Saxist and leader Matt Olson brings a two sax lead with Abib Young over the rhythm team of Matt Dingledine/g, Shannon Hoover/b and Justin Watt/dr on this decalogue of originals. Mostly on tenor, he brings his sweet soprano into the…
Month: March 2022
Nathan Borton: Each Step
Classy sounding guitarist Nathan Borton mixes hints of Wes Montgomery and Grant Green on this winning session in quartet and beyond format with a core of Xavier Davis/p, Rodney Whitaker/b and Keith Hall/dr with guests Diego Rivera/ts and Chris Glassman/btb.…
Stephen Martin: High Plains
Tenor saxist Stephen Martin brings a strong mid period John Coltrane to the table with his modal team of Peter Schlamb/vib-p, Ben Leifer/b, David Hawkins/dr and a couple cameo guests on this collection of mostly originals. Martin’s tone is rich…
TRIBUTES TO GIANTS…Andrew Cyrille, William Parker & Enrico Rava: 2 Blues For Cecil, The OGJB Quartet: Ode To O
A tip of the beret as given to two of the giants of the free jazz movement, Cecil Taylor and Ornette Coleman on these two albums. The legendary pianist Cecil Taylor is given overdue respect by equally legendary drummer Andrew…
IN SEARCH OF THE LOST MELODY…Christopher Parker & The Band of Guardian Angels: Soul Food
OK, you’ve got 30 seconds to find the melody in each song. Ready, set…. Christopher Parker/p, Kelley Hurt/voc, Daniel Carter/wwinds, Jaimie Branch/tp, William Parker/b and Gerald Cleaver/dr team up for five loose traffic jams of instruments. Hurt puffs, pants and…
TRIO TIME…Piet Verbist: Secret Exit To Another Dimension, Blue Shift: In Real Time
Life in threes… Bassist Piet Verbist brings together Grant Green-toned guitarist Hendrik Braeckman and deft drummer Lionel Beuvens for a mix of originals and bop standards on this charming session. Of the latter, Beuvens gives a nice cadence around Verbist’s…
Alison Shearer: View From Above
New York based alto saxist Alison Shearer is one of the fresher sounds of the up and coming players. This recent release has her with a core team of Kevin Bernstein/p-key, Mary Kenney/b and Horace Phillips along with a handful…
RED CLAY BLUES…Reddog and Friends: Booze, Blues and Southern Grooves, Reverend Nathon: Volume 1
Except for the incongruity of leader, guitarist and vocalist Reddog wearing a Gibson T-shirt while playing a Fender guitar, his album with Clayton Ivey/key, David Hood/b, Justin Holder-Bill Stewart/dr, Stevie Hawkins/perc and Carla Russell-Mary Mason-Angela Hacker/voc is pretty consistent with…
Al Di Meola@The Canyon Club 03.13.22
The Canyon Club in Agoura Hills has finally re-opened after the draconian lockdown, and it has made up for lost time with a blockbuster list of acts the past few weeks, including Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Taj Mahal.…
ALTO SOUNDS..Damani Phillips: No More Apologies, Aaron Bazzell: Aesthetic
While not an inherent fan of the alto sax, coming from a tenor background, I’ve discovered a couple gents that really impress me. See what you think… Molasses toned alto saxist Damani Phillips digs deep into songs with messages with…