Get on your dancing shoes for this album by pedal steel virtuoso Joe Goldmark. He’s gonna fill the floor with these two stepping delights, mixing instrumentals with some fervent vocals by Glenn Walters and Dallis Craft. Teaming with Paul Revelli/b,…
Month: May 2018
Matt Lemmler: Love
I didn’t think they made them like Matt Lemmler anymore. He sings, plays the piano and writes his own material like the vintage guys from the 70s, such as Kenny Rankin or Danny O’Keefe. This two disc set has him…
LAID BACK ROCKERS…Kris Lager Band: Love Songs & Life Lines, Jeff Plankenhorn: Sleeping Dogs
Mellow guys with strings and voice… Singer/guitarist Kris Lager delivers a good-natured mix of rock and blues with a team of John Fairchild/dr, Aaron Underwood/b, Lefever/sax, Jeremiah Weir/B3 and a collection of guests. His voice works well with Lefever’s tenor…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Steve Gadd Band: Steve Gadd Band
Drummer extraordinaire Steve Gadd brings his working team of Walter Fowler/tp-fh, Kevin Hays/key, Jimmy Johnson/b, Michael Landau/g and guest son Duke Gadd/g-perc for a collection of tunes that musically reflects his center of gravity, namely fusion jazz with soul. Gadd’s…
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! Hopes and Dreams: The Lullaby Project
Talk about your concept albums! In celebration of the 150th year anniversary of Johann Brahms’ famed “Lullaby,” the Carnegie Hall Weill Music Institute created the Lullaby Project, which brings various artists interpreting songs by new mothers, pregnant moms and family…
Deborah Swiney: I Remember Rio
Deborah Swiney brings a strong and Sarah Vaughan-esque voice to deliver soulful reads of Brazilian on this infectious release. The team of Ed Finney/g, Tony Thomas/p-org, Sam Shoup/b, Tom Lonardo/dr, Lannie McMillian/wwinds, Carolyn Wright-Chatman/voc and Felix Hernandez-Ekpe Abioto-Barry Ford/perc mix…
Victoria Kaunova & Ilya Morozov: The First!
Vocalist Victoria Kaunova has a strong, optimistic and almost Broadway styled voice, and uses it well in a jazz sitting with partner Ilya Morozov on alto sax and flute along with Alex Sipiagin/tpfh, Azat Bayazitov/ts, Evgeny Lebedev/p, Daria Chernakova/b and…
Boreas: In My Life
Consisting of Alvaro Vieito/g, Xan Campos/p, Luis Salto/b and Jesus Pazos/dr, Boreas delves into the Beatles songbook and delivers fresh readings of Fab Four hits. Most intriguing is the lack of intimidation of “classic” versions of these songs, as the…
Simon Pilbrow: Colours of Sound
Composer and pianist Simon Pilbrow teams up with the Brent Fischer Orchestra and guests Ken Peplowski/cl, Bobby Shew/tp and Larry Koonse/g for a swinging and optimistic collection of originals. Fischer does the arranging while adding bass, vibes and marimba, with…
Jemal Ramirez: African Skies
Drummer Jemal Ramirez creates a variety of grooves on the seamless album with Warren Wolf/vib-mar, Howard Wiley/ss-as-ts, Mile Olmos/tp, Matthew Clark/p-key and John Shifflett/b. His touch and drive is nimble, dancing and galloping with the assertive horns on pieces such…