Peter and Phil Templer form the core of the team Axiom, playing guitars and drums respectively along with keyboardist Jared Stewart, a sax-woodwind team of Alan Palmer/Frank Villafranca and rotating bassists Bill Owen, Hussein Jiffry, Brian Mastaslsky and Keith Hubacher.…
Month: November 2020
CANARIES! Martha Tilton: The Martha Tilton Collection 1937-1952, Kay Starr: The Kay Starr Hits Collection 1948-62
Every Big Band of the Swing Era (1935-48) had a female vocalist (aka “Canary”) in order to get some hits played on the radio and support the band. Here are two ladies that showed the strengths and weaknesses of this…
JAZZ’S GREATEST BASSIST AT TWO CAREER ZENITHS…Charles Mingus: Charles Mingus @ Bremen 1964 & 1975
Charles Mingus was not only the most important bassist in jazz, but he led some of the greatest bands, due to his ability to be a master talent scout. This four disc set captures in concert Charles Mingus at two…
THIS IS A TENOR SAX 101…Sonny Rollins In Holland
After just the first few notes of hearing Sonny Rollins’ tenor on his intro to the opening song of this 2 disc set, “Blue Moon”, I felt like I was reunited with a friend that understood me after spending years…
John Redmon & The Thomas J. Dawson Jr. iOrchestra: Honoring Louis Armstrong
The joy and spirit of Louis Armstrong is celebrated by vocalist John Redman along with the support the Thomas J. Dawson J. Orchestra and various vocals guests. Redmon does his best to emulate Satchmo’s voice throughout, sometimes sounding more like…
Frank Kohl: Solitude
Solo guitarist Frank Kohl delivers an album that is reminiscent of the vintage “Virtuoso” projects by Joe Pass in the 1970. Kohl’s got a rich tone, an ability to use lovely rococo dashes of flavor, and knows how to reinterpret…
Mick Kolassa: If You Can’t Be Good, Be Good At It!
I love those Blindfold Tests when the listener is asked if the artist is black or white. Mick Kolassa, who plays guitar and sings, would have stumped me. He sounds like he came out of a STAX session of the…
WAS JAZZ REALLY THIS HIP? Grover Washington Jr. : Grover Live
Ah! The good old days of jazz, when sounds from Grover Washington Jr. hit the airwaves without shame or compromise! I remember seeing the jazz icon play the Star Bangled Banner at a Laker’s game! Life was good! Here, the…
SONIC MOODS…World Service Project: Hiding In Plain Sight, Merzbow, Mats Gustafsson, Balazs Pandi: Cuts Open
Sounds that veer in and out of the category of music. David Morecraft mixes his voice with various keyboards, Ben Powling adds saxophones, Arthur O’Hara contributes bass and voice, Luke Reddin-Williams beats the drums with percussion and Kieran McLeod guests…
Dan Costa: Live In California
Remember actual concerts, where you’d sit down without a mask and listen to someone perform? Italian-Portuguese pianist Dan Costa records the last days before the draconian COVID lockdown with a wonderfully passionate solo concert at Kuumbwa Jazz in California on…