Let’s be straightforward about this: saying you know and appreciate music while not having heard “Getz/Gilberto” is like saying you know movies but have never seen Casablanca. You just don’t know what you’re talking about because a major piece of…
Month: June 2014
Deep Purple: Live in California ‘74
Back in the 70s, head banging rock ruled the world, and the Cal Jam in Ontario CA back in 1974 was the apotheosis of heavy metal heaven. If you were there that day in April, your ears were treated to…
The Virtues of Jazz
(Here’s a piece by a new contributor, Douglas Groothuis) Any jazz aficionado knows the musical virtues of jazz, whether they are a musician, a jazz writer, or simply a committed jazz listener. In classical Western thought (that is, in the…
Stick Against Stone: Live-The Oregon Bootleg Tapes
The team of Richard Vitale/dr, Sari Morninghawk/v-perc, David Soule/b, Daniel Ramirez/g and Robert Shepard/woodwinds make up the group Stick Against Stones, which is recorded here in a concert setting. The band mixes styles of indie rock, reggae and Afro Pop,…
Anne Mette Iversen’s Double Life: So Many Roads
Bassist/leader Anne Mette Iversen puts together an intriguing concept of a single 6 piece suite that includes both a Prologue and Epilogue, with four Chapters in between. Performing the music is Iversen’s jazz quintet of herself with John Ellis/ts-ss, Peter…
Jazz Bakery’s “Moveable Feast” Presents: Alan Broadbent@Kirk Douglas Theatre 06.12.14
There are certain images that come to your mind when you reflect on various pianists. With Oscar Peterson, there’s fervent swing; Cecil Taylor flashes wild experimentation while McCoy Tyner evokes intense penetration. The hour and a half solo performance…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK**** Eleni Karaindrou: Medea
Forget about The Great American Songbook. You want oldies? How about Euripedes, who composed the story of Medea and Jason (of “and the Argonauts”) in 431 BC. As Mr. Portokalos famously said in My Big Fat Greek Wedding, “We were…
Nelda Swiggett Stringtet: Blue-Eyed Painted Lady
Pianist/vocalist Nelda Swiggett leads a chamber jazz team of Chris Symer/b, Byron Vannoy/dr, Rachel Swerdlow/viola and Walter Gray/cello through some exciting, quirky and swinging originals. Tensile and dramatic pieces such as “Thanks To Solomon” or the boppish “Hewett’s Blues” have…
Dominic J Marshall Trio: Spirit Speech
Pianist Dominic J Marshall’s star keeps rising on this session of originals with Tobias Nijboer/b and Jamie Peet/dr. He’s got a thoughtful touch that is able to be both swinging and romantic. His compositions are clever, sophisticated and accessible, ranging…
Zan Stewart: The Street Is Making Music
If you’ve ever read any jazz articles, I can guarantee you’ve seen Zan Stewart’s name on reviews in publications such as the LA Times and Downbeat. Now I see why he’s been such an astute judge of talent, as he’s…