Kevin Whitehead

Sidney Bechet broke new ground as a soloist early in jazz's history, paving the way for nearly every saxophonist who came after him -- from Charlie Parker to Steve Lacey. RCA has just reissued a collection of his recordings. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead has this review.

Before his death, Benny Goodman gave Yale University five truckloads of his recordings, which are now being released on compact disc. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead reviews the first volume, which he says blends the facile in Goodman's music with the raw.

Pianist Curtis Clark, who moved to Amsterdam from the United States, assembled a quintet of diverse musicians of to record his new album, Letter to South Africa. Clark, jazz critic Kevin Whitehead says, is unique in how he treats radical ideas as normal.