Guitarist Jon Lundbom and his team of Jon Irabagon/ss, Bryan Murray/saxes, Moppa Elliot/b and Dan Monaghan/dr bring along Justin Wood/as-fl and Sam Kulik/tb along for the ride of seven songs long on experimentation and thick layers of reeds with brass.…
Month: April 2015
Gregg Allman Band@Canyon Club 04.28.15
The acorn didn’t fall from the tree as, instead of the Allman Brothers Band, you got the Allman family bands at the Canyon Club on Tuesday night. Opening up was son Devon Allman on his first solo tour since leaving…
Al Di Meola’s Elegant Gypsy @ The Canyon Club 04.26.15
“I never thought I’d be back with this sound, but here I am. Fusion Lives!” After 20 years of cleaning out his musical carburetor by focusing on acoustic and world music, guitarist Al Di Meola returned to the electronic mix…
AH! Wes Montgomery…In The Beginning-Early Recordings From 1949-1958
I don’t know where executive producer George Klabin finds these hidden treasures, but whatever his contacts are, all I can say is “keep him on retainer!” Stuff by Coltrane, Lloyd, Hubbard, Evans and Montgomery have been just some of the…
Caterina Valente & Chet Baker: I’ll Remember April
Here’s a part of jazz history you may not be familiar with. Just as he was beginning to be the “new big thing” in jazz, trumpeter Chet Baker went to Germany in September 1955 with his quartet. There, he recorded…
Razia: Akory
You don’t hear much music from Madagascar, so when something comes up it should catch your attention. From that overlooked country comes Razia Said, who composes some marvelous pieces here and uses a team that mixes and matches Harvey Wirht-dr,…
OH, BABY! Ernestine Anderson: Swings the Penthouse
I get SO MANY albums of female so called “jazz vocalists” that I was just about to put a moratorium on reviewing them when this gem from old school charmer Ernestine Anderson came my way. Bless you, Mister Postman! This…
Pat Martino with Jim Ridi: Nexus
Arguably the most adroit jazz guitarist around, Pat Martino shows his underappreciated lyrical side here on a series of duets with pianist Jim Ridi on this rich collection of originals and covers. He sounds absolutely fragrant on the reading of…
Daryl Hall & John Oates: Live In Dublin
Playing in Dublin Ireland for the first time in this 2014 gig, Daryl Hall & John Oates sound in good voice with their band as they mix tunes from the 70s and 80s that made them dance club favorites. Major…
Kevin Hays: New Day
Back in the 70s, jazz got hip and accessible by mixing soul and electronics with the trad groove. Keyboardist Kevin Hays goes back to that formula here with a finger snapping set with Gregoire Maret/harmonica, Tony Scherr/g, Rob Jost/b and…