It’s not often that you get an album as a soundtrack for a book, but that’s what Toni Jannotta does here. The pianist, composer and singer delivers rich reads as musical accompaniment for the book My Little Heart Ruthie, delivering…
Month: October 2017
RK Dawkins: Journey
Engineer and producer RK Dawkins steps out into his own on this “solo” album where he creates a synth-funk sound and groove that harkens to the moods of Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters and The Crusaders. A hip-hoppy “The Wake” mixes sax…
Joe Bonamassa@The Arlington Theatre
In a recent interview, Joe Bonamassa mentioned that within the first 30 seconds of a performance, he can tell whether the crowd is going to connect with him to urge it on. The packed house passed the half minute rule…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK***The Frank Sinatra Collection: The Royal Festival Hall (1962) & Live At Carnegie Hall (1980)
If you’re ever wondering what made Frank Sinatra the most influential jazz vocalist (even though he always referred to himself as “a saloon singer”), just get a load of this dvd, which has him at two important zeniths of his…
Stefano Battaglia: Pelagos
Pianist Stefano Battaglia goes it alone for two albums as he plays piano and prepared piano through a collection of originals. The mood throughout is dreamy, reflected and luminous, and there’s nary a moment of ennui or self-absorption. The pieces…
Patrick Arthur, Dana Fitzsimons & Chris Otts: The Cheap 3nsemble
The Cheap Ensemble (hence the tricky title) trio of Patrick Arthur/g, Dana Fitzsimons/dr and tenor saxist Chris Otts team up for an album dominated by subtlety and quietude. Arthur has a delicate touch on his guitar, drinking deeply from the…
SPACIOUS TENORS…Adam Larson: Second City, Bryant, Fabian & Marsalis: Do For You?
Saxophone in the wide open spaces. Adam Larson plays both tenor and soprano sax with his team of Rob Clearfield/key, Clark Somers/b and Jimmy MacBride/dr on a collection of standards with a sole cover. Of the later, “Smells Like Teen…
Julian Gerstin Sextet: The One Who Makes You Happy
Julian Gerstin plays a plethora of hand percussion instruments as h leads a lithe and light sextet through 11 originals. The rest of the ensemble, Anna Patton/cl, Don Anderson/tp-fh, Eugene Uman/p-key, Wes Brown/b and Ben James/dr create some bouncy bop…
THE NEW TRAD…Paul Kelly: Life Is Fine, Railroad Earth: Captain Nowhere
Sounds of America’s past and present… Paul Kelly delivers vocals akin to an early Bob Dylan with bluesy Delaney and Bonnie inspired sounds on this upbeat album. Vika Bull adds voice to a Tom Waits-ish vaudevillian “My Man’s Got A…
John Vanore: Stolen Moments-Celebrating Oliver Nelson
Arranger, trumpeter and conductor John Vanore brings together a rich big band to “re-imagine” the classic works of saxist, arranger and composer Oliver Nelson, who is best known for his music on TV shows like Ironside and Night Gallery as…