Vintage voices… Judy Garland is one of the most tragic, and tragically overlooked vocalist these days. You know her because of various films like Meet Me In St. Louis and The Wizard of Oz, but she was also a formidable…
Month: March 2022
TALL AND TAN, YOUNG AND LOVELY…Rodrigo Sha & Mauricio Pessoa: Sha Plays Getz & Pessoa Sings Gilberto
Trying to imagine what jazz would be like without bossa nova is like contemplating baseball without Willie Mays. Some things just owe their debt to certain master influences. The 1964 album Getz/ Gilberto made jazz once again enjoyable, light and…
A FORGOTTEN HARD BOPPING HORN…Dave Burns: 1962 Sessions
It’s because of albums like this that every year I email my compatriot jazz critics and remind them to write in Fresh Sound Records as “Label of the Year” for the Annual Down Beat Critics Poll. No one, not even…
A MINGUS AMONG US…Charles Mingus: The Lost Album From Ronnie Scott’s
I still remember the first time I heard a Charles Mingus album; my “jazz tutor” Bob Carlton put on Mingus Ah Um, with the rollicking horns and bass of “Better Git It In Your Soul” just exciting my ears, preparing…
COMFORT FOOD…Tony Monaco: Four Brothers
There is nothing that is as filling and satisfying as a classic B3 trio with tenor sax, and Hammondmeister Tony Monaco makes a peanut butter and jelly sandwich of a band with Willie Barthel III/dr, Edwin Bayrd/ts-ss and Kevin Turner/g.…
Daniel Rotem: Wise One-Celebrating the Music of John Coltrane
Ah, what the Los Angeles jazz scene looked like pre-COVID… One of the casualties of the draconian COVID lockdown was the loss of one of the havens for local jazz players and fans, Joon Lee’s Blue Whale in Little Tokyo.…
Cecile McClorin Salvant: Ghost Song
With each release, Cecile McClorin Salvant becomes less of a jazz singer per se, and more of painter who uses her voice as a brush. Instead of simple songs, each title is more like a framed piece of art hanging…
Matthew Stevens-Walter Smith III-Kris Davis-Dave Holland-Terri Lynn Carrington: In Common III
Tenor saxist Walter Smith III brings together a fresh collection of compatriots for his third In Common recording. This one has Smith sharing ideas with famed bassist David Holland along with the adroit drummer Terri Lynn Carrington, pianist Kris Davis…
Kelly Eisenhour: I Just Found Out About Love
Love is on vocalist Kelly Eisenhour’s mind as she breaths new life into a collection of amorous standards with the adroit team of Jeff Hamilton/dr, Tamir Hendelman/p and Christoph Luty/b. Luty fits in well with this long standing trio, wisely…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Joel Ross: The Parable of the Poet
One of the most important of today’s generations of artists must be vibist/composer Joel Ross. He seems to have a double life, as his concerts tend to be extroverted affairs, while his albums are consistently thoughtful and reflective. This latest…