Warm pastoral moods are created by pianist and composer Amina Figarova as she melds woodwinds and brass to give sonic sounds akin to Givenchy. Folksy strings by Sara Caswell, Lois Martin and Jody Redhage Ferber lurk and form gentle rice…
Month: May 2019
LATIN WOMEN OF SONG…Claudia Villela: Encantada Live, Ashley Pezzotti: We’ve Only Just Begun, Karina Corradini: Bridge to Infinity
Latin voices of joy… Brazilian singer Claudia Villela is captured in a variety of settings for a series of concerts in California, Washington and New Mexico. The teams range from a rich septet including Jasnan Daya Singh/p, Rocardo Peixonto/g, Gary…
Hazel Mitchell-Bell: Stronger Than Ever
I’ve never heard any material from Hazel Mitchell-Bell, probably due to the fact that she’s based in Washington DC, but this album is impressive as she mixes jazz with soul and R&B, showing she knows how to work a room. …
Simon Sammut & Omar Vazquez: Gravity
It has to be assumed that the title of the album refers to the fact that we have two bassists here keeping things grounded on this mix and match of basses with various guests. The only actual duet, “Mar” is…
Peter Lin: New Age Old Ways
Big toned trombonist Peter Lin shows strength and confidence as he literally locks horns with famed tenor saxist JD Allen in a pianoless quartet. Bassist Ian Kenselaar and drummer Nic Cacioppo leave the horns nowhere to hide as they drive…
Yuriy Galkin: …For Its Beauty Alone
Bassist/composer Yuriy Galkin teams up with David Binney/as, Matt Mitchell/p-key and Rudy Royston/dr for a melodic tapestry of moods and atmospheres. Usually on the bright and left side of things, Binney is richly restrained, creating sublime tones on lyrical pieces…
Esperanza Spalding: 12 Little Spells
Esperanza Spalding continues to live a wide variety of musical lives, with this album being no exception. While she’s adept at the post bop sounds as she teams with the likes of Joe Lovano or Tom Harrell, her own material…
Dred Scott: Rides Alone
Dred Scott plays all of the instruments here, namely piano, bass, keyboards, drums and shaker for this collection of eight original themes. It’s difficult to tell which one he’s most comfortable with, as there is no weak link in the…
Steve Haines: Steve Haines and the Third Floor Orchestra
Composer Steve Haines puts together an album of material played by the Third Floor Orchestra conducted by Kevin Geraldi, featuring the voice of Becca Stevens and including guest appearances by Chad Eby/ss and Branford Marsalis Quartet member Calderazz/p. The Third…
Polly Gibbons: All I Can Do
Want to stump your friends on a blindfold test? Give a sample Polly Gibbons’ singing on this live-in-studio album. First, your friends are not going to think that she’s even white-she has a soulful and sassy tone and deliver that…