Fusion fun is the name of the game with Michael Whalen at the keyboards, synths and beyond with the hip team of drummer Simon Phillips, reed man Bob Magnuson and Crimson bassist Tony Levin. You get a mix of Middle…
Month: April 2021
Machine Mass Sextet: Intrusion
Consisting of Laurent Blondiali/tp, Manuel Hermia/sax, Michel Delville/g-Roland, Anoine Guenet/p, Damien Campion/b and Tony Bianco/dr, the Machine Mass Sextet comes across like a mix of early Pink Floyd and late period John Coltrane in terms of attitude and vision. Led…
Yuko Mabuchi Trio: Yuko
I missed her LA gigs the first time around, but judging by this “live” recording of her trio with bassist Del Atkins and drummer Bobby Breton, I missed a fun night. Mabuchi has great chops and a sense of jazz…
Afro Yaqui Music Collective: Maroon Futures
Mixing moods, messages and musical styles, the Afro Yaqui Music Collective is a 13 member band with vocalists Gizelxanath Rodriguez and Charlotte Hill O’Neal. The music is a smorgasbord, with a mix of staccato horns and rap hip hop on…
DO-WOP AT IT’S DO-WOPPIEST…The Ravens: The Ravens Collection 1946-59
There was a ton of do wop groups named after birds, namely the Larks, Crows, Cardinals and Wrens, to name just a few. Highest of the fliers were The Ravens, originally consisting or Jimmy Ricks, Warren Suttles, Leonard Puzey and…
LIKE A COMPLETE UNKNOWN…Bob Dylan: 1970 with Special Guest George Harrison
This three disc set of previously unreleased material finds Bob Dylan in the studio just after his highly important Nashville Skyline and during the time of his disastrous Self Portrait and better recovery of New Morning. Completists will want it…
Gary Negbaur: You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught
Piano man and vocalist Greg Negbaur mixes originals with clever covers on this concert feel of an album with Dom Richards/b and Nat Seelyey/dr. His voice can range from an assured James Taylor as on an assured “I Want To…
Natsuki Tamura & Satoko Fujii: Keshin
Trumpeter Natsuki Tamura and pianist Satoko Fujii team up for seven intuitive compositions on this most recent release. The pieces include some unison lines of scales and cascades on “Busy Day” and bopping moods with gritty brass for “Sparrow Dance”…
Srdjan Ivanovic Blazin’ Quartet: Sleeping Beauty
Leader Srdjan Ivanovic plays drums and keyboards on a collection of folkish fusion originals with Andreas Polyzogopoulos/tp, Frederico Casagrande/g, Mihail Ivanov/b and guest Magic Malik/fl. For the sake of my fingers, let’s focus one time on Polyzogopoulos for starters, who…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****DARE TO BE “LIVE”…Jim Snidero: Live at the Deer Head Inn
Tired of staying holed up in the studio or producing those lame “streaming” concerts, alto saxist Jim Snidero finally burst out and boldly decided to do an actual concert. Yes, there was social distancing, but the crowd and musicians were…