Vocalist Sarah Jenson delves into the poetry of William Butler Yeats for lyrics as she sets music to the famous poet that ranges from chamber jazz to free form improve. Tom Richards conducts the team of Linnea Thacker/v, Aleksandar Gajic/via,…
Month: December 2017
Sam Newsome & Jean-Michel Pilc: Magic Circle
Pianist Jean-Michel Pilc teams up with soprano saxist Sam Newsome for some free and frisky readings of standards. What keeps the music intact is Newsome’s gorgeous tone, even when he creates effects with his mouthpiece, and stretches out the melody…
Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band@ Catalina’s 12.11.17
Going to a Christmas Concert by Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band is like celebrating the Holiday with your hip uncle; you know you’re going to get something unexpected, but you’re going to like it. Goodwin and company didn’t disappoint, as…
A FORGOTTEN UK TENOR…Dick Morrissey: Live at The Bell 1972
Somewhat underappreciated on this side of the Atlantic, saxist Dick Morrissey (1940-2000) had a wide ranging career, playing with artists from Jimmy Witherspoon to JJ Johnson and Peter Gabriel. This 1972 concert from 1972 in Berkshire, UK has him at…
Carsten Dahl Experience: The Ultimate Experience
One goal of any band is to have its own unique sound and style. The decade-long team of Carsten Dahl/p, Jesper Zeuthen/as, Nils “Bosse” Davidsen/b and Stefan Pasborg demonstrate on this 5 disc anthology that they’ve carved out a sui…
THE JAZZIEST PLACE ON EARTH! Jazz Loves Disney 2: A Kind of Magic
This second collection of jazz stars interpreting The Magic Kingdom Songbook is as good as the first, and that’s saying a lot. This album reminds us that jazz is a verb, as you get a R&Bish groove and hip guitar…
AS GOOD AS HOLIDAY? Peggy Lee: With the Benny Goodman Orchestra 1941-47
I always stump my friends when I play a “Blindfold Test” with vocalist Peggy Lee from her 1940s recordings. Invariably, people will think it is Billie Holiday, or they’ll say, “It’s some black singer; I just can’t figure out which…
Adam Rudolph: Morphic Resonances
Seven compositions by Adam Rudolph are presented in a variety of forms on this album that mixes classical, folk and jazz sensibilities. Two pieces by the Mementa String Quartet are 13 minute excursions with “Morphic Resonances” producing melancholic Bartok moods…
Benji Kaplan: Chorando Sete Cores
A mix of Brazilian moods with chamber woodwinds are created by composer Benji Kaplan on this pastoral album with Anne Drummond/fl, Remy Le Boeuf/cl-bcl and David Byrd-Marrow/frhn with the leader on nylon string guitar. The pieces mix dancing clarinet and…
Jeff Dingler: In Transit
Bassist Jeff Dingler forms a flexible quartet with Brad Shepik/g, Lou Rainone/p, Gusten Rudolph/dr and guest Josh Bailey/perc on eight pastoral pieces. Dingler’s touch is authoritative, bearing down on the bopping “Merkato Navigation” and creating an exotic cadence as Shepik…