The great thing about Avid Records is that their 2 cd sets cover a wide swath of styles. Here, you’ve got some classic material, bopping vocals and some experimental sounds. Happy hunting! The Louis Armstrong set is a pair of…
Author: George W. Harris
Boz Scaggs/Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin/Eliane Elias@ The Hollywood Bowl 07.16.14
One of my best friends (who is a businessman) always says, “Everything is sales.” Once you think about it, he’s right; dating, raising kids, going to church and even playing music involve a degree of salesmanship. Wednesday on a perfect…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Richie Kaye’s Music and Mirth: The Last Whoop De Doo!
The notes accompanying this disc read “File Under Classic American Jazz.” What more can be said about a collection of (mostly) duets between guitarist/vocalist Richie Kaye and reedmeister Tony Lavorgna. Yes, pianist Sam Kuslan rolls up his piano on the…
Jessica Williams: With Love
The most vulnerable of recordings, the solo piano, is well represented here under the hands of Jessica Williams. She creates about an hour’s worth of a mellow, reflective and ruminating mood on graceful readings of standards such as “It Might…
Mark Buselli: Untold Stories
Ah! The hard bop quintet! The apotheosis of modern jazz is well represented here under the hands of leader/trumpeter Mark Buselli and his team of Danny Walsh/sax, Steve Allee/p, Jeremy/b and Steve Houghton/dr. The tunes are composed by either Allee…
The Michael Blum Quartet: Initiation
With the back of his album resembling a classic Blue Note sleeve, guitarist Michael Blum delivers a vintage collection of standards and originals that encompasses all of the high qualities of the venerable label on his own session. Don Moio/dr,…
Golem: Tanz
Think you’ve heard klezmer music before? This isn’t your Zayde’s klezmer music, my friend! The team of Golem consists of Annette Ezekial Kogan/v-acc,Aaron Diskin/voc, Jeremy Brown/vio, Curtis hasselbring/tb, Taylor Bergren-Chrisman/b, Tim Monaghan/dr (what’s a goy doing here?!?) and Brandon Seabrook/g.…
BEYOND SMOOTH…Sam Rucker: Tell You Something, Jackiem Joyner: Evolve
Is it “smooth”? Is it “straightahead?” We report;you decide. Sam Rucker handles the tenor, soprano and alto sax as well as keyboards on this mix of R&B and smooth jazz. He’s played with the likes of Ronnie Laws, Gerald Veasley…
Felipe Salles: Ugandan Suite
Here’s an ambitious piece that succeeds on a plethora of levels. Brazilian woodwind player and composer Felipe Salles brings together jazz, classical and African music in a fascinating pastiche of sounds on this recording. Combining the saxes and flute of…
25 YEARS AND STILL GOING STRONG…Howard Riley: To Be Continued, Omit Five: Speak Random, Primitive Arkestra Live: Dolphy’s Hat
Where have I been for the past 25 years? Here’s a label that’s been putting out material dedicated to “Free Jazz, Improvised Music, World Music-Freedom of Music” and has survived since Bush 41 was in the White House. I’ve never…