How do you make Americas music more accessible to the masses? Three attempts were on display at the Bowl this hot August night. Vocalist Lisa Fischer opened the evening by delivering well known rock hits by The Rolling Stones and…
Month: August 2015
****ROTW****A 10 YEAR OLD REMEMBRANCE…Dee Dee Bridgewater & Irvin Mayfield: Dee Dee’s Feathers
Yes, it’s been ten years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. Like the defiant city itself is Dee Dee Bridgewater, who smiles throughout this tribute to the Crescent City along with Irvin Mayfield & The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra. All…
John Cocuzzi: Ding Dong Daddy
John Cocuzzi takes jazz to its pre-modern roots here with a swinging session in which he plays piano, vibes, B3 and even sings along with Frank Cocuzzi/dr, Paul Keller/b, Jerry Krahn/g, Dan Levinson/ts-cl and Kevin McKendree/ag. He goes eight to…
Bryan Bowman: Like Minds
If you like your jazz straight-ahead down the line, you’re gonna love this vintage hard bop sounding quintet lead by drummer Bryan Bowman. Bowman brings together Ian Carey/tp-fh, Bob Kenmotsu/ts, Matt Clark/p and Doug Miller/b through some enjoyable originals that…
Rob Teehan: Come Home
Rob Teehan plays a plethora of instruments here on a collection of originals in which he team ups to create a trio with Aleksander Gajic/vio and Adrian Fung/cel. As Teehan shifts between piano, guitar, melodica and various percussion and wind…
Mark Egan: Direction Home
Bassist Mark Egan continues to accrue an impressive catalogue that builds up from his Pat Metheny days. His favorite format is the trio, and it’s hard to go wrong with Mitchel Forman/key and danny Gottlieb/dr. The team is quite flexible…
THE GLORIOUS RETURN OF FUSION…Joshua Kwassman: Heartwork, Simon Phillips: Protocol III
When Al Dimeola last played here with his plugged in band, he raised his fist and shouted “Fusion will last forever!” Here are two recent releases that testify to the long lasting glories of the last great movement in jazz.…
Pete Oxley & Nicolas Meier: Chasing Tales
Lots of guitar strings go back and forth here as Pete Oxley and Nicolas Meier go from nylon, steel, acoustic, fretless, jazz and even to middle eastern strings on this easy to digest disc. Folksy swing is felt on “The…
Steven Davis: What Happened To Romance
Vocalist Steven Davis tries to create a new song book for Great American Standard lovers on this collection of (mostly) originals. The light toned baritone is backed by a swinging After Midnight Orchestra that can sound like Count Basie (“I…
Thomas Bergeron: Sacred Feast
Thomas Bergeron plays trumpet & flugelhorn hear as well as arranging the music inspired by classicist Olivier (1908-1992). The band consists of Bergeron with Becca Stevens/voc, Jason Ennis/g, Vitor Goncalves/p-acc, Hannah Collins/cel, Michael Bates/b and Satoshi Takeishi/perc through material that…