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…
Author: George W. Harris
THIS IS A HARD BOP QUINTET 101…Horace Silver: The Classic Blue Note Collection
If you open up a dictionary and look up “Hard Bop”, you’ll likely see a picture of Horace Silver. Along with Art Blakey, Silver essentially invented the classic hard bop quintet of tenor sax, trumpet, piano bass and drums. This…
BEFORE DYLAN, THERE WAS…Ramblin’ Jack Elliot: 100 Classic Recordings From The Early Years
If you think Bob Dylan was the be-all and end-all of the folk movement, then you need to get this four disc 100 song collection by the man who REALLY started it all, even before Pete Seeger, namely Ramblin’ Jack…
TIM WARFIELD : JAZZLAND
LIKE THE MUSIC ITSELF, BEING A JAZZ ARTIST THESE DAYS REQUIRES THE ABILITY TO IMPROVISE. ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED SAXOPHONISTS, TIM WARFIELD HAS BALANCED A CAREER OF SOLO RECORDING, SERVING AS A SIDEMAN, DOING STUDIO WORK AND ALSO SPENDING…
MATT HARRIS: JAZZ GOES TO COLLEGE
ONE OF THE OASIS IN THE JAZZ DESERT OF LOS ANGELES IS CSUN, HOME OF THE SORAYA THEATRE AND WHERE THE LIKES OF BRANFORD MARSALIS, CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE, BRAD MEHLDAU, CECILE MCLORIN SALVANT AND SAMARA JOY HAVE GIVEN ANGELENOS SOME OF…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Dexter Gordon: Copenhagen Coda
Returning to his “home” of Denmark after a successful “comeback” in his native United States, Dexter Gordon sounds inspired on this four song concert session recorded at Montmartre back in February, 1983. One of my biggest regrets is that I…
Joanie Pallatto: Accidental Melody
Expressive vocalist Joanie Pallatto teams up with guest Fareed Haque on a variety of guitars and a mix/match collection of teammates on this wide ranging collection of originals. There are a couple of duets with pianist Bradley Parker-Sparrow, an intimate…
Bokani Dyer: Radio Sechaba
Singing and playing keyboards, South African musician Bokani Dyer delivers a soulful and multi-faceted collection of originals that hit the heart, ears and head. He’s teamed with a core of Tenai Shoko-Ameshi Ikechi/b, Tinotenda Dambaneunga-Sphelelo Mazibuka/dr, Sthembiso Bhenu/tp, Shane Cooper/g…
XY VOICE…John Allee: Past Imperfect, Ben Cassara: What A Way To Go!, Fred Farell: Season’s Journey
New entrees for the lonely category of male jazz vocalists. John Allee plays the piano, sings with sardonic wit and writes with the cleverness of Dave Frishberg on this album of originals. Backed by John Harvey/dr, Mike Scnoebelen/b, Adam Bravo/p,…
Jacques Schwarz-Bart: The Harlem Suite
With a tone and style inspired by John Coltrane, Jacques Schwarz-Bart teams up with Victor Gould-Sullivan Fortner-Gregory Privat/p, Matt Penman-Reggie Washington/b Terri Lyne Carrington-Marcus Gilmore/dr and a pair of guest vocalists for a post bop features. He slows down John…