Playing guitar and keyboards, Ray Obiedo leads a mix and match team that is long on percussion and festive activities. The rhythm section of Peter Micharel Escovedo/perc, Phil Hawkins/dr, David Belove/b, Marc van Wageningen/b, David Garibaldo/dr, Colin Douglas/perc, Michael Spiro/percc…
Month: November 2021
NO BUSINESS GIVES THE BUSINESS…Liudas Mackunas & Christian Windfeld: Pacemaker, Frode Gjerstad/Kent Carter/John Stevens: Detail-90, Lao Dan/Deng Boyo: Tutu Duo, Rodrigo Amado Motion Trio with Alexander Von Schlippenbach: The Field, Motoeru Takagi-Susumu Kongo-Nao Takeuchi-Shota Koyama: Live At Little John, Yokahama 1999, Itaru Oki Quartet: Live at Jazz Spot Combo 1975, Total Music Association: Walpugisnacht, Szilard Mezei Tubass Quintet: Rested Torquoise, Sam Rivers Archive Project: Volume 5-Undulation
Free flowing ideas are delivered in various group settings from albums ranging from the 1970s to recent times on this recent cache of material from No Business Records. Hang on tight! Liudas Mackunas plays tenor sax, soprano sax, contrabass clarinet…
THE ALL TIME BEST QUINTET? Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers: First Flight to Tokyo-The Lost 1961 Recordings
It’s hard to argue that Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers was the best ever hard bop quartet; the real question is ‘which version’? The one with Clifford Brown/Lou Donaldson? Mobley/Byrd? Hubbard/Walton? Well, if 1941’s orchestra was Ellington’s greatest ever, you have…
COUNTRY GOSPEL AND BEBOP FROM AVID…Various Artists: Country Gospel-Five Classic Albums, Wardell Gray: Four Classic Albums Plus
Devotions from the South and bebop from Southern California from Avid… Gospel and country go hand in hand, with most of the early singers having one foot in church and the other at the local bar. Johnny Cash’s 1959 album…
Miho Hazama: Imaginary Visions
Composer and arranger Miho Hazama leads a 19 piece big band through some advanced and wide ranging originals on this recent release. You get a hint of influences from Thad Jones and Bob Brookmeyer’s bands, with clever and original chart…
Joanne Shaw Taylor: The Blues Album
It seems that there seems to be a resurgence of ladies that play the blues, with Joanne Shaw Taylor among the top tier. This album is produced by Joe Bonamassa, no stranger to the mood, with this album sounding like…
Craig Taborn: Shadow Plays
Pianist and composer Craig Taborn has served as an expressive sideman for the likes of Chris Potter, Roscoe Mitchell and David Binney, as well as leading his own bands of various sizes. He recently released an intuitive collection of duets…
Ayumi Tanaka Trio
Quietude is the name of the game with pianist Ayumi Tanaka and her team of bassist Christian Meaas Svendsen and drummer Per Oddvar Johansen on this collection of originals. The music is so subliminal and spacious on piece like “Ruins”…
SWEET TRUMPET FROM THE UK…Digby Fairweather: Notes From A Jazz Life, Volume 2
Still alive and well, British cornetist Digby Fairweather is not well known in the US, but deserves a listen, as his tone and approach goes all the way back to Louis Armstrong, heavily influenced by the mellifluous sounds of Bobby…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****A FORGOTTEN STAR…Sheila Jordan: Comes Love-Lost Sessions 1960
One of the most original of the bebopping female vocalists, Sheila Jordan blew the world away with her 1963 Portrait of Sheila Jordan and has subsequently created an impressive, if ignored, catalogue. This eleven song collection is vastly important, as…