This compelling dvd-BluRay gives 110 minutes of the fascinating rise, fall and resurgence of R&B legend Teddy Pendergrass, possibly the last of the great soul singers we’ll ever hear. You are given a rich a fascinating story, told from the…
Month: October 2019
RICH SAXES AND COUNTRY FROM AVID…Ben Webster: Four Classic Albums, Benny Carter: Four Classic Albums, Jean Shepard: Five Classic Albums Plus
Whether it’s jazz or “real” country, nothing swings like these latest reissues! There has been NO ONE that had a more rich and full tone than tenor saxist Ben Webster, and these four albums find the Ellingtonian alumnus is leonine…
Haruna Fukazawa: Departure
Some hip bopping moods are created by Haruna Fukazawa on a pair of flutes as she pairs up with Steve Wilson on soprano sax and flute as well as the rhythm team of drummer Steve Johns, bassist Bill Moring and…
Gary Smulyan & Ralph Moore Quintet: Bird’s Eye Encounter!
One of jazz’s best baritone saxists, Gary Smulyan, teams up with the Coltrane-inspired tenor of Ralph Moore on this sizzling 2018 concert recorded at the Bird’s Eye in Basel, Switzerland. The rest of the team, Olivier Hutman/p, Stephan Kurmann/b and…
BMG featuring Sean Carney: Blues Meets Girl
The Band BMG is made up of Mr. Downchild on vocals, harp, guitar and various accoutrements co-leading with vocalist Kasimira as they form a front line for guest guitarist Sean Carney and a swinging team of Scott Flowers/dr, ray Deforest-Hank…
Soul Brass Band: Levels
Playing percussion, piano and even singing his tunes, Derrick Freeman, sets out from his 20 years beside Kermit Ruffins and leads an 11 piece band that mixes New Orleans festivities with some Southern funk. The rhythm team has a calypso…
IT’S A BEAUTIFUL DAY! Mr. Rogers: It’s Such A Good Feeling/The Best of…, Johnny Costa: Plays Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood
Isn’t music supposed to put a smile on your face? If you agree, get a load of these two recent albums that are linked by the sweater sweet sounds of Mr. Fred Rogers, Presbyterian minister, jazz pianist and best friend…
MODERN INTELLEGENTSIA…David Liptak: Constellations, Matthew Barnson: Vanitas
Innova Records presents new ideas in contemporary music, melding jazz, classical, folk and thoughts in the inner regions of gray matter. Here are a couple creative releases. Matthew Barnson brings three collections of his writings together in this album, a…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THE LAST FROM “KIND OF BLUE”…Jimmy Cobb: This I Dig Of You
As the last living member of the classic Kind of Blue album, drummer Jimmy Cobb still shows no signs of slowing down at the vintage age of 90 years young. I saw him a year or so ago, and his…
The Verve Jazz Ensemble: Night Mode
Led by drummer Josh Feldstein, the Verve Jazz Ensemble flexes between trios and septets on this album of swinging pot bop material. The core trio of Feldstein with pianist Steve Einerson and bassist Elias Bailey delivers a surprisingly upbeat and…