If you’re a fan of pickers, you’re going to love this completely enjoyable and completely unclassifiable collection of tunes. The Finnish band Southpaw Steel “n” Twang (did they grow up watching “Hee Haw” reruns or something?) consists of Ville Leppanen,…
Month: October 2014
Avishai Cohen’s Triveni: Dark Nights
Trumpeter Avishai Cohen once again teams up with drummer Nasheet Waits and bassist Omer Avital for some loose as a goose compositions and jazz tunes. A fragile Kenny Dorham-reminiscent tone and delivery is palpable throughout as his horn cries on”You…
LAST OF THE GREAT BALLADEERS? Andy Bey: Pages From An Imaginary Life
Could this be the Jazz Vocal Album of the Year? It’s got my vote. Who else could just sit behind a piano and deliver an hour’s worth of slower than slow ballads and make you pray to God it never…
OH YEAH! Otis Clay & Johnny Rawls: Soul Brothers
I didn’t think they made records this soulful anymore. Vocalists Otis Clay and Johnny Rawls take you back to the day when southern red clay ran through the fingers of R&B and labels like Stax, Volt and Motown seared through…
BRASIL IS BEST! Sergio Mendes: Magic, Mia Doi Todd: Floresta
Has there ever been a marriage of sounds better than that of jazz and Brazilian music? I’ve got scores of albums from the land of Rio, and there’s not one less than thoroughly enjoyable. Here are two recent ones, one…
BLUES POWER! Rob Stone: Gotta Keep Rollin’
This guy Rob Stone has got India Ink in his veins-it’s THAT blue. He’s got a thumbtacks for breakfast voice, and a handle of the harmonica like he was weaned on the South Side of Chicago on hard hitting session…
Marcin Wasilweski Trio w/ Joakim Milder: Spark of Life
Associated with famed trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, pianist Marcin Wasilweski has been making an impressive name for himself with his own strong and creative albums. This one has him with his working trio of Slawomir Kurkiewicz/b and Michal Miskiewicz/dr as well…
Maceo Parker@Catalina’s 10.11.14
If you ever heard the sax on James Brown’s classic tunes “Papa’s Got a Brand New Bag” and “I Feel Good,” you’ve heard the searing sax of Maceo Parker. But, unless you see him and his band in concert, you’ll…
Diego Figuereido@Vibrato 10.10.14
He’s only come to LA a few times, but if Diego Figuereido’s set at Vibrato is any indicator, he better start looking for a place to rent. The Brazilian guitarist played before a packed house and brought the upscale crowd…
Ravi Coltrane@ Dazzle Restaurant & Lounge, 09.26.14 by Douglas Groothuis
(Douglas Groothuis is our contributor and foreign correspondent from the swinging state of Colorado) The Ravi Coltrane quartet performed before a packed crowd at Denver’s premier jazz club, Dazzle Restaurant and Lounge on September 26, 20014 at 9:00 PM. Having…