Last year pianist Manuel Valera released an exciting album mixing his piano with a variety of percussionists. Well, for this disc, he’s done the exact same thing, except that he has no percussionists. In other words, Valera’s warm touch on…
Author: George W. Harris
Six Strings from Indonesia…Tohpati: Tribal Dance
OK, all you guitar freaks-here’s your chance to be the first on your block to discover the latest gunner to walk into Dodge City. Tohpati brought comparisons to Jeff Beck when he put out Riot back in 2012, and this…
Somi: The Lagos Music Salon
African-raised vocalist puts together a world-pop release of material that highlights her rich and flexible vocal charms. Her band of Otis Brown III/dr, Toru Dodo/p, Liberty Ellman/g and Michael Olatuja/b produce a modern R&Bish to jazz groove as on “Ankara…
Laurie Pepper: Art-Why I Stuck with a Junkie Jazzman
There are a plethora of marriage books out there. The classic Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller emphasizes that marriages need to be bonded by a covenant, or a promise to serve the other purpose. This goes against the “consumer”…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Michel Heroux: Collage
Here is some of the most sublime music you’ll come across this year. Guitarist Michel Heroux features himself in duets, trios and quartets performing his own luscious pieces on this evocative album. A few of the songs, such as “Easy”…
Charlie Dennard: From Brazil to New Orleans
Keyboardist Charlie Dennard mixes and matches a variety of festive music on this session that has groups ranging from delicate duets with a cello (“Senhorinha”) to big band bashes that hop with hipness (“Quando o Galo Cantar”). Exotic flutes float…
Ratko Zjaca-Simone Zanchini: Beyond the Lines
Here’s a combo worth your attention. Ratko Zjaca plays guitar and Simone Zanchini hits the buttons on the accordion and electronics. Supplemented by Martin Gjakonovski/b and Adam Nussbaum, the mix Cajun, Zydeco, Tango and Bohemian blues in a way that…
Andrew Hadro: For Us, The Living
Andrew Hadro focuses on baritone sax with a few interludes on flute as he leads a team of Daniel Foose/b, Carmen/p and Matt Wilson/dr on a collection of modern pieces. He mixes both horns together on the dramatic “ Forever,…
Kris Adams: Longing
Mezzo soprano Kris Adams displays an earnest voice on this collection of under-recorded pieces. Two songs by ECMers (“The Glide” by Ralph Towner and “Wrong Together” by Steve Swallow”) display her husky voice in voice in rich settings of horns, while Mary…
Verve Jazz Ensemble: East End Sojourn
These guys put out a hip little release last year, and this one’s just as good, if not better. The team of Jon Blanck/ts, Tatum Greenblatt/tp, Matt Oestreicher-steve Einerson/p, Elias Bailey-Chris DeAngelis/b and Josh Feldstein/dr deliver bona fide hard hitting…