fronts two divergent bands (the Takana Miyamoto Trio and the ATLove Project); runs a music festival in Japan; and even finds time to teach piano lessons. With a musical style that skews from straight-ahead to acid jazz, Miyamoto expects to release a slew of recordings in the coming months.
www.myspace.com/takananet.

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Sure, pianist TAKANA MIYAMOTO is known around town as a “sideman” for soul singers Julie Dexter and Gaelle, but her talent on the keys is best put to use in the service of jazz. Miyamoto has appeared at the straight-ahead spot Churchill Grounds countless times, sharing the stage with local heroes such as Russell Gunn. She recently recorded a collection of simple, melodic tunes and released her debut solo CD called Piano Tales.
www.takana.net.

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