Tenor saxist Jerry Cook blows like the second coming of Sonny Rollins on this wonderful Blue Note beauty of boppers, ballads and blues with a simpatico team of Chris Gestrin/p, John Lee/b, Jesse Cahaill/dr and guest Dave Sikula/g. The ten…
Month: October 2020
Cosmic Vibrations: Pathways & Passages
A mix of world sounds and spiritual pleadings akin to vintage Alice Coltrane are delivered by vocalist Dwight Trible as he teams up with the wide ranging sounds of John B Williams/b, Derf Reklaw/perc-fl, Pablo Calogero/woodwinds, Christopher Garcia/perc, Breeze Smith/dr-perc…
MATT WILSON’S BIG HUGS
MOST MUSICIANS MAKE ALBUMS ABOUT MUSIC. DRUMMER MATT WILSON MAKES ALBUMS ABOUT LIFE. EVEN A CURSORY PERUSAL OF WILSON’S CATALOGUE AS A LEADER GIVES EVIDENCE THAT HE LET’S HIS ALBUMS REFLECT A STAGE OF HIS LIFE, WHICH FOR A NUMBER…
CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA…BLACK(MAN): MAGIC WOMAN!
ONE OF THE TRUTHS ABOUT LIFE IS THE RULE OF “STASIS”-YOU DO WHAT YOU KEEP DOING. IF YOU’RE INACTIVE, YOU’RE PROBABLY GOING TO STAY THAT WAY. IF YOU JOG, YOU’LL KEEP JOGGING. MUSICALLY, IF YOU’RE A POST BOPPER, YOU STAY…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Rez Abbasi: Django-shift
The thing that I really like about guitarist Rez Abassi is that he keeps one foot in the jazz tradition, but is not locked into it, always looking for new colors to add to the palate. This time around, he…
BEFORE THE REVOLUTION…Adam Wade: The Coed Albums, The Duprees: The Coed Albums, The Rivieras: The Coed Singles, The Crests (featuring Johnny Mastro): The Best of the Crests
Before American music was seismically changed by the British Invasion of the Beatles and The Motown/STAX sound, the two most popular styles of music were Doo-Woppish R&B vocal groups and sleek and sweet solo singers. Here are some of the…
Solveig Slettahjell: Come In From The Rain
Norwegian vocalist Solveig Slettahjell sounds like a late period Billie Holiday (or mid period Madeleine Peyroux) as she teams with Andreas Ulvo/p, Trygve Waldemar Fiske/b and Pal Hausken/dr on a mix of originals, Tin Pan Alley cats and some clever…
No Base Trio: No Base Trio
The debut album by alto saxist jonathan Suazo, guitarist Gabriel Vicens and drummer Leonardo Osuna focuses on nine “EXT” titled pieces that create dark and impressionistic sonic images. The team trudges to thick chords and a bluesy alto on “EXT…
Orlando Le Fleming: Romantic Funk-The Unfamiliar
Bassist Orlando Le Fleming brings together a nimble team that is reminiscent of the early fusion days of Stanley Clarke as he joins together Philip Dizack/tp, Will Vinson/as, Sean Wayland/keys, Kush Abade-Nate Wood/dr for some post bop themes. He tips…
SOUNDTRACKS AND A HUMMING HAMMOND…Jimmy Smith (Live) Four Classic Albums, Various Artists: Classic Original Soundtracks-Three Classic Albums
Timeless tunes from the stage, screen and the Hammond B3 There is no doubt that Jimmy Smith is the Organmeister of modern jazz, with this double cd set featuring him small clubs on a pair of double albums. 1956’s At…