Hints of various late period moods and sounds of Miles Davis are re-kindled on this album by trumpeter Anders Bergcrantz. The Swede sounds like he’s been weaned on albums like On the Corner and Live/Evil as his pungent horn bristles…
Month: April 2017
Joe Garrison and Night People: The People Upstairs
Composer, arranger and pianist Joe Garrison brings together a jazz chamber group of Lori Bell/fl, Dr. Ariana Warren/cl/bcl, Derek Cannon/fh, Brian O ‘Donnell/btb, Melonie Grinnell/p, Tim McNalley/b, Michael Hayes/dr and Nicolee Kuester/fhorn. At times the band has an artsy Miles…
O.R.k: Soul Of An Octopus
King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto teams up with vocalist Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari, bassist Colin Edward (from Porcupine Tree) and guitarist Carmelo Pipitone (Mara Sui Tub) for a mix of heavy metal, rock and pro grog. Hints of late period Crimson…
EARLY QUEEN OF THE BOSSA NOVA…Pat Thomas: Desifinado & Moody’s Mood
Not well known these days, Chicago born and bred pat Thomas was actually one of the first to do English language versions of the then nascent bossa nova genre back in 1962. These two albums, arranged mostly by Lalo Schifrin,…
Ben Markley Big Band featuring Terell Stafford: Clockwise-the Music of Cedar Walton
One of jazz’s most steady hard boppers in both performance and composition, Cedar Walton, is given his big band due on this album lead by fellow pianist Ben Markely and his big band. The charts are clever without sounding sterile,…
SOUNDS FROM AFAR…Synthesize the Soul: Astro-Atlantic Hypnotica From the Cape Verde Islands 1973-1988, Putumayo Presents: Vintage Italia
Music from other lands and other eras; put on your travelling shoes! Ostinato Records releases an 18 song collection of songs from the Cape Verde Islands, subtitled Disco Funana. The music from these various groups is filled with infectious calypso…
Dominic Miller: Silent Light
Dominic Miller plays both acoustic guitar and electric bass in a series of bucolic duets with percussionist/drummer Miles Bould. The mood is relaxed and verdant, with green hills imagined with the folksy strums of guitar on “What You Didn’t Say”…
BEFORE BILLIE AND ELLA, THERE WAS…Alberta Hunter: The Collection 1921-40
One of the forgotten links these days in female jazz vocalist was Alberta Hunter (1895-84)who’s career is respectfully reconstructed here on this 4 cd set. She, along with Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey and Ethel Waters, mixed jazz, vaudeville and ragtime…
The Last Waltz 40th Anniversary@The Orpheum 04.13.17
Yogi Berra may have said “nostalgia ain’t what it used to be,” but you couldn’t prove it Thursday night at the Orpheum Theatre, as the classic Last Waltz concert of 2 score years past was celebrated with old and familiar…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****SURF’S UP!!! The Ventures: The Collection 1960-62
One of THE most influential bands of the 20th Century, the Ventures created, perfected and personified the “ rock instrumental” that inspired legions of guitarists, with Neil Young being one of the most vocal supporters these days. Initially formed by…