Kevin Whitehead

Kevin Whitehead says that some listeners place too much emphasis on Tom Harrell's schizophrenia, which often makes him appear withdrawn while performing. Whitehead thinks they should pay more attention to how the jazz trumpeter and flugelhorn player can make fresh music out of familiar ideas.

Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says Carla Bley is an exceptional composer and piano player, but he's frustrated by how uneven her output has been throughout the 1980s. Her new album, Duets, with bassist Steve Swallow is a reminder of how good her music used to be. A reissue of an excellent, earlier record, Social Studies, is also available.

Koglmann plays both composed classical and improvised music. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says the unconventional approaches on his new album, About Yesterdays Ezzthetics, may not be be new, but they succeed in making a unique record.