One of the more “pop” oriented doo wop bands from the 1950s was the group originally known as The Jayhawks and letter evolved into The Vibrations, even shooting off into another unit called The Marathons. They had a series of…
Month: May 2022
THE FASTEST GUN IN THE WEST…Buddy Rich: Mr. Drums-The Buddy Rich Collection 1946-55
You can argue until you’re blue in the face as to who has been the “best” drummer ever, but no one will contradict you if you say that Buddy Rich was the fastest gunslinger in the trap set. Some people…
READ ALL ABOUT IT…Peggy Lee: Miss Peggy Lee-An Autobiography
It never failed, that when I’d play the “Blindfold Test” on an early 40s song by vocalist Peggy Lee, especially her material with guitarist Dave Barbour, no listener ever thought it was Miss Lee, let alone a white singer. Usually…
John Mayall: Live At The Marquee 1969
This collection of music from the soundtrack of the film The Turning Point captures the blues giant John Mayall at an interesting intersection of his career. He was searching for some other way of delivering the blues besides hiring electric…
Mark Turner: Return From The Stars
Since going out on his own after leaving his longstanding quartet with guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, tenor saxist Mark Turner has carved out a niche of being one of the more influential reed men around, with a distinct tone and creative…
THIS IS FUSION 101…Allan Holdsworth: Jarasum International Jazz Festival 2014
For the past few years there has been a cache of posthumously released concert albums from various tours of guitar legend Allan Holdsworth. This latest one, recorded at the Jarasum International Jazz Festival back in 2014, is by far the…
NEWS FROM NEUMA…David Tudor + Composers Inside Electronics: Rainforest IV
One of the few labels with a personal sound, Neuma Records specializes in electronica, soundscapes and ideas of Edison and Tesla bouncing between the ears. Here’s a recent release… You know an album has been carefully crafted when the liner…
Nduduzo Makhathini: In The Spirit of NTU
South African pianist and composer Nduduzo Makthathini may claim to capture the spirit of NTU, but in reality he’s tapped into the soul of Impulse! era recordings circa Crescent or Africa/Brass by John Coltrane. With fellow young South Africans Linda…
SYMPHONY OF SYNTHESIS…MC Maguire: Transmutation of Things
Both Orchestra and Central Processing Units (CPU) are used for the mix of acoustic and electronic sounds on these two opuses by by MC Maguire. Vocalist Lizzie Lyon also adds a human touch to the album, consisting of two pieces,…
Trombone Shorty: Lifted
If you’ve ever heard Trombone Shorty in concert, you know that he is 1) LOUD and 2) FESTIVE and 3) LOUD. This album, his first in a long time, feels almost like something not as much from New Orleans, but…