Pianist and composer Benito Gonzales puts “extra” into the word extrovert on this bold album of material with a core of all star bassist Christian McBride, guest trumpeter Nicholas Payton, drummers Sasha Mashin or Jeff “Tain” Watts and a handful…
Month: May 2021
Tobias Meinhart: The Painter
Tobias Meinhart uses his voice, flute, tenor and soprano saxes and paint brushes for his musical canvas, bringing to his palate Eden Ladin/p-key-arp, Matt Penman/b and O bed Calvaire/dr and dabbling with Charles Altura/g and Ingrid Jensen/tp for a couple…
Roni Ben-Hur: Stories
Lyrical post bop is delivered by leader and guitarist Roni Ben-Hur as he brings together a hip team of jazz vets with Ingrid Jensen/tp, George Cables/p, Harvie S/b and Victor Lewis/dr. Ben-Hur rides the snappy groove on Elmo Hope’s “Something…
Dave Holland/Kevin Eubanks/Obed Calvaire: Another Land
Creative interplay with electric guitarist Kevin Eubanks and drummer/percussionist Obed Calvaire are masterly held together by the electric and acoustic basses of jazz master Dave Holland. Each piece is a wondrous mosaic of sounds, at time swingingly acoustic and others…
Wollny-Parisien-Lefebvre-Lillinger: XXXX
Lots of electronics float around on this album be the cooperative of Michael Wollny/p-key-synth, Tim Lefebvre/b-el, Emile Parisien/ss and Christian Lillinger/dr. The format ranges from a mix of classical and high volume a la Emerson, Lake and Palmer on the…
CHANGUI: The Sound of Guantanamo
This 3 disc set takes you to the rural villages of Cuba, where the traditional sounds of an improvised music called “Changui’” has been passed on for generations. Musical journalist Gianluca Tramontana got inspired to record this music, which is…
THE VANGUARD OF THE 30s and 40s…Benny Goodman: The Benny Goodman Small Bands Collection 1935-45
Today, when people talk about the “greatest” jazz quartets, it usually starts with John Coltrane’s “classic” team of the 1960s. Well, no disrespect to ‘Trane, but the FIRST quartet that really changed jazz, as well as the sextet that was…
HEP CATS…Alpha Rhythm Kings: Sharp Dressed Men, Evan Arntzen: Countermelody
Swing is still the thing! Lead by vocalist and trumpeter Rob Dehlinger, the rotating 8 member Alpha Rhythm Kings provides Louis Prima-styled swing with a hotcha attitude. Dehlinger sings like a street corner watch salesman as he jives around Fil…
Noah Haidu (with Buster Williams and Billy Hart): Slowly-Songs for Keith Jarrett
Pianist Noah Haidu gives a tribute to the most influential living pianist, Keith Jarrett, as he teams up with all stars Billy Hart/dr and Buster Williams/b on this delightful trio salute. Haidu only interprets one Jarrett composition, giving a solo…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****SATCHMO’S RENAISSANCE…Louis Armstrong: The Complete Louis Armstrong Columbia & RCA Victor Studio Recording Dates 1946-1966
In retrospect, it’s almost impossible that iconic artists like Louis Armstrong had highs and lows in their careers, but over the half century of his musical life, the man most credited with giving jazz its own sound via horn and…