Hammond B3er Mike LeDonne goes to church with the baptized team of Eric Alexander/ts, Peter Bernstein/g, Joe Farnsworth/dr, Daniel Sadownick/perc, guest Vincent Herring/as and the addition of a Sunday morning mooded choir. The entire ensemble boogaloos and the swaying “Put…
Category: Ringer of the Week
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****PREACH IT!!…Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Live In France
Just to let you know…. Every Sunday morning when I get dressed for church, I put on some Sister Rosetta Tharpe, just to get me in that “feelin’” as they say. One of the pioneers of black gospels of the…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Brian Bromberg: LaFaro
Well, he’s done a tribute to Jaco Pastorius and Jimi Hendrix, so why shouldn’t add to his impressive catalogue with a salute to the legendary bassist Scot LaFaro. Bromberg focuses on the Bill Evans trio time of LaFaro’s short career,…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THIS IS SWING PIANO…Art Tatum: Jewels in The Treasure Box-The 1953 Chicago Blue Note Jazz Club Recordings
Sometimes, you forget what true artistry sounds like. This three disc set from Resonance Records has three hours of piano majesty delivered by Art Tatum, who essentially defined swing piano. At times sounding like two and even three players at…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Zach Rich: Solidarity
Yes, there are tones of “jazz and strings” albums out there, but this one by trombonist Zach Rich is vastly different. First, it’s not just a musician blowing around the strings, but the quartet of Anton Smirnov/vi, Rachel England/vi, Mathew…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK/MONTH/DECADE?****Sonny Rollins: Freedom Weaver-The 1959 European Tour Recordings
WOW WOW WOW SHAM WOW. If you have had any doubt that Sonny Rollins is the premier tenor saxist of the past two generations, this three disc set will set you straight. Yes, much of this material has been available…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Heavenly Cream: An Acoustic Tribute To Cream
The 1960s band Cream, made up of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, straddled the high wire of balancing blues, jazz and rock, creating a legion of fans of the latter. Their small catalogue is still in demand, with…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Aimee-Jo Benoit: Horns Of Hope
I’ll be perfectly frank with you- I get so many albums by female vocalists, that at times I feel like I’m at on online dating service, just scrolling through faces and names…NEXT! Then here comes this album by a lady…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THE CHILD OF R&B AND GOSPEL…Forever Soul Collection
Muddy Waters once sang, “The blues had a child and they named it rock and roll”. Well, R&B went to church on Sunday, took gospel music and gave birth to what became known in the 1960s as “Soul”. The mix…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Tina Schlieske: The Good Life
The only thing that is inaccurate about the cover photo of vocalist Tina Schilieske on this album is that you can’t see the heart on her sleeve. Like Billie Holiday, or today’s Karrin Allyson, Schilieske doesn’t use range and chops…