The vocal quartet of Anonymous 4 consists of Ruth Cunningham, Marsha Genensky, Susan Hellauer and Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek. Together, they delve into the songbook of 13th Century France, more specifically the chansons and motets of the period, and deliver the medieval…
Author: George W. Harris
John Mayall, Guitar Shorty & Canned Heat @ The Simi Valley Cajun & Blues Music Festival 05.24.14
Few things celebrate America like its #1 Import, The Blues. The amazing ability of its attraction to all types of people from all walks of life was evident at the 25th Annual Cajun & Blues Festival in Simi Valley, CA.…
JOHN MAYALL: A SPECIAL LIFE OF THE BLUES
THE BLUES IS IN EVERY PART OF AMERICAN MUSIC SINCE THE 20TH CENTURY BEGAN. THERE HAVE BEEN TWO PERIODS IN WHICH THE BLUES WAS MOST POPULAR: WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT IN THE TEENS AND TWENTIES WITH THE LIKES OF…
Bianca Rossini@Vitellos 05.21.14
If your idea of heaven is vintage bossa nova stirred and mixed like Jobim and Gilberto, then Bianca Rossini is the chef of your choice. She delivered a 75 minute set at Vitellos of samba sounds that mixed sensuality and style.…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Bernie Worrell: Elevation: The Upper Air
Go ahead-tell me you expected a solo piano album from the founding member of George Clinton’s Parliament/Funkadelic. And tell me it was going to have jazz standards like Mingus’ “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat” and Coltrane’s “Alabama” as well as Joe…
Mike Longo: Step On It
Here’s a classy trio production by a collection of veterans. Pianist Mike Longo, long associated as Dizzy Gillespie’s sideman, joins together again with Bob Cranshaw, alumnus of Sonny Rollins, and drummer Lewis Nash, who’s hit the skins for EVERYONE. Their…
BLUE NOTES 75th ANNIVERSARY! Miles Davis-Take Off: The Complete Blue Note Albums
If diamonds are the traditional gift for a 75th anniversary, Blue Note is going to be shelling out some jewels this year, as they are re-issuing some of their earliest (and BEST) sessions in cool little 2-3 cd sets. For…
International Voices…Jaclyn Guillou: The Lover’s Walk, Susan Clynes: Life Is…
Here are a couple of vocalists that are working on creating new sounds Canadian vocalist Jaclyn Guillou delivers a seven song mini-lp which melds modern indie folk with bohemian jazz. The trio of Bram Weijters/p, Piet Verbist/b and Toon Van…
Tom Guarna: Rush
Guitarist Tom Guarna leads an impressively swinging team of Joel Frahm/ts-ss, Danny Grissett/key, Orlando Le Fleming/b and Johnathan Blake/dr through a tasty collection of originals. Guarna’s guitar work is on display on the rock steady “Shambleau” and floats majestically on…
Matt Slocum: Black Elk’s Dream
Drummer Matt Slocum uses his working trio of Gerald Clayton/p and Massimo Biolcati/b as a foundation for a pair of tenor saxes on his most recent release. Except for Pat Metheny’s “Is This America?” (which seems to be a universal…