Angeleno George Kahn is one of the underrated wonders of jazz piano. All of his albums are impressive and strong, reflecting a foot in the tradition but not stuck in the past. This most recent release has him with bassist…
Month: April 2018
Robben Ford: Made to Last
For this latest ep, guitarist Robben Ford teams with Wes Little-Nick D’Virgilio/dr, Brian Allen-Dave Martin/b, Casey Wasner/g and Jeff Coffin/sax for a co-production with Mark Hornsby that is rich and rootsy. The team has a bluesy swamp with the addition…
Horseshoes & Hand Grenades: The Ode
Traditional bluegrass sounds and moods are delivered by the team of Adam Greuel/g-p-voc, Russell Pedersen/banj-voc, Samual Odin/b-voc, Davey Lynch/p-harp-voc and Collin Mettelka/fid-voc. All of the tunes are composed by the band members and mix some homespun vocals with rich harmonies…
THE BLUEST OF BLUES…The Walter “Furry” Lewis Collection 1927-61, Sonny Boy Williamson II: The Complete Trumpet, Ace & Checker Singles 1951-62
One of America’s great contribution to Western Civilization is the blues. Here we have a pair of retrospective 2 disc sets by two gents that bled indigo. Walter “Furry” Lewis (1893?-1981) had a career that had him become one of…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Alfredo Rodriguez: The Little Dream
You know that if Quincy Jones discovers and promotes an artist, he’s got to have something extra in his soul. Cuban pianist and composer Alfredo Rodriguez justifies the endorsement, as his previous albums, all focusing on different moods and band…
SATCHMO’S RENAISSANCE: Louis Armstrong: Pops is Tops
Louis Armstrong tends to get the latter part of his career dismissed because his concerts tended to play the same traditional material. To that complaint, I always ask, “Were you expecting him to perform ‘So What’?” Yes, his concerts had…
AVID STRETCHES OUT…Peggy Lee: Four Classic Albums, Jeri Southern: Four Classic Albums, Alto Sax: Four Classic Albums, Jazz Trumpet: Four Classic Albums, The Sounds of Detroit: Five Classic Motortown Albums
UK based Avid Records gets a bit creative in its selection of material for its two disc sets. Two sets focus on albums by jazz artists that were their debuts, while two other sets spotlight cool toned ladies. Last, but…
Cameron Mizell: Memory/Imagination
Guitarist Cameron Mizell goes solo with just guitar, imagination and a supply of pedals on his collection of improvisations/compositions. At times, he makes the instrument sound akin to a vamping keyboard (“A Turning Point”) or even a piano (“A Toast”)…
Betty LaVette: Things Have Changed
Veteran soul singer Betty LaVette shows she’s still looking for new worlds to conquer. She delves into the Bob Dylan songbook, mostly focusing on lesser known tunes, and gives them a dash of Southern cooking on this album. She teams…
Satoko Fujii: Solo
Venerated pianist Satoko Fujii celebrates her 60th year by producing a rare solo album of originals free thinking compositions along with an interpretation of Jimmy Giuffre’s “Moonlight.” Her intuitive touch and approach has hints of Keith Jarrett on this personal…