“Somewhere there’s music, how faint the tune…” Martin Kuchen plays alto and baritone saxophones, using speakers and even his ipod for a collection of sounds that are loosely termed “songs”. Ideas range from eerie electronic stagnation in “I” to scratches…
Month: February 2021
Ingrid Laubrock: Dreamt Twice, Twice Dreamt
Ingrid Laubrock plays tenor and soprano saxes as she leads the EOS Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Susanne Blumenthal on one disc, and the Ingrid Laubrock Small Ensemble on the second. The former includes electronicist Sam Plute, Cory Smythe on piano…
Sandra Marlowe: The Heart Always Remembers
You can tell that this NoDak gone SFO resident Sandra Marlow grew up singing in revival meetings, as this album of hers in mostly a trio setting has her filled with soulful passion and conviction. She mixes up originals, blues…
Martin Lang: Bad Man
You get a box full of various shades of Chicago Blues as harmonica man Marin Lang blows like the Windy City and sings like a white Joe Turner on this growling set of tunes. The team of Little Frank-Billy Flyn/g,…
12 THINGS TO DO IN 2021
I’ve refused to get sucked into the negative vibe that permeates the soundwaves, airwaves and surf waves. Everyone is complaining, and it’s easy to get thrown into that vortex. How do we fight it? I’m trying to counteract the downhill…
Jorge Roeder: El Suelo Mio
Double bassist Jorge Roeder goes solo for a mix of interpretations of originals and covers on this accessible and lyrical session. The only time he emphasizes his bowing prowess is on a Bach-ish rendition of Ornette Coleman’s “Lonely Woman”, the…
Mario Romano: The Journey So Far
A wide variety of moods are celebrated on this album by Mario Romano that collects material from earlier releases. The takeaway here is rich romanticism, and it can be shown as he supports vocalist Jackie Richardson in the sensuous “And…
John Hollenbeck: Songs You Like A Lot
You tend not to think of mellow folk music when drummers come to mind, but leader John Hollenbeck pulls a fast one as he’s teamed up with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band and brings in the ethereal and reflective voices…
Douglas Olsen: 2 Cents
Douglas Olsen plays trumpet like 1950s Miles Davis on this warm collection of mostly originals teamed with Dino Govoni/ts-as, Angel Subero/tb, Yaure Muniz/tp, Tucker Antell/ts, Tim Ray/p, dave Zinno/b, Mark walker/dr and Ernesto Diaz/congas. Olsen’s tone is warm and easy…
Mark Vickness: Interconnected
Mark Vickness plays acoustic guitar in ensemble and ensemble form with a gentle team of Mads Tolling/vi, Joseph Hebert/cel, Dan Feiszli/b and Ty Burhoe/table on this pastoral session. His handful of pieces by himself show a dreamy side on the…