Ya know, I really don’t ask for much in life. If you’ve got peace with God, a good family, a handful of faithful friends, a roof over your head and food on the table, you’re ahead of the game in…
Month: January 2013
START THE YEAR RIGHT****ROTW****Louisiana Red (1932-2012): When My Mama Was Living
If you want the blues, and I mean the REAL blues, like sittin’ on the porch and sounding like Howlin’ Wolf or Johnny Shines, then this little obscurity is going to make your day. Louisiana Red, who just recently left…
Bob Wolfman: Transition
Hey, anytime a guitarist has a session produced by Larry Coryell, you’ve got to pay attention. What’s more, Coryell plays alongside the singer/vocalist/songwriter, as well as gets some heavy hitters to join in, such as Victor Bailey/b, Ferdi Argenti/p and…
Greg Duncan: Chicago, Barcelona Connections
Greg Duncan plays trumpet and flugelhorn here, and leads a hip band of Corbin Andrick/ts-as, Sturart Mindeman/key, Jon Deitemeyer/dr, and Patrick Mulcahy/b through a collection of Latin jazz material. The music is listed by types of dances, always a favorite…
The Bad Plus: Made Possible
It is quite the rare thing for a jazz band to stay together for longer than 1-2 years, and yet we have these Midwesterners, The Bad Plus, who’ve been recording and touring for over a decade, not to mention that…
Danny Green: A Thousand Ways Home
Pianist Danny Green leads a trio with Justin Grinnell/b and Julien Cantelm/dr that explores the sounds, rhythms and grooves of Brazilian music. He’s got a confident yet not cocky sound of his own; on most of the pieces saxist Tripp…
Baptiste Trotignon: Song Song Song
Here’s an interesting little disc from a French pianist that might pique your attention. Baptiste Trotignon mixes and matches his ivory talents between a regular trio (with Thomas Bramerie/b and Dre’ Pallemaerts/dr and duets & trios with various sympathetic vocalists.…
FRESH IDEAS WITH A MELODY: Torben Waldorff: Wah-Wah, Dave Phillips & Freedance: Confluence
One of the unstated problems about jazz per se is that it’s so much easier to get into jazz by listening to older, more established stars (and their older material) than it is to try someone a bit newer on…
Severson Jazz Quartet: Jumpin’ Java-Smooth Bebop Blend
Here’s a tasty little treat for guitar fans. Guitarist Rich Severson has a nice warm tone on his 6 stringer, and along with a warmly brewed team of Roy Carlson/b, Darrell Devaurs/key and Gary Newmark/dr, he fills a disc with…
Allen Vizzutti: Ritzville
Here’s a guy who shows what a wide variety of styles and sounds can come from one guy with a horn. Allen Vizzutti plays trumpet, flugelhorn and piccolo trumpet on this self produced collection of originals. As he says in…