I wept a bit when I heard that the German free jazz multi-reed player Peter Brotzmann died last week at age eighty-two. I knew his health was declining but that he was battling to perform, nevertheless. He was a monster…
Author: George W. Harris
Albert Lee@The Write-Off Room 09.20.23
So, Eric Clapton is in town this weekend playing before 18,000 people. His long time guitarist, Albert Lee, is packing the 100 person capacity Write-Off Room. Which one is the “gig to see”? Well, here I am! The guitarist’s guitarist,…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****LAST OF A KIND…Eddie Henderson: Witness to History
Not only leader Eddie Henderson, but almost the entire band of Donald Harrison/as, George Cables/p, Gerald Cannon/b, Lenny White/dr and Mike Clark/dr are of a generation that is quickly passing by. Growing up on hard bop and post bop, as…
Affinity Trio: Hindsight
You get more with less with the drummerless Affinity Trio consisting of Eric Jacobson/tp, Pamela York/p and Clay Schaub/b on this mix of boppers and originals. York and Schaub take turns supplying the feel, with bluesy beauty for Jacobson’s sweet…
Shalosh: Tales of Utopia
Made up of the Israeli team of Dan Benhorin/b, Matan Assayag/dr and Gadi Stern/p, the band Shalosh (meaning “three” in Hebrew) create a chamber-like feel, not unlike Billy Childs, on this album of group conceived originals. There are a pair…
A NEW LABEL REPRESENTING LA…Josh Nelson: LA Stories-Live at Sam First, Joe La Barbera Quintet: World Travelers, Justin Kauflin Trio: Live at Sam First
Due to the local economics as well as the results of the draconian COVID lockdown, there are only a handful of jazz clubs in LA still alive and functioning. Near the LA airport stands Sam First Bar, the last of…
Landgren/Wollny/Danielsson/Haffner: 4 Wheel Drive II
This follow-up to 2019’s debut brings together the successful combo of Nils Landgren/tb-voc, Michael Wollny/p, Lars Danielsson/b-cdl and Wolfgang Haffner/dr melding intelligently pop vocals with jazz foundations. The foursome mixes originals with pop hits as well, with Landgren’s baritone in…
LET’S BE CANDID ABOUT JAZZ…Steve Lacy: The Straight Horn of Steve Lacy, Toshiko Mariano Quartet: Toshiko Mariano Quartet, Charles Mingus: Mingus, Phil Woods: Rights of Swing, Don Ellis: How Time Passes
Continuing its deep dive into the vaults, Candid Records has not only re-issued a couple classics, but have come up with some obscurities that will make you wonder how you missed them the first, second or third time around Master…
George Benson: Live At Montreux 1986
This dvd-2cd set captures George Benson bac kin 1986 performing at the Montreux Festival, with an uncredited backup team. I’m sure that you know that there are essentially “two” George Bensons: the soul jazz guitarist and the R&B crooner. This…
HOT TUNA: Live at Sweetwater1/Live At Sweetwater 2/Live In Japan
Three gigs of the famed Hot Tuna band are culled together on this mini-box set; have a seat and take it in. There are two discs of concerts from Mill Valley, CA’s Sweetwater. The first is a 1992 acoustic set…