This album by vocalist Peter Campbell is subtitled “Celebrating Shirley Horn” and is sure to stump your friends on a blindfold test. Like Joe Pesci, Campbell has a breathy female-toned voice, and it works hauntingly well here in the varying…
Month: May 2017
MORE FROM THE VAULT…Art Pepper: The Art Pepper Quartet
Omnivore Records and widow Laurie Pepper continue to keep the career, influence and catalogue of Art Pepper alive, and we’re all better for it. This time out, the material isn’t new, but it is an obscure and long out of…
Diego Barber: One Minute Later
Guitarist Diego Barber puts together a richly textured and thoughtful album with Alejandro Coello/mar-perc, Eric Harland/dr and Ben Williams/b. He shows his rich and gentle touch with solo work on a lovely nylon guitar piece “Elvira Maria” while a bass…
SECOND HAND LIONS…Heads of State: Four In One, Bobby Watson: Made In America
A generation ago, these men were the “Young Lions” of jazz. Now they have aged gracefully to become the elder statesmen and the standard bearers. Consisting of Gary Bartz//as, Larry Willis/p, David Williams/b and Al Foster, the Heads of State…
Gregory Lewis: Organ Monk, The Breathe Suite
Hammond B3 organist Gregory Lewis has expanded his original idea of taking the music of Thelonious Monk and pureeing it in through the B3 filter, and know uses the bebopping pioneer as more of an inspirational starting point, as exemplified…
VINTAGE VAN…Van Morrison: The Authorized Bang Collection
Finally released in their original form, and fully authorized by Van the Man, this 3 cd set includes the original 16 songs/masters of his original 1967 album after leaving the hit group Them, as well as a series of outtakes…
Bria Skonberg: With a Twist
With each successive, and successful album, Bria Skonberg becomes more and more the latest generation’s Diana Krall. Initially starting out as a “trad” trumpet player who sang a bit, Skonberg is turning into an impressive vocalist who now intermittently blows a…
Hamid Cooper: # Juris 1020
So Cal artist Hamid Cooper goes it alone on this single release where he plays vibes and percussion. The sounds include a warm guitar rhythm that creates a warm Caribbean mood supplied by the leader’s hands and mallets. Hints of vintage…
Cuong Vu 4tet w/ Bill Frisell: Ballet (The Music of Michael Gibbs)
Clear toned trumpeter Cuong Vu teams with guitarist Bill Frisell as a member of his 4tet to give tribute to the music of composer/arranger Michael Gibbs. The feel of the album is relaxed and patient, and while Vu is usually…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Matt Otto with Ensemble Iberica: Iberica
Tenor saxist and composer Matt Otto puts together a thoroughly original, accessible and exciting session that mixes jazz with Andalusian sounds on this clever session. The unorthodox team includes the “Ensemble Iberica (Beau Bledsoe/g-oud, Jordan Shipley/g-cav, Michael McClintock/eg-tres) along with…