The Pimps of Joytime are Brian J/b-g-voc-key, Matyeana Morales/voc-perc, Cole Williamsx-voc-perc, David Bailis/b-moog and John Staten/dr. Together, they make sounds like you’re going back in time to a 70s disco, with rock boogie on “Red Golden” and gobs of synthesized…
Month: June 2015
Melody Gardot: Currency of Man
Melody Gardot continues her path as a voice and presentation to be reckoned with on this latest disc. This time around, she’s not as “jazzy” as much as “soulful” letting famed producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, etc) take the…
****ALBUM OF THE YEAR?****Maria Schneider Orchestra: The Thompson Fields
I don’t see how she does it, but everything conductor/arranger/composer/Minnesotan Maria Schneider touches feels and sounds important and creative. This latest effort, dedicated to the farm land of Minnesota, is a sonic adventure into the rural Midwest, and it’s done…
Ben Williams: Coming of Age
Bassist Ben Williams put out an impressive release a few years ago, with this being his second release sandwiching his touring with the likes of Pat Metheny. This time around his album sounds much more cohesive; everything seems to fit…
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra: The Conny Planck Session
If you want your obscure Ellingonia, you’re in for a gem here. Back in 1970, Duke Ellington recorded a pair of tunes for German sound engineer Conny Planck, of which three takes of each is included here. The two songs,…
Pauseland: At The End Of The Day
Soft tones are the name of the game here by the Scandinavian quartet Pauseland. The team of Jakob Buchanan/fh, Christian Vuust/ts-cl, Soren Dahl Jeppesen/g and Klaus Norgaard/b create gentle impressionistic moods with an underlying pulse. Pastoral tones provided by fluffy…
Robben Ford@The Canyon Club 06-12-15
If you’re a guitar fan, LA has been a hint of heaven this spring and summer as a parade of some of the world’s best guitarists have been passing through. We’re not even half way done with the year and…
Jazz Bakery’s “Moveable Feast” Presents: Alfredo Rodriguez Solo Piano
If you’re looking for the freshest and most exciting new sounds for jazz, go no further than Quincy Jones’ discovery Alfredo Rodriguez, who performed and exhilarating 1 ½ hour solo piano set at the Kirk Douglas Theater June 11. The…
Tedeschi Trucks Band, Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings w/ Doyle Bramhall II @ The Greek Theatre 06.10.15
The muggy weather completed the mood, as sounds and grooves as rich as Georgia clay filled the steamy Greek Theatre on Wednesday night to feel like a Southern music fest of fun, fancy and frets.. After a rocking blues set…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Dave Stryker: Messin’ With Mister T
Here’s a brilliant concept album delivered to sizzling perfection. Guitarist Dave Stryker “Celebrates the music of Stanley Turrentine” with ten songs associated with the wailing tenor icon. Even better, Stryker picks ten current tenor titans to show how different each…