Jason Marsalis brings his vibes to lead a deft quartet with Austin Johnson/p, Will Goble/b and Dave Potter/dr. The sound is kinetic as the mallets and ivories swing over a repeating riff on “Ratio Man Strikes Again” and glisten to…
Month: March 2018
Adam Nussbaum: The Leadbelly Project
Drummer Adam Nussbaum delivers an intriguing tribute to the blues giant Leadbelly on this recent release. What sets it apart is not only the inclusion of two guitarists in Steve Cardenas and Nate Radley, but the smoky toned tenor of…
The Carl Michel Group: Music In Motian
Guitarist Carl Michel delivers a tribute to the composing skills of legendary drummer Paul Motian on this 2013-14 recording. He joins together with Mick Dobday/p, Dan Kolton/b and Alex Trajano/dr, wisely trying not to emulate anything from the legendary Bill…
Donny McCaslin@The Blue Whale 03.05.18
Taking time out from his work with Maria Schneider’s Orchestra, tenor saxist Donny McCaslin took a major step forward from his work with and dedicated to the late David Bowie and delivered an exciting 70 minute set of fresh new…
WERE THINGS REALLY THAT MUCH BETTER? James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke,etc: The 1962 R&B Hits Collection
When you hear some old curmudgeon say, “Today’s music stinks compared to when I was a kid,” it’s probably because they grew up listening to music like what you’re hearing on this 103 song, 4 cd collection. This box set…
THE GOLD STANDARDS…Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette: After the Fall
No, this is not a “reunion” of the quintessential trio of Keith Jarrett/p, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette/dr. It’s merely a musical Our Town recording of what was then called “The Standards Trio” captured on a 2 disc set from…
FEATHERY REEDS…Andy Shepard Quartet: Romaria, Shinya Fukumori Trio: For 2 Akis, Nicolas Masson: Travelers
In the days of swing, bop, hard bop and fusion, big macho sounds were emitted from the tenor sax, with the lithe legato of Lester Young being the anti-matter. Now-adays, even Pres would sound extroverted, as these three albums produce…
BLUES HIGHWAY…John Mayall: Three For the Road
For the past year, blues legend John Mayall has stripped his sounds down to an economical trio with Greg Rzab/b and Jay Davenport. This album finds him in the midst of a tour in Stuttgart, Germany, switching between keyboards and…
Bob Holz: Visions-Coast to Coat Connections
Drummer Bob Holz creates a soulful groove , dedicating the sound and feel to his late boss Larry Coryell. He mixes and matches with a core team of Ralphe Armstrong/b, Billy Steinway/key, David Goldberg/reeds and a rotating team of horns,…
Nick Biello: Vagabond Soul
Nick Biello plays alto and soprano sax, along with a dash of synthesizer as he has his compositions interpreted by a post-bop band of Phil Markowitz/p, John Benitez/b, Clarence Penn/dr, Paul Jones/ts, Andrew Renfroe/g and Vincent Lioni/viola. The compositions are…