Vocalist Sam Tru comes across like an Old School singer/songwriter from the 70s on this album where she teams with Gregory Uhlmann/g, Justin Nielsen/p-org, Clark Sommers/b and Matt Caroll/dr. She’s got a storyteller of a voice, with most of the…
Month: February 2020
Kayle’ Brecher: Kayledoscope
Vocalist Kayle’ Brecher gives personal and artsy renditions of songs from her own pen and with some clever arrangements of covers. She takes “My Favorite Things” and in a trio setting, opens it with quotes from the bop classic “Stolen…
Justin Varnes: Survival Instinct-The Evilution of the Pack
Drummer Justin Varnes puts his pen together with his drumsticks as he teams up a modern hard bopping team through a collection of his clever originals. The front line of saxists John Sandfort and Luke Weathington with trumpeter Mark Rapp…
Carla Bley: Life Goes On
Now in her eighth decade, pianist and composer Carla Bley continues to create her own sound and path. She mixes things up a bit here, eschewing a drummer while keeping the personal toned bass of Steve Swallow and breathy tenor…
Oded Tzur: Here Be Dragons
Soft and misty moods are created by tenor saxist Oded Tzur and his team of Nitai Herskovits/p, Petros Klampanis/b and Johnathan Blake/dr. Tzur’s tone and delivery and gasping sighs, floating and hovering whether in solo pieces like the a couple…
SOUNDTRACK TO SERENITY…Miles Davis: Musc Inspired by “Miles Davis”-Birth of the Cool” a film by Stanley Nelson
It doesn’t matter whether or not you’ve seen Stanley Nelson’s documentary of Miles Davis to appreciate this album, which is essentially an anthology of everything that made you fall in love with the legendary trumpeter. It includes just about every…
Emilio Solla Tango Jazz Orchestra: Puertos-Music From International Waters
Emilio Solla plays piano while leading and conducting this richly textured big band through his wondrous compositions dedicated to various cities of the world. The brass sections are big, bold and rich as they are coaxed along by the percussion…
John Vanore & Ron Thomas: Primary Colors BRAIN
John Vanore uses his big toned trumpet and flugelhorn to create some sonic landscapes with Ron Thomas on piano, Rhodes and Yamaha DX-7 for a wide range of musical moods. Except for when Vanore runs the Miles Davis voodoo down…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Dave Soldier: Zajal
Dave Soldier plays guitar and keyboards with a collection of artists both instrumental and vocal to celebrate musical intersections of Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths and cultures. Sounds of the Mediterranean, Middle East and beyond are treated with respect as…
TWO VIEWS OF LERNER AND LOEWE…Adrian Cunningham & His Friends : Play Lerner and Loewe, Dick Hyman and Ken Peplowski: Counterpoint Lerner and Loewe
The team of Alan Lerner and Frederick Loewe wrote songs for some of the most enduring musicals of all time, including Brigadoon, My Fair Lady, Camelot and Gigi. Here are a pair of albums that interpret their tunes, including big…