Saxophonist Jonathan Orland leads a hard bopping quintet that includes a guitar in the front line rather than the usual second horn (although tenorist Geroge Garzone joins in 3 tracks)on this exciting collecton of originals and standards. There are some…
Month: January 2013
Bobo Stenson Trio: Indicum
Scandinavian pianist Bobo Stenson flexes his muscles a bit here on his latest trio release with Anders Jormin/b and Jon Falt/dr. He’s included some Bill Evans and George Russell material this time around, along with the expected wide ranging collection…
Kris Kristofferson: Feeling Mortal
One of the best pieces of advice someone ever gave me was, “Always take advice from a man who walks with a limp.” Kris Kristofferson, who’s seen all of life going both up and down, not only is that type…
Vinicius Cantuaria & Bill Frisell@Skirball Cultural Center 01.20.13
It was a classic night of quiet nights and quiet stars, as Vinicius Cantuaria and Bill Frisell presented quiet chords on their guitars at the acoustically cozy Skirball Center. They’ve put out a few collaborative releases together, their latest being…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Kurt Rosenwinkel: Star of Jupiter
Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel should be on the top tier list of important guitarists around, but possibly because of his getting dumped by Verve, or maybe something else, he seemed to get side tracked from the career that seemed so promising back…
AN ALMOST FORGOTTEN ICON: Earl Hines: Classic Earl Hines Sessions 1928-1945
For some unjustifiable reason, when you think of the most important piano players in jazz, Earl “Fatha” Hines is rarely on the top 5 list. The fact is that there would be no Mehldau, Tyner, Jarrett, Evans, Peterson or even…
HOT! The John Kirby Sextet: Biggest Little Band in the Land
Usually, when you think of the Swing Era, your mind goes to the big bands of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Tommy Dorsey and Chick Webb. But, the fact of the matter is that almost all of these orchestras…
Dexter Gordon: Night Ballads-Montreal 1977
About once or twice a year, this tiny label from New York puts out obscure sessions that are like rummaging through someone’s attic; you’re bound to find a treasure that you never knew existed. This collection of tenor giant caught…
Alex Riel Special Quartet: Full House
It’s difficult to appreciate the influence of Danish drummer Alex Riel on this side of the Atlantic, but since the 60s he’s been one of the most important guys behind the traps when Americans like Dexter Gordon, Paul Gonsalves, Don…
Jon Lundbom & Big Five Chord: No New Tunes
Here’s some new and original music delivered in both an old and new school fashion. Led by Guitarist Jon Lundbom, Big Five Chord releases 6 new songs on both a digital format and vinyl lp here. The team of Lundbom…