This is about the 5th album I’ve heard by Tobin Mueller, and each one is as diverse in its scope as it is ambitions. This time around, Tobin Mueller plays an assortment of keyboards, electronics, basses and even acoustic piano…
Month: July 2022
Richard Carr: Landscapes and Lamentations
For this gorgeously pastoral album, Richard Carr plays violin, piano and guitar along with the evocative string quartet called the American Contemporary Music Ensemble (cleverly shorted to “ACME”). There’s a soft and rural gentleness to the album, in a holistic…
Rafael Greco: Dice Que Vive-Signs of Life
Venezuelan Rafael Greco brings village, tribal and folk sounds into modern modes as he plays sax, sings, brings in keyboards, percussion and a number of electronic devices along with a mix and match team of musicians such as Luisito Quintero/prc,…
Marilyn Scott: The Landscape
Vocalist and composer Marilyn Scott has served well in the niche of “female jazz contemporary singer/songwriters”. This latest album has her once again produced by bassist Jimmy Haslip and mixed and matched with all stars including Gary Novak-Vinnie Colaiuta/dr, Michael…
THESE ARE TENOR SAXES 101….Dexter Gordon: 12 Classic Albums 1947-1962, Teddy Edwards: The Complete Recordings 1947-1962, Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis: The Prestige Collection 1958-1961
OK, just sit down awhile. We need to talk. In case you didn’t know, the tenor sax did not begin with John Coltrane and end with Michael Brecker. There is a vast history of this horn that is not only…
LADY DOO-WOPPERS…The Chantels: The Complete Singles and Albums 1957-62
There weren’t a lot of “girl” groups, let alone doo wopping R&B vocal units, which makes this 55 song, 2 disc anthology of The Chantels so special. The original members of Arlene smith, Sonia Goring Wilson, Renee Minus White and…
RONNIE FOSTER: GOING FULL CIRCLE WITH BLUE NOTE AND SOUL JAZZ
IT HAS BEEN HALF A CENTURY SINCE ORGANIST RONNIE FOSTER DEBUTED ON BLUE NOTE WITH HIS SOUL JAZZ CLASSIC THE TWO HEADED FREEP. YOU THINK A LOT HAS CHANGED IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY AND CULTURE SINCE THEN? OH BOY! BUT RONNIE…
DEE ALEXANDER: THE SOUL OF CHICAGO JAZZ
IN THIS DAY OF MUSICAL TECHNICAL FASCINATION, IT WAS A REFRESHING BREATH OF AIR TO HEAR A RECENT ALBUM BY THE CHICAGO SOUL JAZZ COLLECTIVE, ENTITLED ON THE WAY TO BE FREE. IT REMINDED ME OF THE ALBUMS THAT I GREW UP…