Pat Daugherty/key-voc, Aaron Comess/dr and Richard Hammond/b form the New York Electric Piano trio. This clever album is roughly divided into funky electric instrumentals and songs with messages with lyrics provided by mellow-toned Daugherty. Of the former, there’s a hip…
Month: December 2015
Kirsten Edkins CD Release@The Blue Whale 12-28-15
You know it’s going to be a cozy night at The Blue Whale when the release of the debut album by saxist Kirsten Edkins has mom at the front door greeting each member of the audience and dad in the…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Kirsten Edkins: Art & Soul
Confession time: On first glance of the album cover, I first thought “ANOTHER singer?!?” Upon closer look I saw a tenor sax sitting next to her. OK, she plays, but it’s probably smooth jazz. How can I be so wrong?…
Ariel Pocock: Touchstone
Ariel Pocock veers between hip bop sounds and indie moods on this clever and intimate album with Larry Grenadier/b, Julian Lage/g, Eric Harland/dr and Seamus Blake/ts. She plays the piano with a rich touch, performing well on the medley of…
Most Other People Do The Killing: Mauch Chunk
Fresh from imitating note for note Miles Davis’ classic “Kind of Blue,” MOPDTK comes back a bit stripped down with Jon Irabagon/as, Ron Stabinsky/p, Moppa Elliot/b and Kevin Shea/dr delivering some originals. Jon Irabagon himself definitely keeps himself busy during…
Jeff Oster: Next
If you want your horn to set the mood to be wooed, get a hold of this album by Jeff Oster. He’s got a glowing ember of a sound on both trumpet and flugelhorn, and sets it in atmospheres that…
Bill Kirchner: An Evening of Indigos
There’s truth in advertising here; soprano saxist Bill Kirchner teams up with Holli/voc, Jim Ferguson/b and Carlton Holmes/p for a concert from 2014 that is set for dim lights. A mix of instruments and voices create a calm haze over…
Kim Nalley: Blues People
Vocalist Kim Nalley sings with a vengeance on this collection of songs that touch on many of the various aspects of the blues. The team of Tammy Hall/p-org, Greg Skaff/g, Michael Zisman/b, Kent Bryson/dr and Bryan Dyer/voc is mixed and…
Sam Butler: Raise Your Hands!
Sam Butler street preaches here as he takes a series of spirituals and Christian related songs and delivers them with the ferver of John the Baptist along with Roosevelt Collier/st-g, Marco Giovino/dr and Viktor Krauss/b. Like a prophet in the…
OUTSIDE SOUNDS…Matthew Shipp-Mat Walerian Duo: The Uppercut, Last Exit: Iron Path
Here are a couple releases from the ESP Disk label, demonstrating the more explorative side of jazz. Pianist Matthew Ship forms s duo with Mat Walerian, who brings his alto sax, bass clarinet, flute and soprano clarinet for an intuitive…