“Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship” Ever meet someone, and just know right at the start that you’re going to be best friends? That’s how I feel after getting my first group of releases from…
Author: George W. Harris
Finding America in Upstate NY
As a reward for marrying my daughter, I took my son-in-law on a male bonding trip through places only guys appreciate. As a California boy, I rarely get to the East Coast, and no woman wants to hit Cooperstown, so…
Multiple Reviews: Copland/ Reynolds Trio/ Tonooka/ Carothers
THE PIANO-IN TRIO AND SOLO FORM: Marc CoplandSome More Love SongsPirouet Recordswww.pirouet.com The essence of jazz can be stripped down to the piano, but the question then remains if it’s best served in trio or solo form. Here are a…
Stacey Kent: Dreamer In Concert
Undeservedly ignored here in the States, but appreciated in France, vocalist/guitarist Stacey Kent is caught in a pair of 2011 concerts in Paris with her band of Jim Tomlinson/sax, Graham Harvey/key, Jeremy Brown/b and Matt Skelton/dr-perc and displaying all of…
Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: The Treasury Shows Vol. 16 and Duke Ellington: My People: The Complete Show
AAAHHHHH! ELLINGTON!!!!! No one puts out as much essential and rare Ellingtonia as Storyville Records. Here are two more releases that need to be either on your shelf or in your ipod. 1) The broadcasts from Duke Ellington’s Orchestra on…
Bill Evans: Live at Art D’Lugoff’s Top of the Gate
RINGER OF THE WEEK: This tiny label has been putting out some extremely impressive and important archival material lately. Freddie Hubbard and Wes Montgomery were recently featured, and now this one with Bill Evans’ 1968 trio with Eddie Gomez/b and…
Gregoire Maret: Gregoire Maret and Stephane Wrembel: Origins
I put these two reviews together to demonstrate a study in contrasts. Clinical versus organic. Chromatic harmonica player Gregoire Maret heads this album, with a little help of all stars like Marcus Miller, Take Six, Toots Thieleman, Cassandra…
JD Allen Trio: Victory
Sometimes, I just don’t get it. Sure, tenor saxist JD Allen has some impressive credentials, having toured with Betty Carter for a long time. But, there has to be something said about being in a big band for awhile and…
Branford Marsalis & Joey Calderazzo: Songs Of Mirth And Melancholy
The thing that has always impressed me about both Wynton and Branford Marsalis is that when they play jazz, they sound like jazz musicians, and when they play classical (unlike Benny Goodman) they sound like classical artists. Here, Branford and…
Bastian Weinhold: River Styx
Drummer Bastian Weinhold leads a post bop quintet with Adam Larson/ts, Pascal Le Boeuf/p, Nils Weinhold/g and Linda Oh/b through a collection of band-penned originals. The music divides into edgy and longer pieces like “The Tune” and “Space” and dreamy…