Hughes Smith plays soprano, alto and tenor sax as he leads a team of Jimmy Smith/tp-ct-fh, Phil Kelly/p-key, Takashi Iio/b and Nate Winn/dr through a collection of originals that harken to vintage Herbie Hancock circa 60s Blue Note. Hints of…
Month: March 2018
PRE- INVASION…1955 British Hit Parade, The B Sides, Part 1 January -July, Part 2
Between the end of WWII and the influence of rock and roll which created The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Yardbirds, English popular music was dominated by rich toned vocalists from both sides of the Atlantic. This pair of…
Accent: In This Together
The international vocal team of Jean-Baptist Craipeau/ten, Simon Akesson/ten, Danny Frong/ten, Andrew Kesler/ten, James Rose/bar and Evan Sanders/bass create gorgeous (mostly) a capella harmonies with leads weaving in and out of these delightful six tunes. Wordless vocals are sublime on…
Mathias Eick: Ravensburg
For his latest album, trumpeter Mathias Eick focuses on his inner circle of relationships between family and friends. The intimate collection of tunes mostly range from 4-6 minutes, keeping the moods melodious and thoughtful. The team of Andreas Ulvo/p, Audun…
Richard Bona & Mandekan Cubano@The Broad Stage 03.17.18
While there is a plethora of bands that deliver the infectious sounds of Afro-Cuban, few deliver them from the African side of the world. Richard Bona, Cameroon-born bassist and vocalist, brought his vibrant Mandekan Cuban band to put the “Afro”…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Omar Sosa & NDR Big Band: ES: Sensual
All that is right about Afro-Cuban music is delivered here as Oma Sosa brings his piano, vibes and various sorts of percussion into the fold of the NDR Big Band under the direction of Jaques Morelenbaum. The 13 piece horn…
Peter Sommer Septet: Happy-Go-Lucky-Locals
Beefy toned tenor saxist/clarinetist Peter Sommer brings his swinging team of Will Swindler/as-bs-cl, Al Hood/tp-fh, Paul McKee/tb, Ban Markley/p, Buoux Barbosa/b and Paul Romaine/dr in step for a toe tapping mix of originals and Ellingtonian dominated covers. The team chugs…
Wali Ali: To Be
Guitarist Wali Ali teams with Bob Baldwin/b, Kevin Hill/p and Tony Lewis/dr to bring fresh perspectives to jazz standards and beyond. His love of the Miles Davis post bop feel is felt on his moody interpretation of “Nardis” and an…
Meyer/Slavin/Meyer/Black: Other Animal
The team of Peter Meyer/g-elec, Wanja Slavin/as-fl-el, Bernhard Meyer/b and Jim Black/dr create soft moods on this collection of 12 originals. The harmonics are pastoral and misty on pieces like “Drown Dreams” and the floating “Name of Cold Country” which…
ROCKING LADIES…Emily Burgess: Are We In Love?, Jennifer Lyn & the Groove Revival: Badlands
Even non-cowgirls get the blues… Emily Burgess is able to bridge the gap between indie singers and blueswailing guitarists, exemplified on this album with Sam Weber/g, Ryan Weber/b, Ryan Browne/p-key and Marcus Browne/dr. She writes almost everything and it ranges…