For the past number of years, I have been doing medical mission trips over to Ethiopia. Most of us aren’t familiar with the country, so this month’s editorial will serve as an incentive as to the many reasons that you…
Month: February 2020
****RINGER OF THE WEEK***The Al Belletto Quintet & Sextet 1954-1957
Got your recipe book out? OK-take a dash of Count Basie-Woody Herman Swing, add a heaping amount of West Coast Cool and throw in The Four Freshmen and you’ve got the tastiest collection of sounds coming your way. Al Belletto…
Petri/Reed/Svendsen/Moore: PRISM
The lyrical team of tenor saxist Ralph Moore, pianist Eric Reed, drummer Andreas Svendsen and bassist Matthias Petri may not be creative in naming the band, but they sure do a great job of making music. This ten song collection…
Lafayette Harris Jr: You Can’t Lose With The Blues
Here’s some timeless piano sounds by Lafayette Harris Jr, teaming with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash for a rich mix of blues, bop and standards. Harris’ touch is uptown and classy, giving full bodied chords to “He’s My…
EXOTIC SOUNDS…Andrea Brachfeld: Brazilian Whispers, Purna Loka Ensemble: Metaraga
Two albums with tones from afar… Andrea Brachfeld plays flute and the darker alto flute set to a collection of Brazilian themes dominated by Antonio Jobim. She mixes and matches with Bill O’Connell/p-key, Harvie S-Lincoln Goines/g, Roni Ben-Hur/g, T. Porinho-Jason…
BLUESBREAKERS…Back Cat Bones: Tattered and Torn, Jim Roberts & The Resonants: A Month Of Sundays, Sugar Blue: Colors, Waylon Thibodeaux: Here We Go Again, Matty T Wall: Transpacific Blues Vol. 1
Not only is Monday blue, but every day has the blue hue with these latest releases… Jim Roberts sings with grit and plays a nasty little slide or cigar box guitar with Rick Hollander/g, Mike Harvey-Michael Leasure/dr and some cameo…
Erik Jekabson Sextet III: One Note At A Time
Warm toned trumpeter and flugelhornist Erik Jekabson brings a sizzling team of Dave E#llis/ts-ss, Dave MacNab/g, John Wiitala/b, David Flores/dr and John Santos/perc together for some exciting originals. Soulful sounds mix bop with deep grooves and percussion with clean solos…
THERE’S SHOW BUSINESS LIKE NO BUSINESS…Sam Rivers Quintet: Volume 2-Zenith, Steve Swell/Robert Boston/Michael Vatcher: Brain In A Dish, Anthony Coleman: Catenary Oath, Masahiki satoh & Sabu Toyozumi: The Aiki, Evan Parker-Barry Guy-Paul Lytton: Concert In Vilnus, Bobby Bradford/Frode Gjerstad/Kent Carter/John Stevens: Blue Cat, Bones: Reptiles, Katerisis4: Katerisis4, Juan Vinuesa Jazz Quartet: Blue Shots From Chicago
While most of the Eastern European countries may flirt with socialism, Lithuania is filled with freedom, at least musically via the label NoBusiness Records. Here is a bucket load of their latest releases, some old, and some new. From a…
Melody Makers: The Bible of Rock n’ Roll
Where the US had The Rolling Stone as the “authoritative” voice of pop music, the Uk’s answer was The Melody Maker, founded in 1926 and finally closing shop in 2000. This documentary centers on the halcyon days, wisely through the…
Frank Colon: Latin Lounge
Frank Colon supplies percussion, programming and his voice to a team of strings, guitars horns and relentless beats on this festive album of sizzling themes. Carlos Malto’as flute floats over Estevao Lima’s bass on “Emerald Coast” with some soulful keyboards…