John Murph
John Murph writes about music and culture and works as a web producer for BETJazz.com. He also contributes regularly to The Washington Post Express, JazzTimes, Down Beat, and JazzWise magazines.
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On "Nile," Valerie Troutt approaches her lyrics with stirring conviction, but she never oversells the song. Fortunately, she doesn't have to — "Nile" is a ballad blessed with an enchanting melody and arrangement, brimming with thoughtful, heartfelt optimism.
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Every time Andrew Hill takes a seat behind a piano, the jazz world takes note. "Time Lines" speaks to his brilliance at teetering between the worlds of the blues and the abstract. And it's one of the funkiest compositions in Hill's massive repertoire.