Playing a wide variety of woodwinds, Mark Ortwein creates rich textures and various moods with a rotating team that includes Olas Ortwein/b, Frank Glover-Paul Langford-Pavel Polanco-Safadit/p, Frances Wyatt-Mat McGraw-Garrington Clinton-Craig Hetrick/dr and various other guests. His electrified bassoon creates some…
Month: April 2023
THE LAST OF THE VOCAL GROUPS…The Vogues: At Co & Ce-The Complete Singles and More
Before the Beatles made a paradigm shift in popular music, the airwaves were filled with male vocal groups, such as The Happenings or Jay and The Americans. The Vogues, haillng from Turtle Creek, Pennsylvanian, consisted of Bill Burkette, Don Miller,…
GREEK DOO WOP…The Four Coins: Shangri-La-The Singles and Albums Collection 1954-62
When you think of doo wop groups, essentially two categories come up, Italian and black. Defying the odds and leaving their parents to work in their family restaurants, Hellenistic vocalists Jimmy Gregorakis, George Mentalis teamed up with brothers George and…
Walter Smith III: return to casual
One of the leading voices of today’s tenor saxists, Walter Smith III makes his debut on Blue Note Records with a strong and lyrical outing with the team of Taylor Eigsti/p, Matt Stevens/g, Harish Raghavan/b, Kendrick Scott/dr and guests Ambrose…
Eliades Ochoa: Se Solto Un Leon
A hint of what to expect from Buena Vista Social Club charter member Eliades Ochoa is observable on a festive video of his latest single, “Guajiro”. The folksy troubadour is in gloriously raspy form, taking you to a smoky night…
BOPPING PARISIAN PIANO …Raymond Fol: Rediscovering
It is sometime startling at the plethora of excellent pianists that got lost in the wake of the 1950s and 60s. It’s easy to understand, as modern jazz was losing its audience to a thing called rock and roll (as…
Hazel Scott: Great Scott! Collected Recordings 1939-57
Before becoming best known as a civil rights activist, wife of Adam Clayton Powell and TV show host, Trinidad-born Hazel Scott (1920-1981) was an accomplished pianist, crossing the lines and sometimes blurring the lines, of classical and jazz. This three…
Kenny Reichert: Deep Breath
Electric guitarist Kenny Reichert brings together a post bop modern team of Tony Barba/ts-ss-bcl, John Christensen/b, Devin Drobka/dr and Alyssa All good/voc for a wid e ranging collection of originals. Allgood is featured on the delicate poetry of “Deep B…
THE MUSIC THAT SAVED JAZZ…Sergio Mendes, Joao Gilberto, Luiz Bonfa, etc: Bossa Nova At Carnegie Hall
If we’re honest with ourselves, we’d admit that if it weren’t for jazz being discovered in the late 50s-early 60s by Stan Getz and Bud Shank, jazz would have descended into cacophonous navel gazing via the free jazz and avant…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Jane Bunnett and Maqueque: Playing with Fire
One of the best, and most overlooked presenters of Cuban music, Jane Bunnett, delivers another thrilling album with her band Maqueque on this latest release. -What makes this album so special is the inclusion of Zimbabean vocalist Joanna Majoko along…