Singing, playing guitar and throwing in a bit of harp, Paul Filipowicz rocks the blues with Martin Lang/harp, EG McDaniel/b, Jimmy Voegeli/p-org, Erik Beraud/sax and guest Maggie Aliota/voc on this recent release. His voice has a hint of vintage Eric Clapton in…
Author: George W. Harris
John Clay: About Time
Drummer John Clay leads a sleek p ost bopping team of Shunzo Ohno/tp-fh, Matt Garrison/ts-ss, Enrique Haneine/p, Sean Conly/b and guest Ruby Pucillo/voc through a collection of wide ranging modern pieces. The leader keeps things varied and variegated, giving some…
Bijan Taghavi Cactus Sessions
Pianist Bijan Taghavi delivers fresh and intriguing reads in solo fashion on his recent release. While giving a nod to past masters like Monk, Silver and Jobim, Taghavi does not sound intimidated by them, creating a fluid elegance to “Ask…
Dave McMurray: I Love Life Even When I’m Hurting
As the famed theologian Martin Lloyd-Jones used to say, “Don’t listen to yourself; talk to yourself” And that’s what saxist/vocalist Dave McMurray does on this defiantly upbeat album with Don W as-Ibrahim Jones/b, Luis Resto-Maurice O’Neal/key, Wayne Gerard/g, Jeff Canady/dr,…
SOUNDTRACKS!! Star Trek: Original Television Soundtrack, The Best Of Mission: Impossible, The Bernhard Herrman Legacy Series Volume 1: The Devil and Bernard Herrman
Some music has to be seen to be heard. The classic TV show Star Trek has the background music for , it’s two first “pilot” shows, “The Cage” and “Where No Man Has Gone Before”, composed and conducted by Alexander Courage. Besides…
EARLY TRANE AND BLUEGRASS FROM AVID…John Coltrane: Four Classic Albums, Bluegrass Legends: Five Albums Plus
Classic early hard bop and bluegrass are the latest reissues from AVID… Although he’s best known for his work on Atlantic and Impulse!, tenor saxist John Coltrane made some impressive albums on Prestige in his nascent years. 1957 had him…
AMEN! The Golden Gate Quartet: Early Years
Still active to this very day (in an obviously new incarnation), The Golden Gate (Jubilee) Singers was one of the original and most influential male gospel and spiritual vocal groups. The original team of Willie Johnson/b, William Langford/t, Henry Owens/t…
THIS IS A BEBOP SAXOPHONE…Sonny Stitt: The Soul Jazz Dates
As has happened with a few artists, Sonny Stitt had the fortune or misfortune of sounding almost exactly like another artist that got much more fame, namely Charlie Parker. Born in 1924, just a bit after Bird, Stitt had a…
Django Festival Allstars with Veronica Swift@The Lobero 11.21.25
Outside at the patio to the entrance to The Lobero Theatre, a bunch of us were discussing the plethora of “Tribute” bands that have been playing at various locations. “Why does someone want to see a band that is impersonating…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Chad LB: The Shadow Of Your Smile
Big toned tenor saxist Chad LB shows what an Old School tenor can sound like in modern charts. He is with a core team of Liya Grigoryan/p, Ben Tiberio/b and Mike Piolet/dr, but also brings in some strings for extra…