There aren’t a lot of times you hear a live disc and think to yourself “I wish I were there”, but this concert at The Maple Leaf by The Rumble makes me want to take in the atmosphere and vibe.…
Author: George W. Harris
Rent Romus/Heikki Koskinen: Itkuja Suite-Invocations on Lament
A Finnish suite akin to works by Jean Sibelius is delivered by co-leaders Rent Romus/as-ss-fl-voc-mel and Heikki Koskinen/ts-tp-kentele and a wide range of support in Heikki Laitinen/voc, Jushua Marshall/sax-fl, Erika Oba/fl-pic, Ann McChesney-Young/acc, Max Judelson/cel, Mark Clifford/vib, Safa Shokrai/b, Cory…
LATIN LOVES…Antonio Lizana & Emilio Solla: El Siempre Mar, Luiz Millan: Brazilian Match
There is a reason we use “romantic” and not “teutonic” when discussing passions… Antono Lizana sings and plays the sax while teaming up with pianist Emilo Solla, Jorge Roeder/b and Ferenc Nemeth/dr for a collection of personal portrayals. A string…
NEW FROM OMNIVORE….Terry Adams & Steve Ferguson: Louisville Sluggers, Victoria Hallman: From Birmingham to Bakersfield
Omnivore Records has a clever way of finding forgotten and lost recordings from a few decades back and bringing them a return to the light. Here are a couple sample fun ones… NRBQ founders Terry Adams/voc-p-key and Steve Ferguson/voc-g-dulc have…
Ramana Vieira: Tudo De Me/All Of Me
Playing piano and supplying strings, vocalist Ramana Vieira teams up with David Parker/b-, Jeff Furtado/g, Earl Jackson/dr and some cameo guests for an effort to modernize the sound of traditional Portuguese fado. There is more of a “pop” feel to …
Dwight Trible: Ancient Future
One of the most creative and explorative of today’s vocalists. Dwight Trible takes a different route on this recent release, plugging in with John Beasley/key, Andre Gouche/b, GE Stinson/g, Greg Paul/dr and b ringing in a collection of guests for…
Champian Fulton: Meet Me At Birdland
Singing and accompanying herself on piano, Champian Fulton works NYC’s Birdland Theater back in September of 2022 with her team of Hideo Tanaka/b and Fukashi Tainaka/dr. She definitely has piano chops, and swings with the best on a rich bluesy…
POST BOP SAXES…Shawn Maxwell: Story At Eleven, Jason Kush: Finally Friday, The Adam Larson Trio: With Love, From New York, Alex Weitz: Rule of Thirds
Today’s sound on the sax… Playing alto sax, Shawn Maxwell stretches out with electric bassist Michael Barton, drummer Greg Essig and Collin Clauson who creates colors switching between B3, Rhodes and Wurlitzer. There’s a Silent Way Miles Davis feel on…
SOLO AND LOW…Mark Dresser: Tines Of Change, Bruno Raberg: Solo Bass-Look Inside
We’ve come a long way from Jimmy Blanton making the bass a solo instrument back in 1940. Now we have solo bass albums, 80 years later Bassist Mark Dresser goes solo for a dozen etudes on this recent release.…
PAGING RICHARD ROUNDTREE…Frank Swart: Soundtrack For A Film Without Pictures
If you miss the sounds of Herbie Hancock’s plugged in period with The Headhunters or Mwandishi, you’re gonna find an oasis in this album by bassist/guitarist/producer/engineer/composer Frank Swart. He’s recaptured the spirit of those funky jazz days with guests like…