Gypsy swing with an extra fling is the thing here with the team of Craig Sharmat/g-voc, Brian Mann/acc-p-voc, Kim Collins/b-vic and George Quirin/flamg as they mix moments of Django Reinhardt with straight-ahead grooves. Bohemia from the Left Bank is in…
Month: February 2018
Rusty Young w/ Chelsea Williams@The Grammy 02.08.18
Although he’s had a 50+ year career recording with the likes of Buffalo Springfield and the Eagles as well as being a Founding Father of Poco, Rusty Young has taken this long to finally release a solo album. At the…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Hristo Vitchev Quartet: Of Light and Shadows
Guitarist Hristo Vitchev continues to create an impressive and wide ranging catalogue with this latest album. He’s with his regular quartet of Jasnam Daya Singh/p, Dan Robbins/b and Mike Shannon/dr and they work together like the Houston Astro’s infield; perfectly…
MEMPHIS STEW…Stax Singles, Volume 4: Rarities & The Best of the Rest
This 6 cd set is the fourth volume of the invaluable cache released by Stax Records, commemorating the 60th Anniversary of the legendary label. Instead of re-issuing the standard hits by Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes and Booker T Jones, this collection…
NORTHERN LIGHTS…Aki Rissanen: Another North, Laginha-Arguelles-Norbakken: Setembro
Gorgeous sounds coming from Scandinavia…. Finnish pianist Aki Rissanen leads a trio with Antti Lotjonen/b and Teppo Makynen/dr through a collection of pieces mostly self-penned. His touch and composing style has a glowing lilt, as evidenced on “Blind Desert”…
BIRD OF FIRE…Gary Husband: A Meeting of Spirits
Pianist Gary Husband gives solo reads from the John McLaughlin songbook on this richly creative album. What Husband is able to do in this format is focus on the underrated penmanship of the fusion guitarist, and the idea works amazingly…
THE FIRST SOUL MAN…Jackie Wilson: The Complete Singles As & Bs 1952-62
Before Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Michael Jackson and Teddy Pendergrass, the voice of soul for R&B was delivered by ex-boxer Jackie Wilson. He had a set of chops that flew into the stratosphere or dug deep into…
Takaaki: New Kid In Town
Pianist Takaaki Otomo leads a fresh sounding trio with Noriko Ueda/b and Jared Schonig/dr through a mix of covers and originals. His touch is optimistically swinging, both modern and traditional on his own pieces as Schonig’s cymbal adds a pulse…
Alberto Pibiri: Jazz Legacy
Pianist Alberto Pibiri leads a swinging quartet with Paul Gill/b, Paul Wells/dr, Adrian Cunningham/ts-cl and some guests on a swinging mainstream album. Pibiri’s touch hints of the joyful aplomb of Oscar Peterson or Gene Harris as on the gospel grooved…
The New York Electric Piano: State of the Art
Comprised of Pat Daugherty/p-ep-B3, Aaron Comess/dr and Richard Hammond/b, the New York Electric Piano mixes post bop ideas with soulful grooves. The team can get fusion when Comess hits hard on “Wish For A Thousand Wishes” and gets funky with…