Pianist Johannes Wallmann leads a deft and flexible team of Sharel C assity/as, Mitch Shiner/vib, John Christensen/b and Devin Drobka/dr through ten originals. The center piece is a three part “Pandemica”, which includes a dark piano, easy swinging vibes and…
Month: July 2022
Erik Friedlander: A Queen’s Firefly
In the tradition of Oscar Pettiford, Erik Friedlander makes the cello swing and bop on this quartet album with Uri Caine/p, Mark Helias/b and Ches Smith/dr on this collection of originals. At times, the music is as intense and intricate…
CLASSIC HORNS… Chet Baker: At Onkel Po’s Carnegie Hall Hamburg 1979, Wood Shaw: The New Woody Shaw Quintet Vol 1 at Onkel Po’s Carnegie Hall Hamburg 1982, Dizzy Gillespie Quartet: At Onkel Po’s Carnegie Hall-Hamburg 1978
There was a time when jazz trumpet players had both testosterone and melody in their music, something sadly lacking today in most of the younger cats. Here are a couple albums by artists sadly departed too soon in life, but…
SWINGING DURING THE ROCK AND ROLL YEARS…Count Basie Big Band: Live In Berlin 1963, Ella Fitzgerald: Live In Cologne 1974
The big question for musicians who made their name in the Swing and Bebop era was “how do we keep and make fans who are now weaned on the Beatles and Elvis?”. There were essentially two attitudes, change with the…
VINTAGE COUNTRY AND MILES AT THE CUSP ON AVID…George Jones: Five Classic Albums Plus, Miles Davis: Four Classic Albums
Two diverse stars on the cusp of fame… George Jones was just starting out when these early albums came out. He was still under the spell of Hank Williams, sounding like him at time, and just transitioning into his own…
THE TRUMPET PLAYER COMPOSES…Wadada Leo Smith: String Quartets Nos. 1-12
Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, now 4 score plus, is nothing if not prodigious. He just release a big boxed set of trumpet/drum duets, and still looking for new lands to conquer, takes up the pen as a sword for a…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****WHEN GIANTS ROAMED THE EARTH…McCoy Tyner/Freddie Hubbard Quartet: Live At Fabrik, Hamburg 1986
In this current state of affairs, where most musicians seem to be trying to recreate something, it is refreshing to hear musicians from an era where music and styles were actually being created. Both trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and pianist McCoy…
COUNTRY BLUESERS WHO ROCK…Brad Absher and the Superials: Tulsa Tea, Eric Woodring: The Upside Of Lonely, Dennis Johnson: Going Down
A mix of blues, dustbowl and Allman Brothers are delivered by singer/guitarist Brad Absher with Matt Martin/dr, Dylan Layton/b, Jake Hemphil/g, Danny Dimms/org, EZ Mireles/key and a handful of backup singers. Absher’s got a rough and ready voice, primed for…
THIS IS A JAZZ BASS 101…Ray Brown: The Early Albums Complete
There isn’t a bassist alive who hasn’t been influenced by the progenitor of the modern sounds and pulse of Ray Brown (1926-2002). He has that magical “one sound and you know” feel that is desired by every artist. If you’re…
Mark Lipson: Springwells
Trombonist Vincent Chandler is featured on the pulsating album of Afro Cuban tunes led by composer/percussionist Mark Lipson. The horn section of Chandler with Rafael Statin/wwinds is rich and muscular as they glide around the rhythm team of Nate Winn/dr,…