As a doctor who practices between patients myself, I’ve got to admit I’m quite impressed by the alto sax work of Doc Stewart, who practices up in Minnesota, and must’ve come out to LA for some sunshine awhile back, as…
Month: August 2014
Al Jarreau: My Old Friend
Subtitled “Celebrating George Duke”, this latest release by vocal hero Al Jarreau is a moving tribute not only to the famed keyboardist/producer, but also to the style of sleek and soulful R&B styled jazz that both stars pioneered. Jarreau’s voice…
CLASSIC SOUNDS FROM AVID….Betty Carter: Four Classic Albums, Billy Eckstine: Four Classic Albums Plus, Thelonious Monk: Three Classic Albums Plus, Anita O’Day: Five Classic Albums Plus
Some wonderfully overlooked artists are featured in the latest cache dug up by UK’s AVID Records. Listen to what you might have missed! Betty Carter was one of the first female singers to do some serious experimentation with jazz vocals.…
Azar Lawrence: The Seeker
Azar Lawrence must have been weaned from the breast milk of Impulse!-era Coltrane, as his music has the same fiery intensity and passion that is associated with that classic quartet. But Lawrence doesn’t simply pay homage; his quintet of Nicholas…
ANYONE BETTER? Hiromi: Alive
Once you hear anything by Hiromi, or see her in concert, your first thought will go to the question if anyone out there these days has the chops or creativity as this diminutive Tasmanian devil of a pianist. She’s back…
Marc Ribot Trio: Live at the Village Vanguard
Guitarist experimenter Marc Ribot goes inside and out on this trio session with Chad Taylor/dr and longtime avant gardist Henry Grimes/b at a searing session at the Village Vanguard. Of the six songs, two are by Coltrane, and two by…
REFLECTIONS OF AN ERA…The Dramatics: Greatest Slow Jams
Once upon a time, R&B didn’t mean foul language and misogyny. It was associated with velvety vocal harmonies, slick and snappy horns and an irresistible groove. One of the best was the group The Dramatics, who had a couple big…
Bob Stewart Connections: Mind the Gap
Tuba player Bob Stewart puts together two seemingly incongruous bands, the PUBLIQuartet (string quartet) and the First Line bands that go from quartet to sextet in seconds flat. The FLB includes Jerome Harris/g, Matt Wilson/dr, Curtis Stewart/vio, Randall Haywood/tp and…
Brian Eno-Karl Hyde: High Life
Here is the second entry of the Eno/Hyde collaboration. This one is a bit more assertive than the earlier one, with lots more electronic percussion bouncing around the ears. There is one tune, “Cells and Bells” which hearkens back to…
Jacob Young: Forever Young
Guitarist Jacob Young mixes electric, acoustic and classical guitar with a subtly bopping team of Trygve Seim/ts-ss, Marcin Wasilewski/p, Slawomir Kurkiewicz/b and Michal Miskiewicz/dr through a collection of originals. The intriguing part of this disc is how easily Young can…