Alan Broadbent is one of those pianists, like Tommy Flanagan, Bill Charlap or Harold Mabern, that is simply incapable of playing a classy note. He plays to his strength here, in trio format, with the rich bass work of Harvie…
Month: December 2020
Daniel Rotem: Solo
With the tyrannical lockdown due to COVID, jazz musicians are looking for ways to still be able to record. Pianists and guitarists have it easy, as solo albums are a natural for them. For horn players, it’s a bit more…
Yola Nash: Touched By Love
Gotta admit-the cover of this album scared me a bit, as singer/songwriter Yola Nash looks like she’s looking for trouble.She won me over with the music and voice, however, as she’s teamed with Edsel Gomez/p-arr, Alex Meixner/acc, Dr. Graham Keir/g,…
LEO’S CUBS…Kontrabassduo Studer-Frey: ZIP, Ensemble 5: Luminescence, Francois Lana Trio: Cathedrale, Hanna Schorken: Luma
The latest from Leo’s den is a wide and varied collection of sounds. Peter K Frey and Daniel Studer meet for a series of double bassed duets on these seven intuitive originals. There’s lots of slapping and bowed jabs on…
PHIL WOODS’ SIDEMEN…Bill Goodwin: No Method
During the 80s and 90s, alto sax legend Phil Woods had arguably the best small acoustic group around, with classic albums like Bop Stew, Heaven and Bouquet setting the standard for modern bop sounds. This studio recording from April 2,…
The Kaleidoscope Quintet: Dancing On The Edge
Fun and frisky performances are delivered by front line horns of friends Joe Lovano on tenor and flute with Dave Liebman blowing through the wooden flute, tenor and soprano saxes along with drummer Michael Stephens and bassist Tony Marino for…
Cedric Caillaud: With Respect to A.C. Jobim
After awhile, you start wondering if there are any new ways the music of legendary composer Antonio Jobim can be interpreted and arranged, and just when you think that the well has run dry, up comes bassist Cedric Caillaud with…
Jesse Ryan: Bridges
Playing alto and soprano saxes, Jesse Ryan mixes Afro-Cuban moods with a smooth and sleek sound on this winning session with a core of Marc Rogers/b, David Richards/dr, Ewen Farncombe/key a rotating guitar team of Lucian Gray/Sean Clarey/Andrew Marzotto and…
Billy Stritch-Jim Caruso-Klea Blackhurst: Christmas at Birdland
Here’s a cheerful toe tapper that sounds like one of those Christmas Dinner Theatres. Pianist and singer Billy Stritch leads a core trio with Daniel Glass/dr, Steve Doyle/b and shares the swinging vocals with Klea Blackhurst and Jim Caruso on…
SKETCHES OF A MASTERPIECE AND INTIMACIES…The Dave Brubeck Quartet: Time Outtakes, Dave Brubeck: Lullabies
Timeless sounds from the master of time signatures. Everyone agrees that Dave Brubeck’s 1959 Time Out is an All Time Top Ten jazz release. Many aspire, few attain. Like movies such as Casablanca or Citizen Kane, it has stood the…