The trio of Paul Pigat/g-voc, Keith Picot/b and Jesse/dr remind us that chops and musical virtuosity can also swing with fun on this infectious tribute to Merle Travis. The mood and beat are up and two stepping, with chops being…
Month: February 2018
Steve Slagle: Dedication
Alto saxist Steve Slagle stays loyal to his dedication to mainstream bop on this attractive album with long time buddy Dave Stryker/g and a team of Scott Coley/b, Bill Steward/dr, Roman Diaz/perc and Lawrence Fields/p. Slagle’s tone is rich, warm…
John Stetch & Vulneraville: The Vancouver Concert
Pianist John Stetch leads a tam of Steven Kortyka/sax, Ben Tiberio/b and Philippe Lemm/dr through a five song concert from May 7, 2017 in Vancouver, Canada’s Pyatt Hall. The band has a light and airy fragrance, lead by Stetch’s nimble…
Aaron Aranita Segunda Vista: Second Sight
Composer arranger and saxist Aaron Aranita teams with conductor Brent Fischer for a strong big band reading of originals. The sax section features the strong team of Kirsten Edkins/ts and Tom Peterson/ts, supplying rich solos on the samba’d “Bells” and…
Enzo Rocco & Ferninando Farao: Fields
Guitarist Enzo Rocco joins with drummer Ferninando Farao for eleven freely improvised duets. The prevailing mood creates more noodling than a restaurant in Little Tokyo, as pieces like “Splinters” or “Ferdinand Solaire”” are little more than repetitive riffs mixed with…
Neil Slater at North Texas: Legacy
Composer, pianist and educator, Neil Slater has his 60 year career of musical achievements anthologized on this 4 disc collection that includes his various bands from the College of Music at the University of North Texas. From the 1980s through…
Backtrack Blues Band: Make My Home in Florida
While well known for its everglades and keys, Florida shows it can get swampy as well with the home grown Backtrack Blues Band getting juke joint jumpin’. The team of Sonny Charles/voc-harp, Kid Royal/voc-g, Little Johnny Walter/g, Joe Bencomo/dr and…
Gregory Lewis: Organ Monk Blue
B3er Gregory Lewis continues to delve into the Thelonious Monk songbook, this time with a trio of Marc Ribot/g and Jeremy Bean Clemons/dr. Ribot’s guitar tones and effects add textures to Monk’s sophisticated harmonies and quirky rhythms, getting funky on…
Christine Rosander: Been A Long Time
Christine Rosander brings a rural Nashville skyline to an album with Doug Petty/p-acc, Edwin LIvinggston/b, Paul Alexander Gonzalez and various guests on this recording of heartfelt originals. Her delivery is folksy a la Roseanne Cash on pieces such as “Honey…
Carlos Henriquez: Dizzy Con Clave
Dizzy Gillespie’s canon of music was made to be interpreted by Afro-Cuban artist. Bassist and leader Carlos Henriquez puts together a caliente team of Michael Rodriguez/tp, Terrel Stafford/tp, Melissa Aldana/ts, Marshall Gilkes/tb, Manuel Valera/p, Anthony Almonte/cong-voc and Obed Calvaire/dr through…