Month: April 2014

(718): Sputnik

So, does the name of the band signify something besides a New York area code? There is definitely a NY State of mind within the trio of Phil Palombi/eb, Eric Halvorson/dr and Matthew Fries/Rhodes. These three gents create an electric…

Stacey Kent: The Changing Lights

Blossom Dearie-toned Stacey Kent has been mixing her honeycomb-sweet voice with Brazilian songs and sounds for quite some time, and has it down to a perfect salsa, with this latest release possibly being the apotheosis. She mixes and matches musicians…

FOXY! Jazzedelics: Jazzedelics

Here’s a genre that hasn’t been done yet-the Psychedelic Psongbook of the Psixties. Consisting of Doug Perkins/g, Tony Jones/voc-perc, Chris Smith/key, Adam Cohen/b and David Anderson/dr, the Jazzedelics take tunes from the days of black light posters and put a…

Bruce Barth: Daybreak

Pianist Bruce Barth displays his suave taste and lyrical touch on this collection of originals and jazz standards. He mixes duets, trios, quartets and quintets anlong with Steve Nelson/vibe, Terell Stafford/tp-fh, Vicente Archer/b and Montez Coleman/dr in order to spotlight…

Nistha Raj: Exit 1

Indian violinist Nistha Raj does an impressive job here mixing Central Asian sounds and harmonies with jazz sensibilities and lyricism. Each track has a different mix of instrumental combinations, going from traditional folk to mainstream jazz without any time travel…

Beat Kaestli: Collage

Beat Kaestli tackles an unexplored source of inspiration on this intriguing album: The great French Songbook. He’s supported by the team of Jesse Lewis/g, Will Holshauser/acc, Matt Wigton/b and Fred Kennedy/dr for a wide swath of Gaul influences. With folksy…