Pianist Pascal Le Boeuf displays two sides of his brain on this pair of recently released sessions Pascal’s Triangle has the pianist in a traditional trio format with Linda Oh/b and Justin Brown/dr. The original songs are all 2-4 minute…
Author: George W. Harris
WEIRD & WONDERFUL-Gansch & Breinschmid: Live, John Brown’s Body: Kings and Queens, Berserk!: Berserk!
Is there life beyond jazz standards and “I Got Rhythm” changes? Here are three recent releases that push the boundaries so far that you might need a new GPS! Thomas Gansch/tp and Georg Breinschmid/b are nothing if not fun. They’ve put…
FEMININE VOICES-Cristina Braga: Samba, Jazz and Love, Youn Sun Nah: Lento, Carol Duboc: Smile
Three different ways to present the jazz idiom via the female voice. Any preferences, or just do a smorgasbord? Cristina Braga brings her voice and harp along with the team of Ricardo Medeiros/b-arr, Jesse Sadoc/tp-fh, Joca Moraes/dr and Arthur Dutra/vibe…
Oliver “Tuku” Mtukudzi: Sarawoga
You wish there were more details and liner notes on this warm and embracing disc by South African guitarist/vocalist. The sparse notes give hints of a family tragedy, and this album is apparently a healing process to heal the loss…
Michelle Pollace: New Beginning
Pianist Michelle Pollace leads a small group in a mostly trio format with David Belove/b and Phil Hawkins through a collection of originals and standards. She leans on the latin side of life here, with a cleverly salsa’d take of…
TWO FOR TANGO! Julio Botti: Tango Nostalgias, The Jay D’Amico Quintet: Tango Caliente
Argentine music is working its way into the jazz mainstream. Here are two recent releases that reflect that trend. I’m a Carlos Gardel kind of tango guy, but these two sessions lean a bit more towards the Nuevo Tango that…
THIS IS A SAXOPHONE 101…Coleman Hawkins Alive! At the Village Gate 1962, Sonny Stitt Quartets: Rearin’ Back/Tribute to Duke Ellington
I don’t expect every jazz fan to ONLY have music by guys like Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Hodges and Sonny Stitt; still, a hefty collection of gents like these guys will at least give you a sound by which all other…
John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension: Now Here This
Not as maniacal or frenetically focused as the Mahavishnu Orchestra, or as acoustic as Shakti, guitar guru John McLaughlin finds a middle ground with the team of Gary Husband/p-synth-dr, Ranjit Barot/dr, Etienne M’Bappe/b, performing material that is still macho, but relying…
Nicolas Masson: Third Reel
Tenor saxist and clarinetist Nicolas Masson joins together with the unorthodox combination of guitar (Roberto Pianca) and drums (Emanuele Maniscalco) for a highly intriguing collection of sounds and sonic directions. The material ranges from aggressive sax and electric guitar on…
Giovanni Guidi Trio: City of Broken Dreams
Italian pianist Giovanni Guidi teams up with Thomas Morgan/b and Joao Lobo/dr for a collection of gentle originals. The soft and delicate interplay is similar to the Scandinavian pianists like Bobo Stenson and Tord Gustavson; lots of space between the…