IT’S HARD TO CONCEIVE, BUT IT WAS A HALF CENTURY AGO THAT THE LAST TRULY ‘NEW’ GENRE IN ROCK AND JAZZ WAS BORN. EVEN MORE AMAZING, THE MUSIC, INITIALLY CALLED ‘JAZZ-ROCK’ BUT EVENTUALLY TERMED ‘FUSION’, WAS POPULAR! BANDS LIKE RETURN…
Month: November 2020
DAVID CROSS: CRIMSON AND CROSSING OVER WITH BANKS
DURING THE 1970s, JAZZ-ROCK, OR “FUSION”, WAS THE UNIQUELY CREATIVE VANGUARD OF THE MUSIC CULTURE, THE YIN TO DISCO’S YANG. COMPLEX AND INTRICATE RHYTHMS, SOLOS OF VIRTUOSITY, MIXTURES OF JAZZ, CLASSICAL AND ROCK ALL COMBINED TO FORM THE VERITABLE MOUNTAIN…
3D Jazz Trio: Christmas In 3D
This is the second album that I’ve heard by this trio of pianist Jackie Warren, bassist Amy Shook and drummer Sherri Maricle, and this one is just as good a mix of fun and swing as the last, with a…
CHRISTMAS CHEER…David Garfield: Holidays Outside the Box, Mike Renzi with Jim Porcella: Christmas Duets, Simone Kopmajer: Christmas
Three stocking stuffers! Famed session keyboardist David Garfield brings in a who’s who guest including Oz Noy/g, Pedro Eustache/fl, Lee Oskar/harm, Freddie Washington/b, Bob Mintzer/ts, Ernie Watts/ts and a boatload of vocalists on this festive mix of holiday cheer. You…
Will Bonness: Change of Plans
Pianist and composer Will Bonness forms a nimble post bop team with a core trio of bassist Julian Bradford and drummer Fabio Ragnelli while also bringing in vocalist Jocelyn Gould for lyrics and voice as well as alto saxist Jon…
Lisa Hilton: More Than Another Day
Lisa Hilton uses her pen and piano to create albums that capture moods; this latest one has her in a tough minded optimistic attitude to counter the angst and anger of the COVID lockdown. With her longtime trio team of…
Nelda Swiggett Quintet: The Alaska Suite-A Story of Beauty, Loss and Hope
A collection of sounds and moods as majestic as the 49th State itself is presented in a tribute by pianist/composer Nelda Swiggett and her chamber jazz team of Julian Smedley/vi, Clif Swiggett/tb-bongos, Chris Symer/b and Adam Kessler/dr. The (sometimes literally)…
MILES THE BEBOPPER…Miles Davis: Before The Cool-The Miles Davis Collection 1945-48
Today, when most people think of Miles Davis, they think of they guy who played on a lot of funky and way out electronic music, or if you know a bit of history, was the legendary leader on hard bop…
THE CREATOR OF AFRO-CUBAN JAZZ…Machito: The Machito Collection 1941-52
Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, George Shearing and Stan Kenton all credit Francisco Raul Gutierrez Grillo, aka “Machito” as the leading artist who created what became “Afro Cuban Jazz”, mixing Cuban rhythms and swing charts that still resonate today. This essential…
DOO-WOP! The Four Knights: The Four Knights Collection 1946-59
The last time that music was actually happy was during the late 40s to late 50s, when vocal R&B, termed “Doo Wop” ruled the air waves. Most of the bands were either Italians or black, almost all from the East…