QUICK-NAME ME THE TOP THREE MODERN CLARINET PLAYERS. LET’S SEE, WE HAD BUDDY DEFRANCO…NOW THERE’S EDDIE DANIELS…HMMMM… BACK IN THE SWING ERA, THE AIRWAVES WERE FILLED WITH SOUNDS FROM THE LICORICE STICK. BENNY GOODMAN, ARTIE SHAW, WOODY HERMAN, JIMMY HAMILTON,…
Month: July 2020
Gerald Clayton: Happening-Live At The Village Vanguard
Pianist Gerald Clayton officially hits the point of his career deserving wider attention with this latest album. First, he’s on the historic Blue Note label, and second, he’s releasing the de rigueur “Live At The Village Vanguard” album. The good…
TELECASTER MASTER! Bill Kirchen: The Proper Years
If you’re a fan of the Telecaster, you need no introduction to six stringer Bill Kirchen, who’s one of the definitive masters, best known for his tenure with Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen. This two disc set features…
John Fedchock NY Sextet: Into The Shadows
Trombonist John Fedchock delivers a straight and no chaser hard bop album reminiscent of vintage Blue Note sessions with a muscular team of Scott Wendholt/tp-fh, Walk Weiskopf/ts, Allen Farnham/p, David Finck/b and Eric Halvorson/dr. All of the tunes sound like…
BOP AND POP FROM AVID…Jimmy Heath: Four Classic Albums, Connie Francis: Five Classic Albums
Here are a pair of reissues from UK-based Avid Records, with both artists overcoming negative circumstances to create a stellar career. Jimmy Heath’s first recordings as a leader came after being released from his incarceration. He was one of the…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK**** PALEO NEW AGE…Alex de Grassi: The Bridge
Back in the Mercedes 80s, guitarist Alex de Grassi was the poster child for what was then called New Age Music, usually on the Windham Hill Label. This latest album shows that de Grassi has evolved and grown over time,…
AN ORIGINAL E STREETER…David Sancious: Eyes Wide Open
If you were a fan of Bruce Springsteen before he became a mega-star, you might remember that David Sancious was his soulful and jazzy keyboardist, bringing a hip feel to his classic album The Wild, The Innocent and The E…
Ian Carey: Fire In My Head-The Anxiety Suite
A five piece “Anxiety Suite” is composed and delivered by trumpeter Ian Carey and his simpatico tean of Kasey Knudsen/as, Sheldon Brown/bcl, Jon Arkin/dr, Adam Shulman/p-key and Fred Randolph/b. The team displays a warm atmosphere, with even the band photograph…
Gary Husband & Markus Reuter: Music Of Our Times
Impressionistic and ambient moods are created by the team of Gary Husband on Grand Piano and Markus Reuter who rotates between “Live Electronics” and Touch Guitars. The shadow of Brian Eno is cast on this session, as he was the…
Fred Randolph: Mood Walk
Sounds reminiscent of vintage Blue Note sessions, with a bit of modernization, are created here by bassist/composer Fred Randolph, teamed with a front line of Erik Jekabson/tp-fh, Sheldon Brown/ts-fl, Greg Wyser-Pratte/dr, Dan Zemelman/p, Greg Sankovich/keys, Silvestre Martinez-Brian Rice/perc and Dillon…