A number of months ago, I was intrigued by a gig at The Baked Potato featuring “The Band Of Brothers”. Who were these guys? Ex veterans of WWII? Much to my pleasant surprise, the quartet consisted of a pair of…
Month: September 2024
Rare and Obscure Jazz Albums…The Tony Luis Trio: Introducing/The Bob Freedman Trio: Piano Moods
Back in the 1950s, you could throw a rock at a street corner in Philly, NYC or LA and probably hit a member of a jazz trio. The surfeit of boppers made bands like those led by pianists Tony Luis…
Jeff Kaiser and Paul J. Botelho: Dome
Trumpeter Jeff Kaiser teams up with the voice of Paul J. Botelho to create a pair of improvised pieces that take you on thoughtful journeys on this latest released. The duo got together to record the pieces in an abandoned…
Rick Bogart: Sings Mr. Paganini
Few are the male singers that don’t sound like a poser. Old School vocalist and clarinet man Rick Bogart sounds like no one except himself, and he’s comfortable in his own suit on this collection of standards delivered in avuncular…
HARMONICA HEAVEN…Enrico Granafei: It’s Hard To Say Goodbye, Neil Adler: Ei’s Song
Harmony with the harmonica… Enrico Granafei sings a bit while playing chromatic harmonica with a mix and match unit of Claudio Roditi/fh, Mike Longo-Amina Figarova-Neil Alexander/key, Takashi Otsuka-Greg Jones-Christian Fabian/b, Gordon Lane-Sylvia Cuenca-Richie Morales/dr and Diego Lopoz-Annette Aguilar/perc through some originals and…
Terry Donaghue Looking For Redemption
Deep minstrel tones are painted by Terry Donaghue, singing and playing guitar with a Spartan team of Al Cross/dr, Debbie Danbrook/fl, Sean O’Connor/ts, Vezi Tayyeb/b-B3-g-synth-p and Isabel Fryszberg/voc. The eight tunes are reminiscent of JD Souther, with blueish folk themes…
Pritesh Walia: Hopetown
Based in LA, Indian born guitarist Pritesh Walia delivers a trio album with Chris Worden/b and Gen Yoshimura/dr that gives hints of Larry Coryell and John Scofield. He’s got a rich tone to his strings, and even adds an African…
Bryn Roberts: Aloft
Pianist Bryn Roberts displays a classy reminiscence of Bill Evans on this lyrical trio album with Matt Penman/b and Quincy Davis/dr as they work through a mix of originals and standards. Roberts shows some uptown styling on the night clubbish…
WHITE AND BRIGHT…Maynard Ferguson: With His Own Bands-Early Years 1954-57, Stan Kenton & His Orchestra-Classic Albums 1947-56
Towards the end of the Swing Era and beyond, big bands went from being vehicles for people to dance to and ones to sit back and listen to. Arrangements got much more sophisticated and complex, almost turning into a type…
Matt Steckler/Yayoi Ikawa/Lonnie Plaxico/Tony Lewis: Old Friends Beckoned New Sounds Reckoned
The co-op quartet of Matt Steckler/sax-fl, Yayoi Ikawa/p, Lonnie Plaxico/b and Tony Lewis/dr bring back a soulful postbop feel akin to the glory days of Cannonball Adderley on this hip to be hep release. Steckler’s alto sax has that warm…