Let’s face it, if it weren’t for fathers, most of us wouldn’t be around. We’ve all had them, some of us are them, and some of us fathers have been called a “Mother.” Having said all that, the sign of…
Month: May 2013
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Shamie Royston: Portraits
So, sue me. Sue me. What can you do me? I confess! Mea culpa! I took one look at this cover of Shamie Royston, contemplatively looking through a curtain and thought “another singer of the Great American Songbook and best,…
ONE LAST PRECIOUS RELEASE! Cesaria Evora: Mae Carinhosa
If you’re a fan of the famed Cape Verdian singer Cesaria Evora (and WHO ISN’T), you know that there’s no one else out there to take her place, which makes you cherish her catalogue even more. Well, there’s cause for…
Leo Brouwer: Beatlerianas
Composer/arranger Leo Brouwer brings together a delicious melding of strings her with the Havana String Quartet and guitarists Carlos Barbosa-Lima & Larry Del Casale. Combining everyone’s talents, he does a lovely arrangement of some Beatles tunes with the quartet and…
Sweet Honey in the Rock: A Tribute
Here’s something that is a great idea, and it’s done fascinatingly well. Grammy award winning female a cappella group Sweet Honey in the Rock came to the Lincoln Center in 2011 to fill the room with some history and history…
Dizzy Gillespie Quintet: Legends Live
Jazz Haus Records continues to mine its vaults of broadcasts from the 40s-70s, filling in gigantic historical and musical gaps with these sumptuous concert recordings. This one, except for an alternate take, is from Liederhalle Stuttgart from a thrilling show…
Giovanni Moltoni: Tomorrow’s Past
Italian guitarist Giovanni Moltoni has put out an impressive session that has a feel similar to the classic Chet Baker sessions of the late 50s. The light and buoyant lyricism of pieces like “Just a Thought” and “Green Line” lifted…
CLARINET LAMENTS-Emilio Teubal: Musica Para Un Dragon Dormido, Matt Holman’s Diversion Ensemble: When Flooded, Eili Yamin & Evan Christopher: Louie’s Dream
Maybe because it’s so rarely used these days, but the clarinet always gets my attention when it’s featured on a disc. These three releases feature the licorice stick in marvelous and creative ways, looking forward, back and left to right.…
Kyle Eastwood: The View From Here
If you want your jazz with no frills or gimmicks, yet not sounding like it’s dependant on yesterday’s stars, give bassist/composer Kyle Eastwood and his touring band a listen. He’s put out a remarkable catalogue of releases, and his gigs…
Orchid Ensemble: Life Death Tears Dream
Consisting of Lan Tung/erhu-voc, Haiquiong Deng/zheng and Jonathan Bernard/marimba-perc, the trio called Orchid Ensemble brings together authentic Chinese melodies and songs in a way that takes you on a journey through the Asian landscape. The harp-like erhu creates an agonizing…