The band Zarabande consists of “El Toro” Alfred Flores who plays marimba and malletkat along with Joe Caploe/vib, Mark Little/p, Pete Ojeda/b and Dean Macomber/dr. As you can tell by the musicianship, there’s a lot of percussion in the discussion,…
Month: February 2017
Misha: Dreaming With Eyes Wide Awake
Michaela Steinhauer, or “Misha” as she likes to be called, teams up with dreamy team of Hendrik Meurkiens/vib-harp, Glauco Lima/p, Michael Jaros/b and Samuel Martinelle/dr. Her voice can range from wispy as Martinelle’s brushes team up on a bopping “Here…
Firey String Sistas!: That’s What She Said…
Here’s a band that gives evidence for the importance of a good gene pool. Daughters of two jazz icons, cellist Nioka Workman (from Reggie) and pianist Mala Waldron (from Mal)team up with violinist Marlene Rice, bassist Melissa Slocum and drummer…
Popa Chubby: The Catfish
Ya gotta love a guy that advertises himself as “Older, Wiser, Louder Stronger” in the liner notes. This guy plays guitar and percussion on all the songs, bass and drums on half and sings like he’s been chewing on the…
TRIOS! Leandro Cabral Trio: Alfa, Brandi Disterheft: Blue Canvas
Piano trios can have divergent paths. Here are a pair that swing with two distinct leaders at the helm. Pianist Leandro Cabral brings together Sidiel Vieira/b and Vitor Cabral/dr for some playful trio work. The leader shows his reflective touch…
Gilles Peterson: Presents Havana Cultura (Anthology)
Gilles Peterson presents modern Cuban sounds and singers in this 2 cd anthology. If you thought the alpha and omega of Cuban music was the Buena Vista Social Club, you’re going to have your ears expanded here, as there is…
THE “SOUL” OF JAZZ…Enoch Smith Jr: The Quest
“Enoch walked with God…” Genesis 5:24 As mentioned in the liner notes of this album, “Jazz is soul music.” Here, you have jazz returning to its roots, which is not the brothels, but the church with a post bop team…
Patrick Zimmerli Quartet: Shores Against Silence
Tenor saxophonist Patrick Zimmerli teams up for a post bop outing with Kevin Hays/p, Larry Grenadier/b, Tom Rainey/dr and Satoshi Takeishi/perc. His feel and sound is quite cerebral and thoughtful, creating intricate pieces such as the elliptical and angular “The…
Ian Christensen: Finding
Tenor saxist Ian Christensen teams up with Noah Bernstein/as, Ryan Meagher/g, Andrew Jones/b and Jonas Oglesbee/dr for some free flowing post modern pieces that veer between vintage Mingus and West Coast Cool. The pianoless group has a mix of looseness…
WARM TENOR…Jerry Coker: Composes-Arranges-Plays
Tenor saxist Jerry Coker had a couple of short stints with Woody Herman and Stan Kenton but he spent most of his time in jazz academia. What was a bonus for students was a loss for jazz fans, as this…