Here’s a guy that I wish we had an American counterpart to. Femi Anikulapo Kuti, a mix of vocalist, composer, band leader, organist and fighter for truth in politics, has released another exciting album of protest against the corruption in…
Month: July 2013
The Michael Treni Big Band: Pop-Culture Blues
If your idea of heaven is the Atomic Basie band, this latest release by Michael Treni is going to be right up your alley. The trombone/bandleader has a 16 piece team that swings like their out at the Daisy Chain…
Deborah Latz: Fig Tree
Here’s a vocalist with a lot of great ideas, taking songs we all know and goosing them up a bit, as well as writing a few clever pieces of her own. Deborah Katz uses her behind the beat vocals with…
Michael Bates/Samuel Blaser Quintet: One From None
Co-leaders Michael Blake and Samuel Blaser write the compositions and make up the front line of their quintet on sax and trombone respectively with the team of Russ Lossing/key, Michael bates/b and Jeff Davis/dr. The tricky themes and brooding themes…
Op Der Schmelz: Live
Alto and soprano saxist Roby Glod leads a quartet with Roberta piket/p, Mark Todar/b and Klaus Kugel/dr that got together for a concert in Luxembourg back in 2010. The music is considered “improvised” which means “lots of long solos” if…
THE RED CORPUSCLES OF JAZZ VOCALS…Ella Fitzgerald: Best of the BBC Vaults
Here’s a singer that reminds you why you fell in love with jazz in the first place. This cd/dvd combo is comprised of various concerts by The First Lady of Song, ranging from 1965 performances at “Show of the Week,”…
VINTAGE GEMS FROM AVID…Chris Connor:Four Classic Albums Plus, Kenny Drew: Four Classic Albums, Junior Mance: Three Classic Albums Plus, Bud Shank, Four Classic Albums
This UK label is cranking out timeless jazz from post WWII to Pre Beatles like there’s no tomorrow. I’ve yet to come across one of their 2 cd sets that isn’t a treasure. Start digging for gold! Chris Connor was…
UNDERRATED BOPPERS…Barry Harris: Newer Than New, Billy Bean: The Trio
There was once a time when jazz was untouched by the leaven of rock music; those days are gone, as these two wonderful time capsules testify. Pianist Barry Harris was one of the many artists to come out of the…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Joshua Kwassman: Songs of the Brother Spirit
Here’s some music from a guy that sounds like he’s going places. Joshua Kwassman plays woodwinds and leads a rotating format of a band that includes wordless voice (Arielle Feinman), guitar (Jeff Miles/Gilad Hekselman), piano (Angelo Di Loreto/Adam Kromelow), bass…
A TRIO OF DUETS! Benjamim Taubkin & Adriano Adewale: The Vortex Sessions, Hamilton de Holanda & Andre Mehmari: Gismontipascoal, Omni Uno: Duets
At its most finest and intimate, a jazz duet can capture everything good about melody, swing and improvisation. Here are three recent releases, two from Adventure Music, and one from a small indie which is endorsed by none other than…