Bassist Frank Wagner leads a fresh and flexible post-bop trio through seven of his own compositions. His chops are never in doubt, as he gives his fingers a workout on “Memory” and bows with the best on the luminous “Mirror.”…
Month: May 2018
FREE FORM…Barre Phillips & Motoharu Yoshizawa: Oh My, Those Boys!, Kang Tae Hwan: Live At Café’ Amores
Spontaneous compositions… Bassists Barre Philips and Motoharu Yoshizawa team up for two long improvised conversations. The first one is a gently drawn out and undulating mix of quietude building up into a climax. The second piece includes soft bowing, rustling…
JAZZ TRIOS…Emmet Cohen: Masters Legacy Series Volume 2, Oak Trio: Liminality
The marrow of jazz, the piano trio, is well exhibited on these two releases. Pianist Emmet Cohen joins with Ron Carter/b and Evan Sherman/dr for gif in Vancouver, BC on June 29, 2017. The team is classy and elegant as…
VOICE FEMME…Alexandra Jackson: Legacy & Alchemy, Heather Bennett: Lazy Afternoon
Fresh new voices. Alexandrea Jackson has a folksy tone to her voice as she veers towards modern Brazilian sounds on this ep. Her sensuous nasal delivery is a charmer on “Brazilica” and is warm and alluring with the percussion on…
Howard Riley: Listen to Hear
Pianist Howard Riley goes solo on this graceful and melodic collection of originals and a handful of covers. While Riley’s touch is gentle and flowing, there is a dash of Monk-like playfulness and harmonics, evidenced by “Three to Four” and…
WOODWIND DELIGHTS…Mayu Saeki: Hope, Duo Damiana: Castillos de Viento, Diane Moser: Birdsongs, Dolce Suono Trio: American Canvas
Making a comeback in the jazz scene, the flute is displayed here on these recent releases showing its strength, beauty and flexibility. Mayu Saeki plays flute, piccolo and traditional shinobue along with Aaron Goldberg-Nori Ochiai/p, Joe Sanders/b and John Davis/dr…
FREE AND OUTSIDE…Tania Chen: John Cage Electronic Music for Piano, Hall/Koening/Idzerda: Three Way Conversations, Michael Moss’s Accidental Orchestra: Helix
Is there sheet music for these albums? Tania Chen plays piano, while Jon Leidecter does “mobiles and mixer,” Thurston Moore provides electric guitar and David Toop brings in “resonance, secondary amplification, swallowed instruments and feedback” to this interpretation of John…
THE LION IN THE WINTER…Ben Webster: Valentine’s Day 1964 Live
Along with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, Ben Webster was part of the Holy Trinity of Tenor sax players, being the standard bearer for the rich and full breathy tone that artists still strive for this very day. The Ellington…
THIS IS A JAZZ TRUMPET 101…Eddie Henderson: Be Cool
While being on some of the most important albums by the likes of Herbie Hancock and Billy Harper, trumpeter Eddie Henderson has lived below the radar of name recognition, which is a pity as this most recent album has the…
THE GRANDPA MOSES OF THE BLUES…Late Blossom Blues-The Journey of Leo “Bud” Welch
If you ever think it’s too late to start a new phase of your life, just watch this 90 minute documentary produced by Wolfgang Pfoser-Almer. This film tells the story of Leo “Bud” Welch, who recorded his first album, Sabougla…