Pianist Tommaso Perazzo brings in heavyweight bassist Buster Williams and drummer Marcello Cardillo for a formidable session of strong originals and covers. Perazzo has a soulful bop touch not too dissimilar from Wynton Kelly, rich and colorful on his read…
Category: Ringer of the Week
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Caili O’Doherty: Bluer Than Blue-Celebrating Lil Armstrong
Overshadowed by husband Louis, pianist/composer/vocalist Lil Armstrong is re-evaluated and appreciated by pianist Caili O’Doherty and her team of Tamir Shmerling/b, Cory Cox/dr, Nicole Glover/ts and singers Tahira Clayton and Michael Mayo. All of the songs are Armstrong compositions, and…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****David “Fathead” Newman-Ellis Marsalis-Cornell Dupree: Return To The Wide Open Spaces
Texas dry rub BBQ’d jazz is served on a hot plate for a swinging gig at Fort Worth’s Caravan of Dreams with Ray Charles sideman David “Fathead” Newman/as teamed with Ellis Marsalis/p and Cornell Dupree/g along with James Clay//ts, Leroy…
****RINGERS OF THE WEEK***THESE ARE HARD BOP TRUMPETS BOTH HOT AND SWEET…Freddie Hubbard: On Fire, Kenny Dorham: Blue Bossa In The Bronx
You say you don’t believe in God? How else can you explain this gift of above from Zev Feldman’s Resonance Records. If you’re a trumpet fan, or of hard bop in general, or even if you don’t understand what I’m…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THIS IS FUSION GUITAR…Al Di Meola: One Of These Nights
One of the true members of Mount Rushmore’s fusion guitarist, Al DiMeola proved to be a master when going acoustic or plugged in. This album catches him back in 2004 at Scala, Germany, right on the heels of his Flesh…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Ensemble C: Every Journey
Pianist Claire Cope brings together an exciting ensemble using the voice of Brigitte Beraha for both sonority and lyrics with instrumentation supplied by Freddie Gavita-Mike Soper/tp-fh, Anoushka Nanguy/tb, Matt Carmichael/ts, Rob Cope/bcl-fl-bars, Ant Law/g, Gavin Barras/b, Jon Ormston/dr and Jack…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THIS IS JAZZ PIANO 101…Classic Vanguard Jazz Piano Sessions
A number of months ago, Mosaic Records released a cache of vintage recordings in a 7 cd boxed set. It featured a surfeit of vintage jazz sessions from the likes of Coleman Hawkins, Vic Dickenson and Jimmy Rushing, just to…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Ryan Middagh Jazz Orchestra: Tenor Madness
Step right up and check out some of the beefiest tenor men in town. Don Aliquo, Jeff Coffin and Joel Frahm swagger in town along with Ryan Middagh/bar, Alex Graham/as and Roy Agee/tb for a rollicking big band collection of…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Bob James & Dave Koz: Just Us
The beauty of duets is that there is no where to hide, and trust is the connecting ingredient. This collection from pianist Bob James and saxist Dave Koz is a beaut, filled with communication and lyricism. The collection mixes originals…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Nnenna Freelon: Beneath The Skin
Vocalist Nnenna Freelon has had a career that could easily be divided into two eras. Her early career had her create albums that mixed soul, R&B and smooth jazz in an irresistible fashion. Around 2012, she seemed to have taken…