Here’s a vocalist with an old soul of a voice. Dena Taylor teams up with David Chao/key, Evan Arredondo/b, Ernie Durawa/snares and Rick McRae/g for a collection of jazz standards. She’s got a wide vibrato as demonstrated on “When October…
Month: May 2014
Buddy Tate: The Texas Tenor
Besides the obviously aesthetic value of the music, what you must appreciate about these two cds by Buddy Tate was when he made these sessions back in 1975, absolutely NO ONE was playing acoustic mainstream jazz. Miles, Herbie, Wayne, Chick,…
Joshua Redman: Trios Live
Very few saxophonists dare into the territory of the trio format. Redman has done it before, and quite successfully, in various formats, but this is his first in concert one. The most important qualities a saxist has to have to…
South American Soul…Les Sabler: Jobim Tribute, Ruben Blades: Tangos
What would jazz be without South America? My head shakes at the thought! Here are albums dedicated to Brazil and Argentina, and the rhythms will transport your soul as close to heaven as humanly possible. Les Sabler sings in Portuguese…
Larry Coryell, Joel Harrison, Eric Reed, Sheila Jordan, etc: The Beatles-A Jazz Tribute
It was 50 years ago today… Celebrating the songwriting skills of The Four, High Note Records got together some of the best sessions from their files and compiled them together here in one disc. It works! Lennon, McCartney and Harrison…
Lou Reed: Transformer & Live at Montreux
Eagle Vision continues its fascinating series of “Classic Album” documentaries. This one features the surprise hit album by ex-Velvet Underground co-leader Lou Reed who hit the airwaves with the genre-bending song “Walk on the Wild Side” (which has NOTHING to…
WAR: Evolutionary
Still partying and low riding after all these years, War releases their first studio album of new material since Clinton was in the White House, and for good measure they make it a 2cd set by throwing in a remastered…
QUO VADIS, JAZZ? Interstatic: Arise, Cuong Vu & Richard Karpen: Indigo Mist
Where did jazz come from? Where is it going? These two latest releases from the free form Rare Noise Records label tries to answer the questions. But is it with more questions? The Interstatic Trio, consisting of Roy Powell/B3, Jacob…
Bill Frisell Quintet@Lobero Theatre 05.16.14
Guitarist Bill Frisell has performed four times previously at Santa Barbara’s Lobero theatre, and not only has he never repeated a composition, he’s never had the same band. Talk about improvisation in jazz! This time around, he’s exploring the songs and sounds of…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****HIP SOUNDTRACKS! Johnny Staccato/The Man With The Golden Arm, M Squad/Mike Hammer
A few months ago, I stumbled across some very cool soundtracks from 60s “Juvenile Delinquent” movies such as College Confidential and Crime in the Streets that had guys like Maynard Ferguson and Conte Condoli in the studios delivering some wonderfully…