Popular piano and late night vocals are the latest releases from UK based AVID Records Arthur Ferrante and Louis Teicher were a pair of pianists that teamed up to create a series of highly successful albums for the easy listening…
Month: February 2023
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER…Rare and Obscure Jazz Albums, Presenting: Ted Nash/Tony Rizzi, Presenting: Hal Schaeffer, Alvino Rey: Swingin’ Fling & Ping Pong (featuring Gerry Mulligan)
It is simply staggering to consider how much fantastic jazz was recorded in the 1950s and early 60s. It makes you wonder why certain albums gained fame and popularity, while others, like these recently reissued gems from the vaults of…
Miguel Espinoza Flamenco Fusion with Howard Levy: Living In A Daydream
Iberian joys are delivered by Miguel Esponza, as he leads with guitar and palms his band through a wide variety of Mediterranean originals. The core team of Dianne Betkowski/cell, Randy Hoepker/b and Andy Skellenger/perc is joined by Howard Levy/hrm-p for…
A WINNING FORMULA…The Ink Spots: The Hits Collection
If you want to know where doo wop started, you could easily point to the vocal group The Ink Spots, who used a formula for songs that worked for over twenty years. In various incarnations, the unique heavenly voice of…
Spadei: Left Right Here
Record albums are made for different reasons. Some are for dancing, others for making a social statement, and other times to simply show off chops. This one, put together by Wally Ingram, Tom Freund and Steve Blacke, goes the route…
Tobias Hoffmann Jazz Orchestra: Conspiracy
The trap of modern big bands is that too many try to throw around too many ideas, and lose the sight and vision of jazz, and getting sterile in the process. Conductor and composer Tobias M. Hoffmann avoids all of…
BEFORE MICHAEL JACKSON AND RAP…Quincy Jones & His Orchestra: The Early Years, Six Complete Albums 1957-61
Today, Quincy Jones is known as the guy who produced Michael Jackson’s Thriller , the first rap record (please forgive him, Lord), and did a ton of soundtracks for both TV (Roots) and movies (In The Heat of the Night).…
David Haney & Julian Priester: Live At Kingston; Deep Listening Institute, 7-23-06, Live At Earshot
A pair of meetings between the kindred spirits of trombonist Julian Priester and pianist David Haney were recorded a number of years ago, and are finally released. The music has a very spontaneous feel to it, accurately portraying a moment…
THE GERSHWINS OF BABY BOOMERS…Spotlight on Leiber and Stoller: The R&B Recordings-Flip Our Wings
What The Gershwin Brothers, Irving Berlin and Johnny Mercer were to the vintage years of jazz, the songwriting team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were to the Baby Boomers. These two guys penned some of the most popular songs…
Melissa Aldana @ Onstage Jazz Club CSUN 02.08.23
Having delayed for performing at CSUN for 3 years due to the COVID lockdown, tenor saxist Melissa Aldana was finally able to bring her Quartet to perform as part of the Jazz at Naz festival. Both artist and audience were…