Guitarist Brian Kooken gives a blue plate delight on this stick-to-the-ribs delightful organ trio with Greg Hatza on the Hammond B3 and Robert Shahid on the crispy drums. Kooken’s tone in the strings cuts like a Spyderco knife as he…
Month: May 2020
Joan Watson-Jones: Choices
Passionately sung messages about social issues and injustices are composed and stylistically delivered by Joan Watson-Jones supported by bassist Dave Zox and drummer Alvin Terry, with arrangements by pianist Frank Wilkins. She adds her own lyrics to hard hitting drumming…
Jan Hammer: Sketches of Jazz
Jan Hammer, who’s made a successful musical career ranging from Mahavishnu Orchestra and Jeff Beck to Miami Vice, splits the difference as he plays all the instruments on this collection of short, sweet, but swinging themes. He hits just about…
KNOXVILLE IS SWINGING!
WHEN YOU THINK OF MECCAS FOR JAZZ, THE CITIES OF NEW YORK, CHICAGO AND NEW ORLEANS COME TO MIND FOR AMERICA, WITH LOS ANGELES A DISTANT FOURTH. HOWEVER, AFTER TRAVELING AROUND THE STATES, I HAVE LEARNED THAT THERE ARE POCKETS…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****CLASSY! Kenny Barron/Dave Holland Trio featuring Johnathan Blake: Without Deception
Just when you’ve just about given up on jazz ever being lyrical and melodic again, up step two vets that bring class and style back into vogue. Bassist Dave Holland, who’s been doing some fantastic duet work of late, teams…
Dayna Stephens Trio: Liberty
Suave and flowing sounds are supplied by Dayna Stephens, as he creates an soft sounding trio with bassist Ben Street and drummer Eric Harland while he himself takes on the tenor, alto and baritone saxes for impressionistic paint brushes. His…
JAZZ POETRY…Dana Sandler: I Never Saw Another Butterfly
Dana Sandler sings “musical settings” of selected children’s poetry from the notorious Nazi Terezin Concentration camp that served as a half way house to extermination of countless Jews. She’s supported by Carmen Staaf/p, Jorge Roeder/b, Austin McMaon/dr, Peter Kenagy /tp-fh,…
EARTH TONES…Wide Mouth Mason: I Wanna Go With You, Val Starr & The Blues Rocket: Lighter Side of the Blues
Wide Mouth Mason has Shaun Verreault playing lap steel, guitar and bass, Safwan Javed on drums, Ryan Dable and Darren Parris on bass, Shawn Hall and Kelly Hoppe on harps and just about everyone singing at some point on this…
MODERN VINTAGE…Professor Cunninghham and His Old School: Swings Disney, JC Hopkins Biggish Band: New York Moment
Old School sounds with a modern mood. Vocalist and woodwind player Adrian Cunningham leads an ensemble of Jon Challoner/tp, Dani Alonso/tb, John Merrill/g, Alberto Pibiri/p, Jim Robertson/b and Paul Wells/dr through some high stepping takes of Disney tunes. With a…
Jacob Artved Quartet: Live At The Montmartre, Copenhagen
With legendary bop drummer Lewis Hayes at the helm, Jacob Fischer-disciple and guitarist Jacob Artved swings with a team of bassist David Wong and pianist Jeb Patton on this classy collection from 3 nights in July, 2019. Artved’s tone is…