Pianist and composer Arina Fujiwara mixes a string quartet with a jazz trio and then some on this evocative collection of themes. On her own, she does a fun solo take of Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag” while the strings…
Month: November 2023
Michael Hawkins: …On Bass
Best known for his work in Cyrus Chestnut’s trio, bassist Michael Hawkins steps out in front on his own as a leader of a band of locals from Richmond Virginia, called The Brotherhood. With them he debuts with a vengeance…
VINYL REVIVAL…Don Cherry: Art Deco, Ella Fitzgerald: Let No Man Write My Epitaph, Roy Hargrove Rh Factor: Hard Groove, Harold Land: The Peacemaker, Oscar Peterson Trio with Milt Jackson: Very Tall, John Scofield: A Go Go
To prove how important the vinyl reissue series from Verve Records is for jazz fans, of the six recent releases from either the “Acoustic Sound Series” or “By Request”, I have previously only heard one of them before. Thank the…
THIS IS A CROONER 101 ….Johnny Hartman: The Singles & Album Collection 1947-58
While he is best known for his classic collaboration with John Coltrane, baritone Johnny Hartman (1923-83) had an impressive career before and after that iconic session. Originally hired by Earl Hines to replace similarly molasses-toned singer Billy Eckstine, Hartman put…
WHEN ZAPPA WAS ZAPPA…Frank Zappa: Overnight Sensation 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition
Always on the forefront of mixing rock, jazz and Spike Jones, Frank Zappa by 1973 had one of his most fusioned bands, one which included George Duke/key, Jean Luc-Ponty, Sal Marquez/tp-voc, Ian Underwood/wwinds, Bruce Fowler/tb, Tom Fowler/b, Ruth Underwood/vibes, Ralph…
SAY AMEN! The Famous Clara Ward Singers: 1949-62
Philadelphia bred, The Famous Clara Ward Singers were at one time the most important and popular gospel groups of the post WWII era. You can hear their influence on Baby Boomer soul acts like Aretha Franklin, as Motown/Stax singers were…
A SWINGING SINGER…Mildred Bailey: The Queen of Swing-All The Hits and More 1929-47
While overlooked these days, before there was Ella, Sassy and Billie, Mildred Bailey (1907-1951) was the premier female jazz vocalist of the Swing and Pre-Swing era. She had a unique almost childlike voice that was inherently rhythmic as she paired…
Steve Hackett’s Genesis Revised@The Lobero 11.17.23
What first attracted me to jazz was that back in the 1970s it was possible to still see in concert musicians who actually created styles of music from ragtime to swing, bebop and hard bop. A half century later, the…
House Of Waters@The Grape Ventura 11.15.23
I first saw the House of Waters trio opening for Snarky Puppy a few months ago in LA, and the fact that the lead instrument was a hammer dulcimer grabbed my attention. Somehow, Max ZT has turned something usually associated…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****FOXY! Jimi Hendrix Experience: Hollywood Bowl, August 18, 1967
One must give thanks to the Experience Hendrix LLC for doing a yeoman’s work of putting the Jimi Hendrix catalogue in repair after years of mis-use. Not only have the respectfully reissued the classic albums, but they’ve put out some…