One of my true musical regrets is that, when I first got into jazz in the 70s and 80s, I had countless chances to see Chet Baker play in small clubs. I didn’t go see him, as I was told…
Month: February 2023
THE BEST VOICES TIME FORGOT…Toni Lee Scott: Vol. Lonely/Ruth Price: Live & Beautiful
Unlike most of today’s singers, the ladies from the early 60s had a mix of swing and swagger that must have come from the fact that there was no rock and roll yet to adulterate the delivery of standards. Here…
ELLA IN THE AGE OF ROCK AND ROLL…Ella Fitzgerald: Live at Montreux 1969
The 1960s were not kind to mainstream jazz artists. Due to rock and roll and jazz fusion, acoustic jazzers either went into the world of avant garde or created kind of détente with pop music. Ella Fitzgerald walked a balance…
PJ Perry: No Hugs
Post bopping alto saxist PJ Perry delivers a vintage Blue Note-sounding album with a simpatico and swinging team of Bob Tildesley/tp, Chris Andrew/p, Paul Johnston/b, Dave Laing/dr and guest Brad Shigeta/tb. The trombonist sits in for an easy groove of…
David Bloom & Cliff Colnot: Shadow of a Soul
Alto saxist David Bloom and arranger Cliff Colnot put together a sophisticated samba album that is reminiscent of the warm collaboration between Antonio Jobim and Don Sebesky. There’s a mix of strings as well as warm horns and percussion provided…
Santi Debriano & Arkestra Bembe: Ashanti
Panama-born and NYC based bassist Santi Debriano puts together a fun and funky album mixing his rich solos with clever charts and solos. The team of Andreas Brachfeld/fl, TK Blue/as, Tommy Morimoto/ts, Ray Sero/bari, Emile Turner/tp, Adrian Alvarado/g, Mamiko Watanabe/p…
Kris Allen: June
Alto saxist Kris Allen brings together a team of Carmen Staaf/p, Luques Curtis/b, Jonathan Barber/dr, Chris Dingman/vib and guests Michael Mayo-Shenel Johns/voc and Jeremy Pelt/tp for some flavorful originals. Pelt and Allen team up will for the reflective “I Have…
No Base Trio: NBT II
The No Base Trio features drummer Leonardo Osuna, electric guitarist Gabriel Vicens and Jonathan Suazo on saxes, flute and EWI on seven intuitive originals. Suazo’s flute is featured on the ablstractt “ST 4” , and the EWI sears around the…
WHERE’S GLORIA GRAHAME? Big B and the Actual Proof: The Noir Album
A tribute to the classic films noir of the 40s and 50s is deftly delivered by Brian “Big B” Burlson/g-voc, Erin Pitman/dr, Mitch Sharpe/eb and wide range of cameo artists. The smart part of the album is that each song…
Satoko Fujii: Hyaku-One Hundred Dreams
Pianist Satoko Fujii celebrates recording #100 with a wide and expansive team including trumpeter supreme Wadada Leo Smith, along with Ingrid Laubrock/ts, Sara Schoenbeck/bassoon, Natsuki Tamura/tp, Ikue Mori/elect, Brandon Lopez/b and Tom Rainey-Chris Corsano/dr. Smith is in great form, gasping…