The roots of all music American is on display here as Mark Wenner/harp-voc, Paul Bell/g-voc, Johnny Castle/b-voc and Mark Stutso/dr-voc use an acoustic prism to display various shades of the blues. Originals and covers dot the set, with a rockabilly…
Month: July 2015
THE RISE AND FALL OF MILES’ EMPIRE…Miles Davis: At Newport 1955-1975; The Bootleg Series Vol. 4
At the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, MC Willis Conover sums up this boxed set when he introduces Miles Davis’ sextet and describes the leader as one who’s career has been “establishing an original, distinctive and personal sound, and then hearing…
Andy Sheppard Quartet: Surrounded by Sea
Andy Sheppard plays it cool and quiet here with his team of Eivind Aarset/g, Michel Benita/b and Sebastian Rochford on a sepia-toned collection of mostly originals. There is a 3 parted “Aoidh, Na Dean Cadal Idir” which sets the tone…
Becca Stevens Band: Perfect Animal
Here’s an intriguing lady who fits into what I call the “quircky and clever chicks” category. Becca Stevens has a warm voice that gives hints of early Joni Mitchell, plays a variety of guitars and other stringed apparel, writes most…
TWO LIVE YARDBIRDS…Jeff Beck: Performing This Week…Live at Ronnie Scott’s
Legendary guitarist Jeff Beck keeps rolling like Ol’ Man River on this 2 cd set from Ronnie Scott’s jazz club. Teamed with Vinnie Colaiuta/dr, Jason Rebello/key and Tal Wilkenfeld/b, Beck sounds inspired and feisty as he sears through material ranging…
Elina Duni Quartet: Dallendyshe
With an icy cool voice and luminous support by Colin Vallon/p, Patrice Moret/b and Norbert Pfammatter/dr, Elina Duni produces warm Mediterranean moods and rhythms on this soft and alluring session. Her glassy tone is a perfect contrast, similar to a…
TRIBUTE TO A LEGEND…Branford Marsalis Quartet: Coltrane’s A Love Supreme Live in Amsterdam
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of John Coltrane’s iconic A Love Supreme album, Okeh records is reissuing Branford Marsalis’ 2003 tribute and recreation of the album with his then-trio of Joey Calderazzo/p, Eric Revis/b and Jeff “Tain” Watts.” Included…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Lauren Henderson: A La Madrugada
This one is going to catch you by surprise. As far as I can tell, this is the second album by Lauren Henderson, and it makes me want to find the first one. It’s a honey! She has a Latin…
Ocean Fanfare: Imagine Sound Imagine Silence
The pianoless quartet of Tomasz Dabrowski/tp, Sven Meinild/as-ts, Richard Anderson/b and Tyshawn Sorey/dr form a kind of modernized MIngus-inspired sound, with a light foundation and playful and inquisitive horns. Alto and trumpet form serpentine lines on the cool toned “4…
Tyler Kaneshiro & The Highlands: Amber of the Moment
Tyler Kanseshiro plays trumpet and creates some sound effects with his band of Chad Lefkowitz-Brown/ts, Keisuke Matsuno/g-eff, Adam Kromelow/p, Dave Baron/b and Jason Burger/dr. Kaneshiro has a warm, clear and sensitive sound to his horn and while most of the…