Since changing labels to Mack Avenue, Kenny Garrett has been having a musical, and possibly spiritual, renaissance. Is it possible to separate the two anyway? Since being one of the “young lions” back in the 80s, he’s been on an…
Author: George W. Harris
ETHIO-JAZZ? Mulatu Astatke: Echoes of Ethiopia
You want a new genre of music? How about “Ethio-Jazz”? That’s what producer/arranger/vibist/pianist/keyboardist and leader Mulatu Astatke calls this music, and who am I to argue? It sounds GREAT, no matter what label you want to stick on it. The…
HARD BOP ALIVE AND WELL…Imer Santiago: Hidden Journey
Horace Silver. Art Blakey. Is that your idea of jazz heaven? St. Peter must have given those keys to trumpeter Imer Santiago, as the Hard Bop kingdom is well guarded by this man along with his team of Rahsaan Barber/as-ts-fl,…
The New Gary Burton Quartet: Guided Tour
It’s easy to take a guy like vibist Gary Burton for granted. He’s been on the scene for decades, making gigs with Stan Getz and Chick Corea to put his name on the map. So why is he not up…
GOOD VIBES! Warren Wolf: Wolfgang
I saw this guy a couple years ago in Christian McBride’s Inside Straight band, and thought he stole the show with his deft treatment of the vibes. Here, on his second disc as a leader, he brings back a hip…
ZANSA: Djansa
Here’s a fun one for you West Africa fans. Zansa consists of Adama Dembele/voc-perc, Casey Dean/dr, Patrick Fitzsimons/g, Sean Mason/dr, Ryan Reardon/b and Matt Williams/vio making a mixture of sounds that will grab your attention as well as your feet.…
“WOODY” and YOU…Waclaw Zimpel Quartet: Stone Fog
The ebony clarinet rarely gets featured these days. Is it due to its difficulty in the 21st century world of jazz? Difficulty in projection? Not sure. I play one, and while I prefer the 3 octave range of the licorice…
Analog Africa: Afrobeat Airways 2
Western Africa pop music got real popular in the States back in the early 80s. This collection of 13 rare tracks from Ghana-based bands are vintage 70s material. The various and sundry singers and bands range from well known singers…
Lyn Stanley: Lost in Romance
By surrounding herself with some of LA’s best session studs, vocalist Lyn Stanley does herself a favor in presenting this collection of chestnuts/standards. Her voice is sort of a Dietrichish chanteuse, sounding like an old soul on material such as…
Marnix Busstra: Sync Dreams
Dutch guitarist Marnix Busstra makes some intriguing sounds with strings along with a simpatico team of Rembrandt (gotta love it!) Frerichs/p, Arnold Dooyeweerd/b and Pieter Bast/dr. He makes some exotic sounds with an electric sitar on a sleek and flowing…