These kind of albums that try to mix jazz and classical seem always to be a big risk, with the dangers seeming to outweigh the benefits. One good sign on this one is that the instrumentation of bass (Peter Seymour),…
Month: January 2013
Rita: My Joys
Israeli vocalist Rita (not sure of any last name) puts out a ton of popular music in the Middle East, and this recent release mixes Persian melodies with modern sounding instruments and arrangements to create an exciting blend of tunes.…
JOSHUA REDMAN’S COMPASS
In many ways, the life of a jazz musician is similar to the rest of us working stiffs. We start our careers ready to change the world, and somewhere along the path, we look back and wonder if the world…
MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS: JUST FRIENDS
It’s almost impossible to imagine what the free jazz movement would have been like without the guiding hands of pianist/composer Muhal Abrams, who started the still active AACM which has been the breeding ground for such innovators as the Art…
Marquis Hill: The Poet
I like this guy! Marquis Hill plays trumpet, flugelhorn and writes the material as well. He leads a hip and hip hopping team of Christopher McBride/as, Justin Thomas/vib, Josh Moshier/p, Joshua Ramos/b, Makaya McCraven/dr and Juan Pastor/perc through some sleek…
Jane Monheit@Catalina’s 12.31.12
In view of the Fiscal Cliff, it seemed like the only way to end the year on a good note was to take in a NYE celebration at Catalina’s with Jane Monheit and her band of Michael Kanan/p, Neal Miner/b…