Vocalist Meredith Monk brings her husky voice to mix with various instruments to focus more on moods rather than songs. Dark shadows permeate pieces such as “Memory Zone” and sepia tones abound on “Dark/Light” and “Fractal Activity.” This isn’t a…
Month: January 2017
Andrea Claburn: Nightshade
Andrea Claburn mixes her own rich compositions with jazz standards with a wide ranging rotating team that includes Matt Clark/key, Sam Bevan/b and Alan Hall/dr as its core. She’s got a clear enunciation as Clark and company go modal on…
JAZZ MEETS METAL…Beninghone’s Hangmen: Zohove, Super Hi Fi: Plays Nirvana
Is the next stage of jazz fusion to be with heavy metal rockers? Here are two attempts… Playing various saxes and melodica, Bryan Beninghove teams up with guitarists Eyal Maoz and Dane Johnson, drummers Shawn Baltzor and Kevin Shea as…
Modus Factor: The Picasso Zone
Drummer Chris Lesso forms an intriguing trio with electric trumpeter Brownman Ali and bassis Ian De Souza for some funky electronics. Much of the time, the band sounds like an updated read of Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, with Ali’s horn making…
Steve Gadd Band@Catalina’s 01.19.17
Steve Gadd and his own version of the “Wrecking Crew” (Kevin Hays/key, Michael Landau/g, Jimmy Johnson/g, Walt Fowler/tp-fh,) thundered into Hollywood Thursday for a four night take-no-prisoners residency at Catalina Jazz Club. The crowded room was indulged with a delightful range…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****SUI GENERIS x2…Art Pepper & Warne Marsh: Unreleased Art Volume 9
This is Volume 9 of the continuing series of previously unreleased recordings of the legendary Art Pepper culled from the storage depot of his faithful wife Laurie. For my money, this is the best one yet for a couple of…
JC4: Can You Believe It?
Trombonist JS Sanford leads a flexible team of Mike Baggetta/g, Dave Ambrosio/b and Russ Meissner/dr though an elastic collection of originals sans one. Sanford has a rich and attractive tone, and uses it in a variety of settings, as Baggetta’s…
Richard Sears Sextet featuring Albert “Tootie” Heath: Altadena
Pianist Richard Sears brings along legendary drummer “Tootie” Heath to team up with Kirk Knuffke/ct, Steven Lugerner/as-bcl, Patrick Wolff/ts and Garret Lang/b through his five compositions. The band has a loose bop feel, as Heath’s crisp drumming pulses along for…
ONE MAN AT THE HELM…Mick Rossi: 160, Thollem McDonas: Meeting At The Parting Place
Both men are all alone in the studio; one plays a box-load of keyboards for 15 originals, the other just a piano for 4 of his own compositions. Compare and contrast! Mick Rossi plays (take a deep breath) piano, prepared…
CROSSING THE LINES…Huang Ruo: Red Rain, John Gibson: Traces, Timothy Dunne: Metaphrase, Areon Flutes: Thrive, Eraldo Bernocchi & Prakash Sontakke: Invisible Strings
Where does modern jazz begin and modern classical end? Here are a handful of albums to maybe ask more questions than they answer… Composer Huang Ruo employs solo cellos (Soo Bae), piano (Emanuele Arciuli, Stephen Buck) and his own piano…