If you’re a Charles Mingus fan (and if you aren’t, please explain yourself), you know that trumpeter Gene Shaw (1926-73) is probably his most obscure sideman. He did essentially a one-off with him, but that one session was the classic…
Month: June 2017
THIS IS A TEXAS TENOR 101….Illinois Jacquet: The Illinois Jacquet Collection 1942-56
So, I’m trying to review this 2 disc set by the prototypical Texas tenor Illinois Jacquet, but I just can’t get past the third song, as I’ve played “Flying Home” and ”Rock-A-Bye Basie” over and over for the past hour…
LATIN LIVES… Battle of Santiago: La Migra, Las Cafeteras: Tastes Like LA
Is it South of the Border, or just East LA? This eleven song collection by The Battle of Santiago is filed with urgent and electric mixes of garage rock and free jazz. Dark tones and tenor saxes rumble with electric…
Marius Preda: Mission Cimbalom
Quick: name two of the top jazz cimbalom players. Exactly! Over the years, Marius Preda played not only the cimbalom, but also violin, bass, accordion, piano and vibes for artists ranging from Mike Stern to John Patitucci , Dennis Chambers…
Dave Liebman & Joe Lovano: Compassion: The Music of John Coltrane
Recorded back in 2007, this album is a both a tribute as well as an anthology of the breadth and depth of the legacy of John Coltrane. Dave Liebman and Joe Lovano, no strangers to Coltrane’s sound and vision, perform…
Alex Wintz: Life Cycle
Liquid toned guitarist Alex Wintz puts together a strong and swinging album on this recent release. With a rotating team of Jimmy McBride/dr and Lucas PIno/ts, Victor Gould/p, Ben Williams-Dave Baron/b, Wintz shows a talent for dynamics and clarity on…
BRAZILIA! Mas Que Nada: Sea Journey
The breezy Brazilian band Mas Que Nada includes the lithe and rich voices of Monica Pabelonio with Kevin Dorta, sometimes in unison or alternating, each to wonderful effect. The pulsating rhythm team of Alex Snyder/perc, Jordan Otto/dr, Henry Rensch/b, Alfredo…
OH YEAH! Little Richard: Here’s Little Richard
It really doesn’t get much better than this… Richard Penniman, aka “Little Richard,” through a heat seeking missile at the pop world with his introductory album, reissued here in 2 discs with a collection of outtakes and extra takes. At…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Jimmy Greene: Flowers-Beautiful Life Volume 2
A few years ago, saxist Jimmy Greene released Beautiful Life, a heartfelt album dedicated to her 6 year old daughter who was murdered in the tragic Sandy Hook attack. Volume 2 picks up with Greene, a devout Christian, still coming…
Marc Copland: Better By Far
Pianist Marc Copland has been spending much time as a sideman with John Abercrombie, but he returns to his leadership role on this strong and lyrical album of originals. He’s assembled a top notch team, such as the intuitive Joey…