Here are a pair of ladies that keep the sounds light and accessible, leaning more towards the pop side of life. When the hair stylist and makeup artist is given credit on the liner notes, you know you’re in for…
Month: December 2015
Jazz Bakery’s “Moveable Feast” Presents: Lionel Loueke Trio@Musician’s Institute 12.12.15
This concert was advertised stating that “this trio opens a powerful new Loueke chapter,” and it was truth in advertising on this crisp Advent night as guitarist Lionel Loueke performed material from his latest album Gaia with a new sound…
Steve Coleman Residency@The Blue Whale 12.09.15
The sign by the front door at the Blue Whale reads “Steve Coleman Advanced Intensive Workshop,” reflecting the goal of the famed alto saxist. This month Coleman has been donating his time and energies in Los Angeles going to schools…
Spencer Day & Jake Simpson w/ the Budman/Levy Orchestra 12.08.15
If there is a just and fair God in this world (and I believe there is), then something’s gotta be done about the fact that crooners like Spencer Day and Jake Simpson are not as well known as Mike Bubbles,…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Ike Sturm + Evergreen: Shelter of Trees
In this day of nihilistic secularism, it’s easy to forget that at one time music was created to worship God. Remember Him? Oh, yeah, the one that made you, loves you, provides for you and will one day call you…
The David Liebman Group: Expansions
Jazz vet David Liebman wisely keeps it fresh by surrounding himself with younger artists on this rewarding and wide ranging set. The team of Bobby Avey/p-key, Alex Ritz/dr, Matt Vashishan/reeds and Tony Marino/b are versatile enough to fit any mood,…
Oran Etkin: What’s New?Reimagining Benny Goodman
Well, this isn’t your father’s Benny Goodman. Oran Etkin takes the King of Swing and brings him out of the Shtetl on this outside looking into the Benny Goodman songbook. He teams with Sullivan Fortner/p, Steve Nelson/vib and Matt Wilson/dr…
FOUR TRIOS…ACT: II, Gilad Hekselman: Homes, Bob Albanese: Time Remembered, Michael Gallant Trio: Live Plus One,
When you think of jazz trios, what usually came to mind is the piano-bass-drums format. There are a couple of those here, but a couple other entrées fit in as well. Tenor saxist Ben Wendel teams up with Harish Raghavan/b…
WERNER WONDERS…Kenny Werner: The Melody, Joyce Moreno-Kenny Werner: Poesia
Pianist Kenny Werner is one of those artists who is highly respected by his peers, but seemingly under appreciated by jazz fans. He’s done music ranging from big band to small group, in the pocket bop to outside free, and…
The Liberation Music Collective: Siglo XXI
Picking up where Charlie Haden’s Liberation Orchestra left off, the Liberation Music Collective is “dedicated to performing original compositions about contemporary social issues,” with eht “XXI” referring to the 21st Century. As with Haden’s big band, the subtitle should include,…