Well, he must be considered an official member of the jazz society as opposed to simply being a child prodigy, because the “pianist previously known as Eldar” as finally added his last name to his title. Now in his twenties,…
Author: George W. Harris
THE REAL AVANT GARDE…Scott Hamilton; Swedish Ballads…& More
Yes, that staid grey haired gent on the album cover was once on the cutting edge of the music scene. Back in the 70s, when everyone, and I mean EVERYONE was either a) playing fusion or b) plugging into something…
FRETFUL FUN…Robin Nolan: Gypsy Blue
There are certain guitarists who make me sorry that I gave up the instrument in college in order to waste my time in going to school to become a doctor. I had to make a decision how to spend my…
CLASSIC SESSIONS FROM AVID… Masters of the Boogie Woogie: Five Classic Albums Plus, Tommy Flanagan: Four Classic Albums, Lionel Hampton: Three Classic Albums Plus, Roy Haynes: Three Classic Albums Plus
If I only had one record label to purchase jazz records, UK based AVID would be in the top two, being a coin flip between it and Fresh Sound Records from Spain. That said, these four latest 2 cd sets…
REMEMBER WHEN JAZZ HAD THIS ATTITUDE? Ron Block: Walking Song, The Deadly Gentlemen: Roll Me, Tumble Me
Yes, people check in and give us a hard time about including artists that do country and bluegrass, but as long as Bill Frisell does this stuff, I’m going to have no problem reviewing these pickers. Besides, BENNY CARTER wrote…
Steely Dan@Nokia Theatre 08.24.13
Back in the 70s, when they were a fledging band with a couple hits under their collective belts, Steely Dan founders Walter Becker and Donald Fagen joked that they started a rock group because they “weren’t good enough to be jazz…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Thad Jones & Eclipse: The Danish Radio Big Band
Besides being the co-leader of the Famed Jones-Lewis Orchestra, the director of The Count Basie Orchestra and the producer of countless cooking small group sessions, trumpeter/composer/arranger Thad Jones had a career in Denmark as the head of The Danish Radio…
WONDER-FUL: Yoron Israel & High Standards: Visions-The Music of Stevie Wonder
Here’s an album so logically created and so successfully put together, you have to simply scratch your head and ask, “Why didn’t someone think of this idea before?” Leader and drummer Yoron Israel gets together a team of Lance Bryant/ts-ss,…
SMOOTH JAZZ IN THE BEST SENSE Lawson Rollins: Full Circle
Don’t let the fact that acoustic guitarist Lawson Rollins is usually categorized under “Smooth” or “World” music dissuade you from getting into his music. Just what is music that ISN’T “World” music anyway? “Alien” music? If you mean that he…
Daniel Bennett Group: Clockhead Goes to Camp
Here’s a disc by a group that makes jazz tunes catchy again, they way they should be. Daniel Bennett, who has a sleek Desmondy sound on his alto, also hits the flute and clarinet with a light and rhythmic team…