Due to the COVID lockdown, it’s been four years since Snarky Puppy as been in town. If nothing else, this recent concert confirmed my belief that Michael League’s vision of a musical worldview is what is going to keep jazz…
Author: George W. Harris
Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Festival 09.23.23
So, did anyone else notice that Eric Clapton wore blue bell bottoms the first day of the Crossroads Guitar Festival on Saturday? For the seventh installment of raising support for the Crossroads Centre in Antigua (which provides treatment and education…
Wayne Alpern: Rezurrektion
Melding genres and styles, Wayne Alpern takes compositions ranging from Ellington to Mozart and lets the string quartet of Chern Hwe Fung/vi, Gregor Huebner/vi, Ron Lawrence/va and Jeremy Harmon/cel create a rich mosaic of sounds and ideas. You’ll be familiar…
THIS IS SWING 101…The Benny Goodman Hits Collection, Volume 1 1931-31, Volume 2 1939-53
You’re going to have to take this on faith, but at one time, jazz was America’s most popular music. And while you may argue if he invented it, you can’t argue that Benny Goodman was the most popular figure of…
OH YEAH! Black Pearls Vol. 1 : Rhythm & Blues
After swing gave birth to modern jazz and bebop, teenagers had to figure out what to dance to, since bebop just wasn’t going to do it. Up came R&B, and this 28 song collection shows you what got kids on…
Frank Kohl: Pacific
Guitarist Frank Kohl goes solo on his latest release, mixing up standards with some rich originals. His delivery is patient and inquisitive, taking melodies such as the reclined “When I Fall In Love” or patient “Time After Time” and inspecting…
Blind Boy Fuller: Step It Up And Go-The Collection 1935-40
One of the masters of the rural blues, also known as “Piedmont Blues” was Blind Boy Fuller, aka Fulton Allen (1904-41). Fuller had a picking and singing style not unlike contemporary Rev. Gary Davis, but a bit more earthy and…
The Black Gold Orchestra: Genesis
Producer and drummer Larry Wilson teams with musical director Melvin Jones for a big band album that feels like an opus with a story. The 20 member orchestra starts things off with Mike Walton’s bold tenor on “Gyau” for a…
Seulah Noh Jazz Orchestra: NOhMAD
Here’s an ambitious big band recording that gives Maria Schneider a run for the money of best orchestra. Composer and arranger Seulah Noh conducts a five sax, four trumpet, four trombone, four rhythm section along with an occasional string section…
Herb Silverstein: Aspenrose
Pianist Herb Silverstein teams up with bassist Michael Ross for a concert of duets at The Opera House. His touch has a hint of influence, but not a devotion, to Bill Evans as Silverstein is warm and melodic on a…