If you want freedom in your music, Tom Collier brings his vibes and marimba for five pieces that take you on side roads. His constant companion on all tunes is pianist Richard Karpen; otherwise you get various guests such as…
Month: January 2017
BET’CHA NEVER HEARD OF…Don Joseph: A Tribute To The Jazz Poetry of Don Joseph
Here’s a horn player that was so obscure and overlooked, that you can get (essentially) all of his solo work on this single cd. Don Joseph played cornet and trumpet in a variety of jazz settings before dropping out of…
Latvian National Symphony Orchestra: Rachmaninoff-Rhapsody On a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, The Bells
Here’s some orchestral music to freshen up the day. The 26 variations of a Theme of Paganini by Sergei Rachmaninoff are superbly interpreted by pianist Vestards Simkus with the Latvian National Symphony Orchestra directed by Andris Poga. The concise themes…
A FORGOTTEN SAX GIANT…Lucky Thompson: Bop & Ballads, Four Brothers
Once one of the most important sax players around, but now undeservedly overlooked, Lucky Thompson’s career had the classic trajectory of the quintessential jazz tragedy. He was the featured tenor saxist on early Charlie Parker quintet recordings in the late…
A FORGOTTEN BLUES GUITARIST…The Peter Green Story: Man of the World
The British blues scene of the 60s and 70s delivered a plethora of guitarists which gained fame, such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and Mick Taylor. One of the forgotten heroes, Peter Green, is the focus of this…
ECHOES OF AN ERA: Wes D. Gehring: Movie Comedians of the 1950s
Like music, movies have also had a “Golden Era.” Arguably, the 1950s were the apotheosis of the silver screen, as author Ws D. Gehring argues in this wonderful book about the classic comedies from that era. Instead of discussing every…
Nathan East: Reverence
Nathan East has been a first call bassist for sounds ranging from Barry White-style soul to Eric Clapton rock and his own membership in the silky jazz team of Fourplay. Last year he kept busy touring with Clapton and recording…
Peter, Paul and Mary: 50 Years with Peter, Paul and Mary
This documentary of Noel Paul Stuckey, Peter Yarrow and Mary Travers, better known as Peter Paul and Mary, reflects an era when music spoke to the populace about important issues. With film of concerts including an early 60s BBC program,…
Anna Webber’s Simple Trio: Binary
Anna Webber plays tenor sax and flute on this trio album with Matt Mitchell/p and John Hollenbeck/dr. The music is frisky and angular, with kinetic and quirky moments reminiscent of Thelonious Monk at his most playful. On flute, Webber wisps…
The Fred Hughes Trio: Matrix
Fred Hughes teams up with Amy Shook/b and Frank Russo/dr to present a tribute to a wide swath of fellow inspirational pianists. His touch is confident and warm, and he mixes up the moods, ranging from nimble interplay with Russo…