Guitar Legend Larry Coryell made his name as one of the very first “jazz rock” guitarists back in the 60s, but as the years and his own life progressed, he and his music became more mainstream and classy. This studio…
Month: April 2021
POP AND SWINGING VOCALS FROM AVID…Paul Anka: Four Classic Albums Plus, Joe Williams: Four Classic Albums
Vocals that pop and swing are delivered by the latest pair of 2 disc reissues from Avid Records. Paul Anka initially got his name from singing teen hits like “Put Your Head On My Shoulder” and “Diana”. These albums have…
Ahmed Warshanna: Ishta
Guitarist and composer Ahmed Warshanna creates rich moods with his team of Hart Guonjian-Pettit/tp, Dominic Ellis/ts, Daniel Sperlein/tb, Joshn Miller/p, Thomas Owens/b and Charlie Seda/dr. A mix of Middle Eastern mourning and modern tones meld on “Inty Omry” and the…
THE NAT “KING” COLE OF THE BLUES…Charles Brown: The Charles Brown Collection 1947-57
Blues singer and pianist once told me that back in the early days, he and Nat “King” Cole used to tour together, alternating between who would open and close each night. They both had a piano/guitar/bass trio, and brothers (Oscar…
PICK AND GRIN…Scrapper Blackwell: The Scrapper Blackwell Collection 1928-61
Guitarist and singer Scrapper Blackwell (1903-1962) isn’t not well known these days, but this blueser from South Carolina was a contemporary of Big Bill Broonzy and his famous accompanist, pianist Leroy Carr. This two disc set includes his famous duets…
A STYLE THAT NEVER GROWS OLD…Maria Muldaur with Tuba Skinny: Let’s Get Happy Together
Unlike almost all other singers of her Baby Booming generation, Maria Muldaur sings with a style the allows her age to be an advantage instead of an anachronism. Choosing traditional Americana, gospel and blues, her sandied Mildred Bailey voice ages…
THE BAKED POTATO OPENS UP!! Mike Miller Group@The Baked Potato 04.23.21
“It’s nice to see everybody. Hey, it’s nice to see ANYBODY!” While guitarist and leader Mike Miller joked these words as he played a jazz gig in LA for the first time in over a year, truer words were never…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Allan Harris: Kate’s Soulfood
You can tell after just one song that singer Allan Harris grew up around the corner from the world famous Apollo Theatre. Every song on this album oozes over with Old School soul, mixing a gospel feel, upbeat messages about…
Russell Ferrante Trio: Inflexion
Best known for his work with the venerable Yellowjackets, pianist Russell Ferrante delves into the trio format successfully with his team of Michael Valerio/b and Steve Schaeffer/dr, revisiting some vintage Jacket tunes as well as other colors of the musical…
Michael Thomas: Natural Habitat
Impressive and fresh post bop sounds are delivered by Michael Thomas, playing both alto sax and bass clarinet with his ensemble of Julian Shore/p-key, Hans Glawishnig/b and Johnathan Blake/dr on an album of originals. His tone is warm and calming,…