When you think of the mix of Afro Cuban with jazz, you usually get reflections of woodwinds, brass and dance rhythms. Trombonist Wayne Wallace and percussionist Michael Spiro throw us for a loop here as they mix the tradition of…
Month: March 2016
Jenny Maybee & Nick Phillips: Haiku
Trumpet, piano, bass, voice Create clever standards and new For ears to rejoice www.maybeephillips.com jennymaybeemusic.com www.nickphillipsmusic.com
BRASS AND KEYS…The 3 Trumpet Band: Salt Mines, Naked Truth: Avian Thug
The mix of trumpet with keyboards has been around since Miles plugged in back a generation ago. Here are a couple recent salvos coming from two different directions. The tree trumpet team of Dick Titterington, Thomas Barber and Paul Mazzio…
Groove Legacy: Groove Legacy
This band describes itself as “Soul Jazz’s Missing Link,” and that’s not too far off the mark. On first listen, I thought to myself “are these some outtakes of 70s Crusaders sessions?” You’ve got some rich an d punctuated horns,…
Jim Clayton: Lenny Jumps In
Pianist Jim Clayton delivers an impressive mainstream session along with his team of Andrew Scott/g, David Peters/dr, Steve Lucas/b and Paul Ormandy/perc. Except for a vintage read of “Cheek to Cheek,” Clayton supplies all of the material, such as the…
Jessika Smith Big Band: Tricks of Light
Here’s a forward thinking big band lead by composer, producer and saxist Jessika Smith. The orchestra includes 5 saxes, 5 trumpets, 4 trombones and a 5 team rhythm section for the eight originals and cover of “If I Loved You.”…
Johnny Rawls: Tiger In A Cage
If you like your soul from an old soul, take a listen to vocalist Johnny Rawls. He’s got a sorghum rich voice and he works it like he’s toured the Chitlin’ circuit a few times, as he mixes originals with…
Mark Etheredge: Connected
Pianist Mark Etheredge keeps it upbeat and melodic on this collection of originals. He teams up with a core group of Roberto Vally/b, Richie Garcia/perc, Gorden Campbell/dr and Paul Brown/g for easy on the ears pieces such as “Groovin’ With…
Laura Perlman: Precious Moments
Vocalist Laura Perlman delivers standards with an old soul as she teams up with Bill Cunliffe/p, Mark Sherman/vib, Chris Colangelo/b and Joe La Barbera/dr. She has a tender vibrato and uses it in a mature and relaxed manner on tunes…
SONIC WALLPAPER PLUS…Laraaji: Ambient 3-Day of Radiance
Brian Eno was the pioneer of what we now call “Ambient Music” which was a type of background music made for the subconscious. This third in a series of ambient recordings has Eno producing an album by Edward Larry Gordon…