There aren’t a lot of times you hear a live disc and think to yourself “I wish I were there”, but this concert at The Maple Leaf by The Rumble makes me want to take in the atmosphere and vibe.…
Category: Ringer of the Week
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Dexter Gordon: Copenhagen Coda
Returning to his “home” of Denmark after a successful “comeback” in his native United States, Dexter Gordon sounds inspired on this four song concert session recorded at Montmartre back in February, 1983. One of my biggest regrets is that I…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Dizzy & Fay: Hooked
Lalama (aka “Dizzy”) plays the piano, while Amanda Walther (“Fay”) sings like Julie London on a collection of originals destined for Lonely Avenue. The ringer in this swampy noir-fest team of Davide DiRenzo/dr, Rich Moore/b, Drew Jurecka/vi, Johnny Johnson/wwinds, William…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****FUSION FROM THE ROCK SIDE…Blood, Sweat & Tears: What The Hell Happened to Blood, Sweat and Tears?
Back in the late 60s and early 70s, the music scene was fecund with a plethora of ideas. Jazz, rock, folk and classical were all influencing each other with fascinating combinations of sounds. The term “fusion” was not used at…
****MEMPHIS DRY RUB, NO SAUCE****The STAX Songwriter Demos: Written in Their Soul
One of the more fascinating releases of the year has to be this 7 cd set that includes 146 recordings, 140 of which have never previously seen the light of day. What STAX has done is culled a collection of…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Ben Wendel: All One
Bringing together a rich collection of tones, Ben Wendel creates an elegiac album without drum and bass, mixing fanfares, declarations, impressions and standards with a mix and match team of artists. Wendel himself plays soprano and tenor saxes, along with…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK***A FORGOTTEN MASTER…James Booker: Behind The Iron Curtain plus…
When you think of New Orleans piano, the first names that pop into your mind are usually Professor Longhair, Fats Domino, Dr. John, Allen Toussaint and maybe Harry Connick. One of the underservedly forgotten holders of the Crescent City piano…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Stephen Stills: Live At Berkley 1971
With the recent passing of David Crosby, this recent release of Stephen Stills in concert back in 1971 is even more poignant. To put this album in it’s perspective, by this point Stills was a few years removed from his…
*****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Scott Petito: Many Worlds
One of the great bass players around, Scott Petito brings together an all star group that sounds like the second coming of Weather Report. Mixing and matching the likes of Steve Gadd-Peter Erskine-Simon Phillips-Omar Hakin/dr, Rachel Z Hakim-Kevin Hays/key, Bob…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Ludovica Burtone: Sparks
You want some swinging strings? Take a look at violinist Ludovica Burtone, who forms a two violin front with Fung Chern Hwei, brings in viola-ist Leonor Falcon Pasquali, cellist Mariel Roberts for a front line along with Marta Sanchez/p, Matt…