Pianist Fred Thomas gives a Chopinesque read of JS Bach’s justly famed Dance Suites. Wisely using piano over the original harpsichord, Thomas is able to give extra dynamics to pieces such as “Allemande” and “Sarabande” by gently adding or distracting…
Month: January 2018
ISLAND HOPPING…Mista Savona Presents: Havana Meets Kingston
If the Buena Vista Social Club spent some time in Jamaica, they would create sounds akin to the attractive songs on this unique album. Artists from Jamaica and Cuba rotate in and out like specialists on a football team. Classic…
Trouble in the Streets: Electric Tribe
The trio of Mnedi Agbaroji/voc/key, Robert Slangen/dr and Andy Leonard/b-synth-prog put together a 4 song ep that sounds like a mix of R&B meeting Kraftwerk. Lots of electronic slithering around the big beats for Agbaroji’s earthy vocals on “Pyramid Scheme”…
The Achromatics: Give Me That Beat
Big and bold horns are served on this dance-fested release by Jay Vazquez/g, Shannon Graham/ts, Chelsea McBride/wwinds, Kathryn Scobie/tb, Megan Jutting/tp-fl, Reuven Grajner/p, Matt DeLuca/b, Aaron Spink/dr and Robert Joshua Molina/perc. Along with the middleweight punch of the horns, just…
Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox: The New Classics
21st Century swing for the Millennials is delivered in concert form by arranger and pianist Scot Bradlee, who brings together Jesse Elder/p, Adam Kubota/b, David Tedeschi/sax-cl, Lemar Guillary/tb, Mike Cottone/tp and Tim Kubart/tamb for a show long on attitude and…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Gaia Wilmer Octet: Migrations
Saxist Gaia Wilmer creates a pastoral album with the team of Yulia Musayelyan/fl, Song Yi Jeon/voc, Gustavo D’Amico/sax, Lendro Pellegrino/g, Vitor Goncalves/p-acc, Mayo Pamplona/b, Richie Barshay/dr and guest Raphael Lehnen/perc. The songs mix Jeon’s ethereal voice blending in with the…
Satoko Fujii Quartet: Live At Jazz Room Cortez
Pianist Satoko Fujii brings together a free form quartet with Keisuke Ohta/vio-voc, Natsuki Tamura/tp-voc and Takashi Itani/dr-perc for a pair of long improvisations performed at the jazz Room Cortez in Mito, Japan back in Dec. 22, 2016. The 18 minute…
NEW YOUNG GROUPS…Trallskogen: Trollskogen, Weird Turn Pro: The Repeatedely Answered Question
Jazz bands are back in style, and here are a couple newer ones with fresh and eclectic ideas Consisting of Annika Jonsson/voc, Steffen Lang/g, Martin Jager/p, Felix Hubert/b and Kevin Nasshan/dr, the band called Trallskogen specializes in what they call…
George Martin: The Film Scores & Orchestral Music
Besides being the famed producer for The Beatles, Jeff Beck and the Mahavishnu Orchestra, George Martin was an accomplished composer, and I’m willing to be you’ve listened to his music in one of the films covered here.Conducted by Craig Leon,…
SWINGING VOICES…Diana Panton: Solstice/Equinox, Astrid Kuljanic: Transatlantic Exploration Company
Sounds from all parts of the world are explored by these adventurous vocalists. Diana Panton has a sweet girl-next-door voice not dissimilar from vintage Blossom Deari as she teams with Guido Basso/tp-fh-ct, Hil Dwyer/sax, Reg Schwager/g and Don Thompson/g-p-vib. With…