Smooth tones and grooves are provided by flutist Alexander Zonjic on this ear friendly Jeff Lorber production. With Lorber on keyboards and synth bass, teamed with Paul Jackson Jr/Chuck Loeb/g, Gary Novak, David Mann on horn arrangements and a surfeit…
Month: December 2020
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Don Menza and Frank Strazzeri: Ballads
They sure don’t make them like this anymore, and the reason is simple. Both tenor Don Menza (who’s still around and playing) and pianist Frank Strazzeri (who left us in 2014) honed their skills in big bands, therefore learning how…
Denise Leslie: One Fine Morning
In the world of jazz singers, it is a rare lady that is able to sound fresh and personal yet still keep a sense of the jazz tradition. Canadian vocalist Denise Leslie straddles the world of balancing art and songbook…
Greg Osby-Stephan Spicher-Florian Arbenz: Reflections of the Eternal Line
Stephan Spicher gets equal billing for his “Visuals” while Greg Osby’s saxes and Florian Arbenz’s drums and percussion provides the sound on these seven freebopping originals. Osby’s big tone on the alto sears through the exotic kalimba and driving drum…
The Barrett Anderson Band: Hypnoboogie
Here’s a blues-rockin’ band that is caught during a show in which no one left with a shirt that wasn’t dripping with sweat. Dry-rubbed guitarist and singer Barrett Anderson brings his team of Charlie Mallet/g-voc, Doug Macleod/dr, Jamie Hatch/b-voc and…
21ST CENTURY BEATLEMANIA…Joey Molland: Be True To Yourself
The rock group Badfinger was probably the closest re-incarnation of The Beatles, with Paul McCartney composing one of their hits, “Come and Get It” and one of their albums having George Harrison produce and play guitar as a guest. Joey…
Ian McGimpsey and Harrison Argatoff: Ontario 559 West
Warm duets are created by the team of guitarist Ian McGimpsey and the tenor sax of Harrison Argatoff on these 15 short and sweet originals. The focus is on lyricism and melody, with tone being the guiding light and lens…
The Michael O’Neill Quartet: And Then It Rained
Michael O’Neill plays a plethora of reeds on this rich collection of post-bop originals with a nifty team consisting of pianist Michael Bluestein, drummer Jason Lewis and bassist Dan Feiszli. On soprano sax, his sound is bright and peppy on…
Sukyung Kim: Lilac Hill
Warm and pastoral moods are created on piano and keyboard by Korean pianist Sukyung Kim, who leads a simpatico team of Ethan Helm/as, Paul JuBong Lee/g, Luca Alemanno/b and Jongkuk Kim/dr on drums. The five tunes are warm and impressionistic,…
The WHO Trio: Strell
The iconic music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn is interpreted and delivered by the team of pianist Michel Wintsch, bassist Banz Oester and drummer Gerry Hemingway with some clever arrangements in the mix. The trudging read of “The Mooche”…