Lead by pianist Adam Kromelow, this trio, with Raviv Markovitz/b and Jason Burger/dr plays post modern jazz with a collection of originals and a few covers. Kromelow’s writing and performing style is a bit elliptical and edgy, going in 2-3…
Author: George W. Harris
Papa Grows Funk: Needle In The Groove
Don Cornelius may no longer be with us, but this release which was produced by Allen Toussaint sure would have made the master emcee happy. The band consists of Jeffrey Alexander/dr, Jason Mingledorff/sax, Marc Pero/b, Joh Gros/key-v and June Yamagishi/g…
Mark Sherman: The LA Sessions
Here’s a guy that’s got bebop in his blood. Vibist Mark Sherman teams up with some of the best guys LA has to offer, and creates a cozy yet sizzling dandy of a disc here. Sherman’s cohorts are Bill Cunliffe,…
John Raymond: Strength & Song
Here’s a trumpeter you’re really going to like: bred and grass fed in Minnesota, John Raymond leads a his John Raymond Project which includes Gilad Hekselman/g, Javier Santiago/p,-key, Raviv Markovitz/b and Cory Cox through a collection of material that mixes…
Joey DeFrancesco: Wonderful! Wonderful!
The whole trick of putting together a Hammond B3 trio is not too different from creating a great pasta sauce. It’s all a matter of what basic ingredients you put together, and then how you season and stir it up.…
Memphis the Musical @The Pantages 08.08.12
If you want a musical with some real soul in it, give this show a try. Memphis tells the story of 50s era music, pre-rock, just at the cusp when gospel and R&B coalesced with white pop to create a…
***ROTW***Peter Appleyard : Peter Appleyard and the Jazz Giants: The Lost 1974 Sessions
Here’s a release that is like finding a precious photo album you thought was lost for years while cleaning out your garage. Vibist Peter Appelyard made his name playing with Benny Goodman’s band in the 70s, and one evening after…
Ben Powell: New Street
Violinist Ben Powell is a fairly new kid on the musical block, but he’s in the right neighborhood here, as his release here displays a tribute to icon Stephane Grappelli in terms of sound and material. He’s got a warm,…
There’s Latin, and then there’s LATIN! Paul Beaudry & Pathways: Americas, Duduka da Fonseca Quintet: Samba Jazz-Jazz Samba, Anna Estrada: Volando
AHH! THE FAMED LATIN TINGE! Where would Western music be if not for the adventures of Christopher Columbus and Pedro Alvares Cabral, who initiated the unification of Europe, Latin Culture and the New World? The thought of jazz without the…
Lorraine Feather: Tales of the Unusual
By far, Lorraine Feather is one of the most original and clever lyricists in the jazz, and possibly pop world. Raised on bop, her material as of late has taken on a more abstract, pop or folkish feel, almost coming…