Here’s a creation that is well overdue in conception. Vocalist Marky Quayle takes some classic church hymns as well as songs from the Greatest Songbook of them all (the Bible), and gives a modern jazz translation in a way that…
Author: George W. Harris
Leni Stern: Sabani
Guitarist/composer/vocalist Leni Stern releases an intriguing disc, mixing accessible African motifs with American folk jazz sensibilities. The entire disc is performed by the core of Stern along with Haruma Samake, a Malian who playes a mean little West African blues…
Rick Drumm: Return From The Unknown
Here’s a listener friendly jazz set by drummer appropriately named Rick Drumm, who leads the team of Fred Hamilton-Corey Christiansen/g, John Ben Itez/b, Axel Tosca Laugart/p, Frank Catalano/sax, Mike Brumbaugh/tb and Pete Grimaldi/tp through an agreeable collection of interesting originals.…
Brazilian Trio: Constelacao
The lithe Brazilian Trio consists of Helio Alves/p, Nilson Matta/b and Duduka Da Fonseca/dr, and this release has them adroitly going through an enjoyable hour of originals and covers. A fair share of Jobim is brought to the table (what’d…
High Note Trumpets: Tom Harrell: Number Five, Jeremy Pelt: Soul
Ever wonder what happened to Blue Note Records? I think their vision and soul got captured by High Note Records, as this NYC-based label puts out some of the best forward/thinking modern jazz around. It’s got the heart of the…
Preservation Hall Jazz Band: 50th Anniversary
How many musical entities remember when JFK was president? Well, the Preservation Jazz Hall Band, which has been recording for Columbia/Legacy since those halcyon days, shows why their music, still eternally out of date, but eternally relevant, stands up so…
Melody Gardot@The Orpheum 09.22.12
There are simply so few vocalists out there that don’t sound like they’re trying to sound like someone else, that when someone comes along like Melody Gardot, who not only sings like an original, but composes like one, you’ve got…
****ROTW****Marcus Miller: Renaissance
Bassist extraordinaire Marcus Miller may have finally put out the disc everyone’s been waiting for. It’s got the mix of Soul Train funk along with some thoughtful and consistent compositions, and some impressive chops delivered by the leader and his…
GONNA GET IN THE HOT TUB!! Maceo Parker: Soul Classics, Larry Graham & Graham Central Station: Raise Up HOT TUB! HOT TUB!
One of the last connections to REAL soul music, when the sounds were supposed to be about getting up and having a party, and not stabbing someone with a knife, saxist Maceo Parker teams up with the WDR Big Band…
Carol King: The Legendary Demos
Before there was Dark Side of The Moon, Frampton Comes Alive or Thriller, Carol King’s simple and plaintive Tapestry was the all time selling album. The composer of innocent pop hits like “The Locomotion” put out a debut album back…