Is there anyone in this vast country that doesn’t have the infectious theme of the classic tv show Mission: Impossible imbedded into their psyche? Composer/musician Lalo Schifrin, best known for creating a soundtrack for Baby Boomers with themes such as…
Author: George W. Harris
MATT CRUSCUOLO: A SLICE OF MELANCHOLY ALTO
Jazz has a handful of its Walter Mitties, artists who, for one reason or another, have a “day job” that gives them the ability to continue on their musical paths. Most famous are Drs Denny Zeitlin (pianist) and Eddie Henderson…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Richard Bennett: Code Red Cloud Nine, For the Newly Blue
Remember that old song by Dave Frishberg, “I Want to be a Sideman”? Here, you’ve got two releases by one of the ultimates, Nashville resident Richard Bennett. He plays guitar, mandolin and just about anything that can be strummed or…
Juaneco Y Su Combo: The Birth of Jungle Cumbia
What you’ve got here is a collection of music that, for various reasons, fell through the musical cracks. Back in the early 70s, Juaneco Y Su Combo was one of the progenitors of what became known as “Jungle Cumbia” a…
WHAT A DEBUT! Sly5thAve Presents: Akuma
Also known as Sylvester Uzoma Onyejiaka II, Sly5thAve has put out an intriguingly original and creative album that mixes bop, funk and some smart arrangements with just enough room for explorative solos that will satisfy just about every fan of…
Lizzie Thomas: Easy to Love
Vocalist Lizzie Thomas has a bright and clear delivery on this collection of standards with a mixture of trios, duets and small group performances. The mix of horns works as a frame to surround and also coax Thomas on crisp…
Rich Rosenthal: Falling Up
As guitarist/leader Rich Rosenthal states in the liner notes, “The music you are about to hear is no Easy Listening.” Truth in advertising is always a good sign-Rosenthall teams up with Joe Girdullo/sax, Craig Nixon/b and Matt Crane/dr for a…
Mumpbeak: Mumpbeak
The band Mumpbeak consists of Ray Powell/cav-pedals, Pat Mastelotto/dr-perc and the double bassed team of Bill Laswell with either/and Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz, Lorenzo Feliciati and Tony Levin. The music, as expected by the lineup, is heavy on the heavy, with…
Gary Husband & Alex Machacek: Now
Here’s a ear-friendly collection of duets between guitarist Alex Machacek and pianist Gary Husband. All of the tunes are written by the two gents and they mix intricate interplay with accessible melodies. Most of the time, the material is cozy…
Whirlpool: This World and One More
The trio Whirlpool consists of the interesting combination of Caroline Davis/as, Charles Rumback/dr and Jeff Swanson/g. Excepting Paul Motian’s title track, all of the songs are self composed and display a quiet lyricism and sensitive interplay. What could have been…