The threesome of Sam Day Harmet on mandolin, Sana Nagano on violin and effects with bassit Zach Swanson teams up with percussionist Billy Martin and violinist Sarah Bernstein for a mix of elliptical bluegrass and avant garde jazz on this…
Month: May 2020
SOCIAL JUSTICE JAZZ…Peter Hum: Ordinary Heroes, Felipe Salles: The New Immigrant Experience
Jazz that gets up, stands up for your rights.. Pianist and composer Peter Hum teams up with Kenji Omae/ts, David Smith/tp, Mike Rud/g, Alec Walkington-Dave Watts/b and Ted Warren/dr for ten pieces that are clever and swinging in sound, with…
Ian Jones: Results Not Typical
Rural roads are traveled by Ian Jones as he sings backed by a Moose Lodge collection of sidemen including Joey Waronker/dr, Gabe Noel/g, Jason Soda/g, Jesse Siebenbeg/steelg and Aaron Embry/key. The mood and delivery is reminiscent of a youthful Neil…
THIS GENERATION’S GUITARIST?…Kurt Rosenwinkel Trio: Angels Around
Since hitting the musical ground running at the turn of the century with albums like The Next Step and highly influential Heartcore, guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel has been one of the most important and sine qua non guitarists of this generation.…
VINTAGE GUITARS AND BEATS…Doug “Cosmo” Clifford: Magic Window, Rusty Ends & Hillbilly Hoodoo: The Last of the Boogiemen
Sounds and grooves that never say die… Drummer Doug Clifford was a founding member of the legendary band Creedence Clearwater Revival, with this previously unreleased 1985 album showing that he had moved on and forward. He playing drums, and singing…
HIS GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS…Al Di Meola: Across The Universe
This is the second time that Al Di Meola, usually associated with electric fusion musculature or Mediterranean passions, has delved into the Beatles songbook, and for the second time it has worked surprisingly well. Di Meola wisely doesn’t try to…
Michael Thomas: Event Horizon
Free form post bop jazz is presented by alto saxist Michael Thomas and his front line partner Jason Palmer on trumpet, supported by a rhythm team of Hans Glawischnig on bass and drummer Johnathan Blake for this two disc collection…
Peter Campbell: Old Flames Never Die
Lumionous tenor Peter Campbell gives dreamy and Broadway-toned readings to a collection of reflective standards, supported by the sensitive team of Adream Farrugia/p, Reg Schwager/g, Ross MacIntyre/b, Kevin Turcotte/tp and Michael Occhipinti/eg-eff. Turcotte’s horn adds a bluesy dimension to the…
Vijay Iyer and Mike Ladd: InWhatInstrumentals-Music From In What Language?
It’s not often that artists re-interpret their own material (excepting Charles Mingus and Duke Ellington), so it’s a pleasant surprise to hear lost sessions of when pianist/keyboardist Vijay Iyer teamed up with Mike Ladd on synthesizers and programming to give…
3D Jazz Trio: I Love To See You Smile
Pianist Jackie Warren, bassist Amy Shook and drummer Sherrie Maricle are best known as the rhythm section of the swinging DIVA Jazz Orchestra, but the three ladies show that there is power in a trio format as well. They take…