This 2cd set is a compilation of the recordings from vocalist and flutist Monday Michiru. She’s got the right dna, being the daughter of Charlie Mariano and Toshiko Akiyoshi (can you imagine the home lessons?!?). The music is a variety…
Month: June 2016
Zmei3: Rough Romanian Soul
You want something unique? How about a mix of Romanian folk, indie pop and jazz? The team of Paul Turcas/voc, Oli Bott/vibes, Mihai Victor Iliescu/g and Arnulf Ballhorn deliver 15, count ‘em 15 songs that range in moods from noir…
Lisa Lindsley: Long After Midnight
Here’s a lady with a good sense of delivery and style. You can tell that Lisa Lindsley also works as an actress, as each song here with Laurent Marode/p, Jeff Chambers/b, Mourad Banhammou/dr and Esaie Cid/cl-sax-fl come off like a…
GLASPER RUNS THE VOODOO DOWN…Miles Davis & Robert Glasper: Everything’s Beautiful
Miles Davis is still with us! The man who plugged jazz in has now had his music and voice sampled and put into a collection of urban R&B tunes. The right man for the job did it as well. Robert…
Snarky Puppy: Culcha Vulcha
One of the few bright spots for the future of jazz has to be the wide ranging team of Snarky Puppy. Even on their web site, they consider themselves not eclectic, but ecumenical as they label their music “Jazz+Funk+World+Soul+Pop”. This…
Jane Ira Bloom: Early Americans
Jane Ira Bloom continues to be one of the most creative and best sounding soprano saxists around. She sounds only like herself, and plays the same, mixing inside swing and enough outside to keep you interested but not eyes glossed…
Benny Golson: Horizon Ahead
LAST OF THE GREAT BOPPERS… When Benny Golson leaves this earth, who’s gonna be left from the halcyon days of hard bop? He’s written a ton of jazz standards, carrying with him a living history that needs to be passed…
Donald Edwards: Prelude To Real Life
Drummer Donald Edwards delivers a varied collection here with modern artists Walter Smith III/ts, David Gilmore/g, Orrin Evans/p and Luques Curtis/b. Both in composition and performance, he reveals his allegiance to the tradition with lithely suave read of the classic…
Restroy: Saturn Return
The band Restroy featuring Chris Dammann/b, James Davis/tp, Nick Anaya/ts, Catherine Monnes/vi-cel, Tim Stine/g, Gina Sobel/fl, Daniel Richardson-Dylan Andrews, Loren Oppen heimer/perc and Matt Wyatt/elec-perc advertises itself as performing “contemporary music in the tradition of Great American Outsider Art.” I…
Daniel Meron: Sky Begins
Pianist Daniel Meron puts together a quartet with Maia Karo/voc, Noam Wiesenberg/b and Jimmy MacBride/dr through a collection of his own compositions. The moods are thoughtful and contemplative, with Karo’s gentle and innocent voice giving an indie mood to pieces…