One of the real ways I knew that I was a grown up was when I didn’t have summers off from school anymore. What do you mean I have to work?!? Those three months of sleeping in late, staying up…
Month: July 2013
Kathleen Grace w/ Anthony Wilson@The Blue Whale
What exactly constitutes a “jazz singer”? If it’s improvisation and scat singing, then Billie Holiday doesn’t even qualify. Is it in the song selection? Norah Jones writes her own stuff, and Peggy Lee went from Benny Goodman to “Fever” within…
BLACK SOUNDING WHITE AND VICE/VERSA…Carmen McRae: Something Wonderful, Barbara Dane: Livin’ With The Blues
Post bebop and pre rock, what was a singer to do? Well, the major options were either the blues or show tunes. Here are two ladies of their times that deliver some exciting sounds within these limited choices. One of…
THE AGONY & THE ECSTASY…Andy Bey: The World According to Andy Bey, Mary Stallings: But Beautiful
What mood do you want your singer to put you in? Here are a couple of vocalists that have mastered their art and can create an environment of either dark hues or fresh pastels. Andy Bey has been releasing some…
Jason Seed Stringtet: In The Gallery
Guitarist Jason Seed puts together an intriguing mix of strings, melding classical and folk with dashes of jazz sensibilities on this collection of penetrating originals. Together with Glenn Asch/v-vio, Helen Reich/vio, Dan Armstrong/b and Scott Tisdel/cel, they create material that…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Bob Wilber-Glenn Zottola: The Bechet Legacy
One of my guilty pleasures in music is listening to Bob Wilber on either soprano sax or clarinet. Taught by Sidney Bechet, Wilber’s sound and even his look have an old soul on an appeal. His music is always swinging,…
Marc Cary: For the Love of Abbey
Pianist Marc Cary has earned his credentials gigging with the likes of Betty Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach and Shirley Horn. Here, he delivers a tribute to another one of his employers, the marvelous Abbey Lincoln, on this solo excursion…
Michael Dease: Coming Home
Trombonist Michael Dease releases a solid mainstream/hard bop disc with a team of Steve Wilson/as, Renee Rosnes/p, Christian McBride/b and Ulysses Owens Jr/dr on this collection of jazz standards and originals. His cappuccino warm tone is a joy to behold,…
Catherine Legardh/Brian Kellock: Love Still Wears a Smile
Here’s a gentle and penetrating collection of duets between vocalist Catherine Leghard and sublime pianist Brian Kellock. The songs are familiar to most of us, but the delivery is quite penetrating and personal. A wordless coo on “First Song” sets…
Thomas Lukassek: A Day in Full Dress
Traditional instruments like Greek bouzoukis and Armenian duduks have a tough time getting into the contemporary music/jazz scene as the question comes to whether modern times should adapt to them, or vice versa. Babpiper Thomas Lukassek does an impressive job…