Jane Monheit has tapped into a great idea. Last year she successfully delved into songs made famous by Judy Garland, and here she follows up with a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald’s Songbook years. It’s amazingly successful, not only for the…
Month: April 2016
BOY, HAVE WE MISSED YOU!!! Murray, Allen & Carrington Power Trio: Perfection
It’s been years since David Murray moved to France and essentially abandoned the US jazz scene. At one time he was the poster child for all that was good and right with the experimental side of jazz, being one of…
HIS MOTHER’S OTHER BROTHER…Freddy Cole: He Was The King
Freddy Cole has made a remarkable career NOT cashing in on his legendary brother’s name, preferring to be known by his selection and delivery of tasty treats. This album is one of the few times he makes references to Nat…
SENHORA BLUES…Ana Moura: Moura
“Fado” is the Portuguese version of American Blues, or like it’s cousin, Brazilian “Saudade.” One of the best modern day deliverers of this wonderfully anguished material is Ana Moura. To produce her sixth studio album, she wisely chose Larry Klein,…
Jon Balke: Warp
Pianist Jon Balke goes solo on this collection of originals. The songs range from just over a minute to a tad under five, with the Balke mixing various “sound images” to complement each piece. This, you get the rustlings of…
Steve Dawson: Solid States & Loose Ends
It’s a deft trick to mix old school tradition with modern sounds, but guitarist-vocalist Steve Dawson does an impressive balancing act here. He’s got a voice that has hints of Kenny Rankin; a bit jazzy with a dash of blues,…
Beledo: Dreamland Mechanism
Guitarist, violinist, keyboardist and composer, Beledo teams up with a core team of Lincoln Goins/b and Gary Husband/dr along with a wide palate of guests on this exciting set. He shows his hard rock roots on “Mechanism” and delivers on…
Florian Hoefner Group: Luminosity
Pianist Florian Hoefner terams up with a free flowing team of Seamus Blake/ts-ss, Sam Anning/b and Peter Kronreif/dr on a graceful collection of originals. Blake, one of the strong yet unheralded tenor players around, sounds warm and glowing as he…
SIX STRINGS IN TWO SETTINGS…Henry Robinett: I Have Known Mountains, Jake Hertzog: Well Lit Shadow
Here are a couple guitarists who approach the jazz side of life in two different ways to create moods. Henry Robinett plays a variety of guitars along with joe gilman/p, Tom Brechtlein/dr, Joshua. Thruston-Milgrom/ab, Rob Lemas/eb and Dominic Edward Garcia/perc…
Socrates Garcia’s Latin Jazz Orchestra: Back Home
While there are not question and answer periods here, bandleader Socrates Garcia does an excellent job of justifying the epistemology of a big band, as he directs the 23 member unit through a collection of rich and exciting music based…