If you like the fire-intensity of Ivo Pereleman’s tenor, this guy is right up your alley. Tenor saxist James Brandon Lewis fronts a trio with William Parker/b and Gerald Cleaver/dr, both Pereleman alumni, and mixes outside with bop and blues,…
Author: George W. Harris
AVID REISSUES FOR THE AGES…John Coltrane: Four Classic Albums, Cecil Taylor: Three Classic Albums Plus, Lee Wiley: Four Classic Albums Plus, Jimmy Witherspoon: Four Classic Albums Plus
Blues, bop ballads and beyond are all part of the catalogue from the reissue kings at Avid Records. They cover the waterfront from standards to extra-terrestrial here. If you know nothing about John Coltrane, and don’t know where to start,…
Regina Carter: Southern Comfort
Violinist Regina Carter has used her instrument to investigate Motown, African Folk and Classical Folk as well as straightahead jazz. This time out, she reaches back into the songbook of her grandfather’s era, with material that reaches to folk music…
The Bad Plus: The Rite of Spring
Yes, the Bad Plus ventures into 20th Century classical music with nary a tongue in cheek. They take on Stravinksky’s famous Rite of Spring, and do it as legit as their sensibilities take them. Yes, there are moments of swing…
A Real Cohiba…Pedro Luis Ferrer: Final
If you want your Cuban music to feel like you’re in the village instead of the nightclub, Pedro Luis Ferrer is your guy. He makes the Buena Vista Social Club seem like a bunch of city slickers on this collection…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Rufus Reid: Quiet Pride-The Elizabeth Catlett Project
It’s a pretty good bet that somewhere you’ve got an album with bassist Rufus Reid on it. Not only has he done tons of sessions and gigs for artists such as Freddie Hubbard and Dexter Gordon and has been the…
REEDS & RHYTHM…Sigurdor Flosason Copenhagen Quartet: The Eleventh Hour, B.J. Jansen: Ronin-The Masterless Samurai
Lester Young started the sax quartet back in the forties, and few things display the basics of jazz improvisation and interplay like it. Here are two torch carriers. The reason I never doubled on alto sax (I play clarinet) is…
SPARTAN GUITARS…Jason Vieaux: Play, Judy Philbin and Adam Levine: Keeping It Simple
No big productions here. Just a guitar, either all by its lonesome, or along with a vocalist. Nowhere to hide, except behind talent and taste. Jason Vieaux plays classical guitar here with a wide ranging collection of material ranging from…
Daniel Smith: Smokin’ Hot Bassoon Blues
Daniel Smith is beating the odds by making the unyielding bassoon work in a jazz setting. He’s got incredible chops and is able to coax some dynamics out of the double reeder. His core team of Robert Bosscher/p, Michael O’Brien/b…
Jason Anick: Tipping Point
There’s a new violinist on the scene and he’s pretty impressive. Jason Anick (who’s also one of the youngest instructors at Berklee, by the way) shows some impressive chops and style on violin and mandolin on this recent release, his…