Directed and led by trumpeter Sean Jones, the debut album by Carnegie Hall’s NJO Big Band includes classy charts of vintage jazz classics and contemporary pieces by the likes of Miguel Zenon and John Beasley. The sections are crisp, clear…
Month: August 2022
Alex Sipiagin: Ascent To The Blues
Trumpeter Alex Sipiagin is bold, bright and beautiful as well as in a Freddie Hubbard frame of mind with this recent alum teamed with Diego Rivera/ts, Art Hirahara/p-key, Boris Kozlov/b and Rudy Royston/dr in a mix of originals and post…
Rafael Greco: Dice Que Vive-Signs of Life
Playing piano and keyboards, Rafael mixes and matches with a collection of drummers, guitarists and bassists along with guests Steve Khan/g and Randy Brecker/tp-fh on this wide ranging collection of originals. Greco also contributes rich vocals, adding to the Latin…
Ori Dagan: Click Right Here
Rare are the male singers these days who are just as clever with the pen as the vocal sword. Toronto-based Ori Dagan fits into that category with this clever release of mostly originals. He’s backed by a core team of…
Lou Pomanti: Lou Pomanti & Friends
Keyboardist Lou Pomanti takes on a wide breath of popular songs with a wagon load of vocalists and guest musicians on this recent release. The core team of Steve Heathcote/dr, Marc Rogers/b, Drew Jurecka/vi is supplemented by guests including Randy…
Special EFX featuring Chieli Minucci: Twenty Twenty 2
Guitarist Chieli Minucci is given the spotlight on upbeat album celebrating 40 years of music supplied by the band Special EFX. Minucci is featured on every song, even going solo as he p lays all of the instruments on the…
MODERN MUSINGS FROM DRUMMERS…Jonathan Barber & Vision Ahead: Poetic, Anthony Fung: What Does It Mean To Be Free?
Today’s artists, growing up in a different of computers, COVID and social unrest, are more socially conscious in their music. Here are a couple releases by artists that use music for externalizing a thought process. Drummer Jonathan Barber brings his…
DUETS… Chimytina: Constellations , Mark Kazakevich and Jay Yoo: Dual Unity
Tea for two… Technically, vocalist Martina Dasilva and bassist Dan “Chimy” Chmielinski are a duet, but they bring in enough one-off guests to be a kind of mix and match makers. Dasilva’s voice is flexible and able to go from…
Jazzrausch Bigband: Emergenz
Directed by Roan Sladek, the 17+ member Jazzrausch Big Band mixes traditional sounds with a melding of electronic tones and effects, walking a tight rope that swings. A few of the tunes include wispy vocals by either Patricia Romer, as…
GEORGE LERNIS: MUSICAL PHILOMENA
“PHILOMENO”-From the Ancient Greek word “philoumene’”, coming from two words, “philos” (friend of/loving) and “menos” (desire/courage). The name means ‘the strength of a friend’ but it is part of the Greek culture, emanating from the Christian doctrine to “love thy…