By Jeff Miers | Published December 13, 2018
A jazz resurgence – “It’s been a lousy year for most things, a very good year for jazz,” whoever runs the late, legendary bassist Charlie Haden’s Twitter opined last week. I concur. From genre-defying efforts by the likes of Donnie McCaslin, Cecile McLorin-Salvant and Ambrose Akinmusire, to essential archive releases from Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, and Errol Garner, jazz sounded more vibrant in 2018 than it has in a good while. This was reflected locally, where venues like Pausa Art House, the Historic Colored Musicians Club, Stamps the Bar, and Lockport’s Kenan Center presented vibrant regional jazz on most night of the week.