Marvin Gaye was at one of his last artistic and commercial peaks when he hit Europe in 1976-77, just after high water marks like Let’s Get It On and I want You, and just before his personal travails and divorce…
Month: March 2023
Kaisahan: Afrocubalintan
Do you love drumming? I mean, do you LOVE drumming? This album is a percussion fans paradise, featuring four different artists, namely Conrad Benedicto, Bo Razon, Chris Trinidad, Mario Salomon and Jose Sanchez playing mostly hand instruments including, but not…
DUETS…Eric Hoffman & Ken Hatfield: Stirrings Still, Joao Madeira & Wagner Ramos: Meristema
TEA FOR TWO… Acoustic guitarist Ken Hatfield teams up with warm baritone vocalist Eric Hoffman for a pastoral collection of originals and covers. The two are so calming that they can even domesticate Tom Waits, as evidenced on the plaintive…
ROCKIN’ THE BLUES…Lex Grey And The Urban Pioneers: How Many Roads?, Dyer Davis: Dog Bites Back54
The joint is jumpin… Guitarist and gritty vocalist Lex Grey leads a very live-sounding band with Vic Mix/g-g-synth, Ed Wasilewski/b-g, Brian Dewan/keys, Sonny Rock/dr and a sometimes horn section with guests on this collection of stomping originals. Her voice and…
CLASSIC PIANO TRIOS…Eric Lilley Trio: Three, Chris Keefe: Opening
The foundation of jazz, the piano/bass/drum trio, is in good hands and holding its own on these two recent releases. – It’s not hard to guess who inspires pianist/composer Eric Lilley, as he’s teamed with Mark Diamond/b Tony Black/dr (and…
Jake Baldwin: Misc. Items
Trumpeter Jake Baldwin sounds like one of those old timey horn players pre-swing, post-ragtime and right in the middle of the blues of 100 years ago, as he stomps out vintage era blues with Adam Harder Nussbaum/dr, Cody McKinney/eb and…
58 Belvedere: Vista Cruiser
Consisting of Dean Granros/g-synth, Pat Keen/b, Dave Power/dr and Dex Wolfe/prod, 58 Belvedere puts together songs like loose fitting clothes found at a Thrift Shop. There are fragments flying around with guitar and drums on “Alternator” with dark organ grinding…
Nathan Hanson/Chris Bates: Weights and Measures
Bassist Chris Bates forms spontaneous duets with soprano and tenor saxist Nathan Hanson on this album of creative conversations. Hanson’s soprano is graceful around Bates’ Mingusy bass on ”Plasticity” while the two talk back and forth on “Valuate, Reckon”. Bates…
*****RINGER OF THE WEEK****The Heavy Hitters: The Heavy Hitters
Here’s an album that has truth in advertising. Muscular post boppers Mike LeDonne/p, Eric Alexander/ts, Jeremy Pelt/tp, Vincent Herring/as, Peter Washington/b, Kenny Washington/dr and guest Rale Micic/g get together for a vintage sounding blue plate special. The album has Jazz…
Tyler Mitchell Octet: Sun Ra’s Journey
Bassist Tyler Mitchell has carved out an impressive career with the likes of Art Taylor, George Coleman and Shirley Horn, but most of all with Sun Ra, to whom this album is dedicated. He brings in famed alumnus Marshall Allen…