For most of her career, Jane Bunnett has used her soprano sax and flute as a means of importing the sounds and energies of Cuban music. Since her first incarnation The Spirits of Havana, Bunnett has for the past 7…
Month: May 2022
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****John Stowell/Dave Glenn & The Hawcaptak Quartet: Violin Memory
Usually, if something is “new” or original, it actually means cacophonic. Here is an album that is creative, original and wonderfully melodic. John Stowell plays nylon string and fretless baritone guitars along with trombonist Dave Glenn. OK, a bit unorthodox,…
Filippo Deorsola’s Anaphora: Lexicon 1
Italian pianist and composer Filippo Deorsola puts together a trio with bassist Jonathan Ho Chin Kiat and drummer Ap Verhoeven that is a stew combining flavors of Thelonious Monk, The Bad Plus and Brad Meldau on this wide ranging album.…
JEAN-MICHEL PILC: TRIOMEISTER
LIKE ALL CREATIVE ARTISTS, PIANIST AND COMPOSER JEAN-MICHEL PILC HAS BEEN CHOMPING AT THE BIT. SIDELINED DUE TO THE COVID LOCKDOWN, PILC HAS FINALLY BEEN LET AND SET LOOSE. HE’S RELEASED A PAIR OF ALBUMS RECENTLY, NOTABLY A TRIO ALBUM…
DANILO PEREZ’S CHRYSALIS: THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ARTIST
‘CRISALIDA’-‘CHRYSALIS’: “the form taken by some insects (eg butterflies) at an early stage in their development.” IT IS FITTING THAT DANILO PEREZ’S LATEST ALBUM IS ENTITLED CRISALIDA. WHILE BEST KNOWN FOR HIS WORK IN WAYNE SHORTER’S GRAVITY DEFYING QUARTET, PEREZ HAS…
Idit Shner and Mhondoro: Heat Wave
Leader Idit Sner brings her alto sax and bass clarinet to create exciting and exotic moods with her vibrant team of John Mambira/perc-voc, Torrey Newhart/p-key-voc, Garrett/b, Ken Mastrogiovanni/dr and guest Ratie D/perc-voc. Ratie D bookends the album with her appearances…
Eli Degibri: Henri and Rachel
Here is a tender paene by saxist Eli Degibri to the loving relationship between his parents Henri and Rachel. The albums opens with a recording of the parents’ voices, leading into Degibri’s loving melody “Henri and Rachel”, deftly supported by…
Gabor Gado & Janos Aved: Whispering Quiet Secrets Into Hairy Ears
Echoey electric guitarist teams with the sighing alto saxist Janos Aved for a collection of duets and small group affairs. The two are quiet deft together, with Gado’s guitar creating thick soundscapes on the soft “Lacrimosa” and radient “Tiger Riding”.…
Roxy Coss: Disparate Parts
One of my favorite of the younger saxists, Roxy Coss stretches out her dimensions on this recent release with her team of Alex WIntz/g, Mike Ymanaka/p-key, Rick Rosato/b and Jimmy McBride/dr. She’s still got that warm sound on the tenor…
TODAY’S BIG BANDS…The Grace Fox Big Band: Eleven O’ Seven
Big Bands haven’t died; they just tend to live longer in the studio. So, if you ever have a chance to see one perform, grab the opportunity. Here are some worth seeing and hearing. Grace Fox leads a 16 member…