Celebrating the 100th birthday of the First Lady of Song, Verve Records as put together vintage sessions from the Decca and Verve days and blended them with newly orchestrated support from the London Symphony Orchestra. The rich textures arranged by…
Month: October 2017
Anat Cohen Tentet: Happy Song
If nothing else, clarinetist Anat Cohen does not sit still. Besides numerous conglomerations with the likes of Fred Hersch, within the past year she has released albums of Brazilian guitar duets and sensuous quartets. This time around, under the direction…
NEWER VOICES…Julie Benko: Introducing, Maria Schafer: To Know Love, Banda Magda: Tigre
Here are a three ladies that sound fresh and new… Julie Benko has a sweet gypsy flair to her voice, and uses it well on this flexible release which features her own material and some clever covers. The core team…
Adrian Cunningham: Jazz Speak
Adrian Cunningham is a triple threat on tenor sax, flute and clarinet on this richly swinging album with an all star rhythm team of Ted Rosenthal/p, John Clayton/b and Jeff Hamilton/dr. On tenor sax, his warm vibrato growls with delight…
JAM WITH SLAM…Lucia Ianniello: Live At Acuto Jazz, Anatma: Anatma, Glowering Figs, Glowering Figs
UK based Slam Records continues to release material that is adventurous and improvisational. Here are three exciting new forays. Lucia Ianniello play C trumpet along with ”objects” leading a creative and melodic team of Diana Torti/voc, Andrea Polinilli/ss-as-fl, Paolo Tombolesi/key…
PIANO SPOKEN HERE…Florian Hoffner: Coldwater Stories, Debbie Poryes Trio: Loving Hank, Guilhem Flouzat Trio: A Thing Called Joe
The marrow of jazz, the piano, is focused on for these three sublime releases. Florian Hoffner takes the piano in solo form on this collection of originals performed both in concert and studio. His touch is calm, assured and assuring…
Tim Armacost: Time Being
Tenor Saxist Tim ARmacost took a dose of his Sonny Rollins pills on this muscular trio/quartet album with Jeff “Tain” Watts/dr, Robert Hurst/b and guest David Kikoski/p. A dying breed these days, Armacost is beefy, bold and brash, growling like…
Bjorn Meyer: Provenance
Bjorn Meyer plays six stringed electric bass as well as the acoustic bass with sounds that you’ll swear come from either the classical guitar or mellotron. These twelve songs range from mystical and foggy backgrounds akin to The Hound of…
Lena Bloch & Feathery: Heart Knows
Tenor saxist and composer Lena Block has a gorgeously warm and mellifluous tone, sort of a mix between Lester Young and Warne Marsh, and she uses it to excellent effect on this honey-toned collection of originals with a post-bop team…
Stanley Clarke@The Broad Stage 10.14.17
Since his fully committed return to the jazz scene 10 years ago, Stanley Clarke has wisely walked the fine line of being faithful to his legion of long term fans with albums and concerts featuring reunions with Return to Forever,…