Producer and drummer Larry Wilson teams with musical director Melvin Jones for a big band album that feels like an opus with a story. The 20 member orchestra starts things off with Mike Walton’s bold tenor on “Gyau” for a…
Month: September 2023
Seulah Noh Jazz Orchestra: NOhMAD
Here’s an ambitious big band recording that gives Maria Schneider a run for the money of best orchestra. Composer and arranger Seulah Noh conducts a five sax, four trumpet, four trombone, four rhythm section along with an occasional string section…
Herb Silverstein: Aspenrose
Pianist Herb Silverstein teams up with bassist Michael Ross for a concert of duets at The Opera House. His touch has a hint of influence, but not a devotion, to Bill Evans as Silverstein is warm and melodic on a…
Remembering Peter Brotzmann
I wept a bit when I heard that the German free jazz multi-reed player Peter Brotzmann died last week at age eighty-two. I knew his health was declining but that he was battling to perform, nevertheless. He was a monster…
Albert Lee@The Write-Off Room 09.20.23
So, Eric Clapton is in town this weekend playing before 18,000 people. His long time guitarist, Albert Lee, is packing the 100 person capacity Write-Off Room. Which one is the “gig to see”? Well, here I am! The guitarist’s guitarist,…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****LAST OF A KIND…Eddie Henderson: Witness to History
Not only leader Eddie Henderson, but almost the entire band of Donald Harrison/as, George Cables/p, Gerald Cannon/b, Lenny White/dr and Mike Clark/dr are of a generation that is quickly passing by. Growing up on hard bop and post bop, as…
Affinity Trio: Hindsight
You get more with less with the drummerless Affinity Trio consisting of Eric Jacobson/tp, Pamela York/p and Clay Schaub/b on this mix of boppers and originals. York and Schaub take turns supplying the feel, with bluesy beauty for Jacobson’s sweet…
Shalosh: Tales of Utopia
Made up of the Israeli team of Dan Benhorin/b, Matan Assayag/dr and Gadi Stern/p, the band Shalosh (meaning “three” in Hebrew) create a chamber-like feel, not unlike Billy Childs, on this album of group conceived originals. There are a pair…
A NEW LABEL REPRESENTING LA…Josh Nelson: LA Stories-Live at Sam First, Joe La Barbera Quintet: World Travelers, Justin Kauflin Trio: Live at Sam First
Due to the local economics as well as the results of the draconian COVID lockdown, there are only a handful of jazz clubs in LA still alive and functioning. Near the LA airport stands Sam First Bar, the last of…
Landgren/Wollny/Danielsson/Haffner: 4 Wheel Drive II
This follow-up to 2019’s debut brings together the successful combo of Nils Landgren/tb-voc, Michael Wollny/p, Lars Danielsson/b-cdl and Wolfgang Haffner/dr melding intelligently pop vocals with jazz foundations. The foursome mixes originals with pop hits as well, with Landgren’s baritone in…