Singer Dakota Stanton mixed jazz and R&B in a style that sounded like she scribbled “For A Good Time Call…” on every juke joint in America. Her delivery was a mix of Ruth Brown’s earthiness and Dinah Washington’s sass,with a…
Month: August 2019
Kevin Hays-Mark Turner-Marc Miralta: Where Are You
Velvety moments of glowing embers are produced by the trio of tenor saxist Mark Turner, drummer Marc Miralta and pianist Kevin Hays. Hays’ left hand supplies and implies the bass work throughout, with the team floating on the scales of…
Mark Winkler: I’m With You
West Coast Cool vocalist Mark Winkler adds another hip album to his already strong catalog. This time around, he foregoes his own writing skills in favor of delving into the compositions of Bobby Troup, most famed for his tunes like…
JD Allen: Barracoon
Tenor saxist featured his warm and breathy tenor on last year’s Love Stone. This time around, he focuses on the dark and thick lower register with a sharper edge, exchanging his Ben Webster for a Sonny Rollins tone in a…
Mark Knopfler: Down The Road Wherever
While Mark Knopfler’s latest album is on Blue Note Records, don’t expect any tributes to Grant Green or Kenny Burrell here. Still, Knopfler’s both selection of and use of various guitars on each of the songs is impressive in its…
Polly O’Keary & The Rhythm Method: As Live As It Gets
Bassist and leader Polly O’Keary sings with grit as she mixes the urgency of Janis Joplin with the earth tones of Beth Hart with her rollicking trio of guitarist David Miller and drummer Tommy Cook during this smoky juke joint…
Jazzmeia Horn: Love and Liberation
Jazzmeia Horn’s strong 2017 debut A Social Call had the soulful vocalist interpret a wide variety of pieces ranging from Betty Carter to Gigi Gryce. This time around she adds another dimension, filling most of her sophomore album with thoughtful…
THE MORT SAHL OF FOLK MUSIC? Steve Goodman: Santa Ana Winds, Unfinished Business
Last month, Omnivore Records re-issued a pair of vintage albums by the late troubadour Steve Goodman, whose playing style mixed country, jazz, folk and blues with a sardonic with not unlike Mort Sahl or Dave Frishberg. Two more albums of…
Scott Henderson: People Mover
One of the underappreciated fusion guitarists, Scott Henderson releases an impressive and strong trio album with the team of bassist Romain Labaye/b and drummer Archibald Ligonnere. His guitar maks a wide range of tones, from the funky wacka-wooka with a…
Robben Ford and Bill Evans: The Sun Room
Both Robben Ford and Bill Evans have been around long enough to know what works and what lasts. Guitarist/vocalist Ford made his name as a founding member of The Yellowjackets and saxist Evans was blowing with Miles Davis during the…