There used to be a musical category called “Adult Contemporary” that basically meant “too strong for smooth and too melodic for wild jazz”. Drummer Ross Pederson fits right in that category on this album with Donny McCaslin/ts, Dave Cook/p-key,Julian Pollack/p-B3…
Month: November 2023
Melody Gardot and Philippe Powell: Entre Eux Deux-The Paris Sessions
Vocalist Melody Gardot is at her best when she’s most fragile, and pianist Philippe Powell brings out the vulnerable in her on this ep. Gardot aches through the piano strings on the reclined “ This Foolish Heart” and wisps delicately…
Louis Rosen: Love and Ashes
One of the lost talents in these days of musical over specialization is the “singer/songwriter”, back in the 1970s, there was a surfeit if them, you could throw a rock from the corner of Sunset and Crescent Heights and invariably…
VINYL REVIVAL…Dave Brubeck: Jazz at Oberlin, Bill Evans: Sunday At The Village Vanguard
The great thing about vinyl albums is that they make you listen to them the way a record was supposed to be listened to. With about 18 minutes a side, you put on the disc, sit down, star at the…
CLASSIC HARD BOP AND COUNTRY FROM AVID…The Jazztet: Four Classic Albums, Don Gibson: Five Classic Albums Plus
Timeless sounds from two different worlds are represented by Avid’s latest releases. The gifted team of Benny Golson/ts, Art Farmer/tp and McCoy Tyner/p created a sleek core for soulful hard bop between 1959-62. Their debut with Addison Farmer/b, Curtis Fuller/tb…
Tina Raymond: Divinations
Drummer Tina Raymond forms a trio with guitarist Andrew Renfroe and bassist Karl McComas-Reichl through six modern sounding originals. She drives the stallions with a hard snapping whip on the exciting post boppers like “Swainson’s Hawk” and “Seven of Wands”…
*****RINGER OF THE WEEK: Ron Blake: Mistaken Identity
Before he became a professor at Julliard, saxist Ron Blake toured around with Roy Haynes and Christian McBride bands, as well as leading his own quartets. His releases has been few and far between, although he does still tour with…
BLUES IN BLACK AND WHITE: Willie J Laws Jr: Too Much Blues, Jhett Black: Babel, Ole Lonesome: Tejas Motel
Hues of blues Willie J. Laws Jr. plays guitar and sings with the style of BB King, backed by a smoky team of Dave Johnson/b, Brooks Milgate/keys, Justin Blackurn/ddr, Eric Lawrence/sax, Mark Berney trp, Mike Machaby/st and backing vocalists. There’s…
Madd For Tadd: Central Avenue Swing and Our Delight
The pen of one of bebops forgotten great composers, Tadd Dameron, is celebrated on two separate discs released by Madd for Tadd, co-led by Kent Engelhardt and Stephen Enos. The result is a fun celebration of an artist that deserves…
Roger Joseph Manning Jr & Glamping: Radio Daze
Best known for his work with Jellyfish, keyboardist/vocalist Roger Joseph Manning Jr. cretes catchy pop-rock tunes both in studio and in concert on this “solo”release.He’s backed by Joey Waonker/dr, Dan Rothchile/b,Jason Falkner/eg and a slew of cameo guests. There are…