During this Memorial Day weekend, conga master Poncho Sanchez gave his own patriotic tribute to America during his 1 ½ hour set, saluting eternal qualities like faith and fidelity, to mention celebration of culture. Just about the entire history of…
Month: May 2022
SLIDE BLUES MASTER…Tampa Red: The Tampa Red Collection-The Guitar Wizard 1929-53
Today, the slide guitar is fairly ubiquitous, but every one that plays that thing owes a debt to Hudson Whittaker, aka “Tampa Red”, whose prolific output is displayed on the 5 disc, 121 song anthology. Like all of the greats,…
WHEN GOSPEL BECAME SECULAR…Ray Charles: The Singles Collection 1949-62
Arguably, no one did more to bridge the gap between black gospel and modern R&B than Ray Charles. This five disc, 125 song anthology brings together the singles that he released during his long a colorful career, beginning with his…
VINTAGE DOO WOP…Johnny Maestro & The Crests: Sixteen Candles-The Definitive Collection
Back in the 50s, most doo wop groups were either Italian or black. One unique and groundbreaking band, in more ways than one, was when Johnny Mastrangelo teamed with a team of blacks and a Puerto Rican to form one…
LIVE MUSIC…Rique Pantoja: Live In Los Angeles, Angela O’Neill and the Outrageous 8: Light at the End of the Tunnel
Remember concerts? They’re slowly coming back. Keyboardist and vocalist Rique Pantoja brings his band of Steve Tavaglione/sax-fl, Jimmy Earl/b, Joel Taylor/dr, Ricardo Silveira/g and Cassio Duarte/perc for a gig at LA’s Gallery Theater. The band veers toward some soul stirrings…
Ricky Ford: Paul’s Scene
There’s good reason that this album is subtitled “The Wailing Sounds of…” as tenor saxist Rick Ford has a delivery of a Baptist preacher. The alumnus from the University of Charles Mingus is joined by Barry Altschul/dr, Jerome Harris/b and…
Jean Carne, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad: Jean Carne JID012
The latest in the series of Jazz Is Dead comes from composer Adrian Younge, vocalist Jean Carne and DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammed come together for what sounds like a collection of relentless soul pulses, deep grooves and mostly kaleidoscopic voices.…
Nancy Goudinaki: What I Was For You-Rethink
Classically trained guitarist Nancy Goudinaki creates a gorgeous tapestry of acoustic sounds with a mix of originals and clever covers on this impressionistic album. She mixes formats, but always keeping it Spartan, soloing with rich textures on Iberian pieces like…
COUNTRY AND BOP VOCALS FROM AVID…Mark Murphy: Four Classic Albums, Johnny Cash: Five Classic Albums Plus
Two artists that defined their genres. One of the most obscure but most influential jazz vocalists, Mark Murphy is now considered the most important post bop singer of his day. These important early albums have him in a mix of…
Charles Lloyd with Bill Frisell and Thomas Morgan: Chapel
Charles Lloyd at this stage in his career, shines brightest when things are most intuitive. This trio album with guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Thomas Morgan is a perfect case in point. Everything seems casual, conversant and cozy, and it…