My wife and I are planning a trip to France in September, so I’m trying to learn as much French as possible, as well as take in as many modern tunes from the local scene. I’ve taken in some great…
Month: September 2013
ARRESTING! Daniel Rodriguez: Por Ti Volare
Known as “The Singing Policeman,” Daniel Rodriguez became known publicly after singing “God Bless America” after the 9-11 attacks. He studied opera with Placido Domingo and has become known as America’s Beloved Tenor. What a great country! Here’s a disc…
Rose & The Nightingale: Spirit of the Garden
Consisting of Jody Redhage/cello/v, Sara Caswell/v-mand, Leala Cyr/tp-v, and Laila Biali/p-v, RATN deliver a 16 song journey to the various moods of the yearly seasons. In doing so, the mix forms ranging from Japanese Haiku to melodious jazz to Joni…
CHARLES LLOYD: A MUSICAL ODYSSEY
So few jazz artists are able to have a successful career at their chosen profession. Charles Lloyd, elder statesman of the tenor sax, has been blessed twice with being able to be regarded both commercially and critically among his peers…
GUITAR WORKSHOP…Mark Knopfler: Privateering
Since making his name with Dire Straits, Mark Knopfler has decided to put out a catalogue of music that emphasizes the art of the guitar in a variety of settings. This two disc set might be the best one yet,…
THE INSPIRATION FOR BITCHES BREW: Sly & The Family Stone: Higher!!
The way Miles Davis related the story was that he realized in the mid sixties that at his concerts the audiences were getting a bit older and long in the tooth. He couldn’t figure out why he wasn’t getting the…
JAZZ ESSENTIALS FROM SONY/LEGACY…Stan Getz, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Charles Mingus, Grover Washington Jr. , Weather Report
Wanna get on the fast track to understand various styles and genres of jazz? These 2 cd sets put out by Sony cover everything from mainstream to fusion with a bit of smooth in between. The great factor of these sets…
Herbie Mann: Brazil, Bossa Nova & Blues and Right Now!
I realize that Stan Getz receives all of the accolades for bringing bossa nova from Brazil to America, but there are those “conspiracy theorists” that state that actually Bud Shank and Herbie Mann beat Getz to the punch. Here are…
Iro Haarla Sextet: Kolibri
Iro Haarla leads an intriguing and semi free band as she also plays piano and chen, sort of an Oriental harpsichord, along with Verneri Pohjola/tp, Jari Hongisto/tb, Kari ts-fl, Ulf Krokfors/b and Markku Ounaskari/dr. The band mixes the flexibility of…
A GOOD IDEA…Mark Masters Ensemble: Everything You Did: The Music of Walter Backer & Donald Fagen
I really want to like this record. The idea of producer/arranger Mark Masters to put together a jazz ensemble dedicated to the music of the highly creative and influential jazz-rock group Steely Dan was a stroke of genius. The band…