Best known for his alto sax work, Collin Sherman goes it all alone in painting a thick tapestry with instruments including (deep breath) Bb soprano clarinet, bass clarinet, oboe, keyboards, synthesizers, electric guitar and drum programming. Talk about social distancing!…
Month: February 2022
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THE CREATOR OF THE LAST PARADIGM SHIFT?…Lennie Tristano: Personal Recordings 1946-1970
Yes, artist like John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and Chick Corea have many musicians who they have influence in their wake, but to give you some semblance of how Lennie Tristano (1919-1978) still has an impact on todays music, consider this:…
Melanie Charles: Y’All Don’t (Really) Care About Black Women
Vocalist Melanie Charles taps into the sounds and recordings of her inspirations in this mix of modern, urban and classical jazz sounds. She uses the actual voices and recordings of Sarah Vaughan (“Detour Ahead”), Billie Holiday (“God Bless The Child”),…
THE MOOD TO BE OUD…Gordon Grdina: Pendulum, Gordon Grdina’s Square Peg: Klotski
Based in Vancouver, BC, Gordon Grdina plays jazz/classical guitar and the exotically tuned oud on this pair of albums in different settings. The first is a solo affair, displaying in rich lights the fragrance of the nylon strings. The oud…
Oli Astral: From the Astral
Fluid sounding guitarist Oli Astral creates a Pat Metheny-esque album in a trio setting with Frederic Alarie/b-synth and William Regnier/dr on a collection of incandescent originals. He mixes Alarie’s electric loops with some bluesy rock on tracks like “From the…
Dave Young: Mantra
Veteran bassist Dave Young mixes and matches with Perry White/ts-ss-bcl, Reg Schwager/g, Brian Dickinson/p, Terry Clarke/dr, John Johnson/as-fl, Les Allt/fl and Ewen Farmcombe/B3 on a collection of originals and bopping covers. He’s got a hard bop heart, delivering a hip…
Eric Goletz: A New Light
Eric Goletz plays trombone and keyboards with a funk team of Randy Brecker/tp-fh, Jim Ridl/p, Allen Farnham/key, Henry Heinitsh/g, Marco Panascia/b, Steve Johns/dr, Joe Mowatt/perc, a guest horn and string section for a funk set of most originals. The band…
I THOUGHT I HEARD HER CALLING MY NAME…Deep Purple: Turning To Crime
The venerable classic rock/heavy metal group Deep Purple goes back to its roots and inspirations on this fun filled collection of covers that is an absolutely boogie-ing hoot. The current team of Ian Gillian/voc, Ian Paice/dr, Roger Glover/b, Steve Morse/g…
FREE FROM TRUMPET FROM WADADA LEO SMITH..Wadada Leo Smith’s Great Lakes Quartet: The Chicago Symphonies, Wadada Leo Smith, Jack DeJohnette & Vijay Iyer: A Love Sonnet For Billie Holiday
Arguable the most important trumpeter of the avant garde set, Wadada Leo Smith releases a pair of collections that continue to fascinate and inspire, linking the past of the great horn players to the world of Tomorrowland. Smith’s Great Lakes…
LADY VOICE…Mala Oreen: Awake
Earnest Cumberland Gap moods are delivered by Swiss singer/songwriter and violinist Mala Oreen and her rotating team of Chelsea McGough/cel, Dean Marold/b, Fats Kaplin/fi-stg-dob, Garrison Starr/voc, Joshua Britt/mand, Kris Donegan/g-b and Neilson Hubbard/dr-p. There’s a casual country and folk/bluegrass feel…