The legacy of Robert Fripp and King Crimson is carried on with a new generation of musicians, although anchored with alumni of the previous Court. Here are a handful of recent declarations from the kingdom… Guitarist Mark Wingfield brings in…
Month: January 2024
Mose Allison: Eight Classic Albums
One of the original hipsters, piano/singer/songwriter Mose Allison, set the stage for just about every nightclub vocalist since. Here are his early albums that set the stage for all subsequent men at the mic. In 1957, he is in his…
Randy Napoleon: The Door Is Open-The Music Of Gregg Hill
Best known for his work with the late Freddie Cole, guitarist Randy Napoleon has created a sound and style for himself by eschewing jazz standards and, for the second time, has delved into the songbook of composer Gregg Hill. The…
John Korbel: Falling Feels Like Flying
Singer/songwriter John Korbel displays a wide swath of ideas on this album mixed and matched with Mark Falchook/key, Steve Luciano/g, Ezra Henry/dr, Marco Bojorquez/b, Alain Bradette/ts-ss, Sam Zambito/tp, Chris West-Kyle Schroeder/wwinds and Carmen Harrell-Sam Reckart/voc. His style comes a cross…
EARLY AXE WORK…Johnny “Guitar” Watson: Rocks, Chuck Norris: Right Hand Man Volume 1 1946/1955, Lafayette Th omas Right Hand Man Volumes One & Two 1948/1954 and 1955/1962
Because of musicians like the ones below, the instrument of choice for aspiring musical stars went from tenor sax to guitar in a single bound. Here are the heat seeking missiles of the first assault. Pioneers of the blues and…
BENNIE MAUPIN: A 50 YEAR JEWEL
ONE OF THE JOYS OF JAZZ IS THAT, UNLIKE CLASSICAL MUSIC, FANS ARE STILL ABLE TO SEE THE CREATORS OF THEIR FAVORITE MUSIC PERFORM IN CONCERT. 83 YEAR OLD BENNIE MAUPIN, WHO HAS GRACED ICONIC ALBUMS SUCH AS MILES DAVIS’ BITCHES…
Stephane Wrembel@The Grape Ventura 01.24.24
Taking in a concert with guitarist Stephane Wrembel is always a double treat. Not only did the packed house at The Grape Ventura get treated to some of the most swinging and lyrical music on the planet, but Wrembel always…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Christoph Grab :Oneness
The beauty and genius of saxist Christoph Grab on this recent album of Thelonious Monk material is that there is not a hint of piano, thereby avoiding any haunting comparisons to the composer. Instead, Grab mixes up his sax selection…
POP AND URBAN MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS…MC Maguire: Dystophilia
When you think of experimentations with electronics, names like Wendy Carlos, Brian Eno or Morton Subotnick first come to mind. However, composer/producer MC Maguire has taken inspiration from the disparate sources of pop star Justin Bieber and rapper Juice Wrld…
Chien Chien Lu: Built In System
I was impressed by Chien Chien Lu’s debut a few years ago, and her promise is revealed here as she is caught in concert at the Hunter College’s Ida K. Lang Hall. She’s teamed up with trumpet giant Jeremy Pelt…