Homages to Bob Wills and Pure Prairie League are in abundance on this Western Swinger of an album. The team of Alex Dormont/voc-b, Cat Clemons/g, Ileana Nina/fid, Stephen Bidwell/dr, Joey Colarusso/sax, Dan Walton/p, Dave Biller/stg and Jimmy Shortell/tp-acc keep the…
Month: February 2018
SWINGING FROM CANADA…Carn Davidson 9: Murphy, Ilios Steryannis: Bethany Project
Canada does more than produce hockey players. Here’s some music that clears the rink. Trombonist William Carn teams up with woodwinder Tara Davidson to lead a loose and swinging ensemble of origials. The pianoless nonet includes Kelly Jefferson/ts-ss-cl, Perry White/bs,…
Negative Press Project: Eternal Life-Jeff Buckley Songs and Sounds
Composer and performer Jeff Buckley is given a creative tribute here by the Negative Press Project, consisting of Ruthie Dineen/p, Lyle Link/ts, Andrew Lion/b, Lus Salcedo/g, Chris Sullivan/as, Max Miller-Loran/tp, Mike Mitchell/dr and a collection of vocalists. The two disc…
Bobo Stenson Trio: Contra La Indecision
Crystal moods are created by pianist Bobo Stenson and his team of Anders Jorman/b and Jon Falt/dr. The trio works on starry starry nights of sound, starkly swinging as Falt’s cymbals chime and drive the stark moods on “Doubt Though…
TEXAS SWING…Jim Riggs’ Best of the Two: Nice!, Airstream Artistry, University of North Texas: Perseverance, One O’Clock Lab Band: Lab 2017
Northern Texas isn’t just known for pro and college sports teams. The University of North Texas boasts an impressive music department, as these four albums testify. Jay Saunders leads a big band of students on two swinging discs. The arrangements…
Gordon Hyland’s\\ Living Fossil//: Never Die!
Chestnut-toned tenor saxist Gordon Hyland creates an album of varying sepia tones with a core team of Mackenzie Longpre/dr and Neil Whitford/eg and mixing and matching Mike Murley/ts, Andrew Roorda/eb, Vivienne Wilder/ab and Torrie Seager/eg through a collection of originals…
ALMOST THE LAST ONE!!! Duke Ellington & His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows Vol. 24
This is the penultimate 2 cd set of radio broadcasts from Duke Ellington’s Orchestra from Storyville Records. What will have to look forward to? I feel like I’m being abandoned by a generous uncle! This set is a bit different,…
Gael Horellou Quintet featuring Jeremy Pelt: Coup De Vent
Strong toned French alto saxist Gael Horellou brings together an international team of Jeremy Pelt/tp, Etienne Deconfin/p, Viktor Nyberg/b and Antoine Paganotti/dr for a collection of strong post modern originals. The team hits hard wit Paganotti’s assertive drum work on…
SWINGING REISSUES FROM AVID…Chet Baker: Four Classic Albums, Gerry Mulligan: Four Classic Albums, Red Garland: Four Classic Albums, Don Ellis: Three Classic Albums Plus
The latest cache of releases from UK-based Avid Records focuses on some wonderful West Coast sounds, modern tones and a different type of “West” music.. There are essentially three phases to Chet Baker: the West Coast Cool trumpeter, the…
A WORLD OF VIOLINS…Machiko Ozawa: Mi Oblivion, Mioi Takeda & Lynn Bechtold: MIOLINA
Here is a pair of albums focusing on the under-used and appreciated violin in the modern world of jazz. Machiko Ozawa delivers a Baker’s Dozen collection of duets with a rotating team of pianists, including Alon Yavnai, Ryo Yanagitani, Ayako…