Tobias Hoffman conducts a large jazz orchestra through a series of original charts. The five reeds, 9 brass and four rhythm teams are tighter than a hipsters skinny jeans, with some fun dynamics on a title piece inspired by the…
Author: George W. Harris
Patricia Brennan Septet: Breaking Stretch
Playing vibes, marimba and electronics, Patricia Brennan leads a forward looking team of Jon Irabagon/as-ss, Mark Shim/ts, Adam O’Farrill/tp-el, Marcus Gilmore/dr, Mauricio Herrera/perc and Kim Bass/b through a series of complex originals. The mix of vibes and percussion makes for…
STATE OF THE ART…Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Paul Motian: The Old Country
They sure weren’t under-recorded, but nevertheless the classic trio of pianist Keith Jarrett, bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Paul Motian (replacing Jack DeJohnette for this 1992 gig in Delaware’s Dear Head Inn jazz club) always deserves to have whatever performances…
VINYL REVIVAL…Max Roach: Deeds, Not Words, Jazz Dispensary: The Golden Hour
The latest vinyl cache from Craft Recordings include a classic from the 1950s and a mix of 70s sound. Max Roach’s 1958 Deeds, Not Words is a collection of advanced hard bop with unique instrumentation. It features a young Brooker…
PAN Project: Borderless Flows
Sounds from multiple continents are put together, as folk instruments are plucked, strummed, blown into and tapped for vocalist Jessika Kenney by Ned Rothenberg/bcl-shakuhachi, Jeff Roberts: electronics-etc, Woonjung Sim/ Korean perc and Gamin/piri. The results is some dark almost monkish…
THIS IS MODERN JAZZ VOCALS…Al Jarreau: Wow! Live At The Childe Harold
To put this important album of a previously unreleased recording of Al Jarreau in context, this Washington DC gig catches the iconic star just before hitting fame, after his 1976 Glow and before his chart topping 1977 Look To The…
Florian Weber: Imaginary Cycle
Pianist and composer Florian Weber creates a suite of sorts for the unorthodox collection of four euphoniums and four trombones (including one bass trombone) to augment his equally unorthodox trio with Anna-Lena Schnabel’s flute and Michel Godard’s tuba. Weber’s piano…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****WHO LET HER OFF HER LEASH?!? Gunhild Carling: Jazz Is My Lifestyle
Yeah, I had never heard of her before, either! From that hotbed of jazz, Sweden, comes Gunhild Carling, playing (take a deep breath)…trumpet, trombone, harp, flute, recorder, harmonica, ukulele and the “remin”. She fronts a big band that includes all-stars…
John Williamson: The Northern Sea
Bassist John Williamson brings together Alex Hitchcock/ts, Jonny Mansfield/vib, Jay Davis/dr with guests Immy Churchill/voc and Alex Wilson/p for some classy post bop originals. His thick pulse gives a nice flow for Mansfield on “Other People’s Dreams” and the nice…
THE CLASSIC QUINTET…Miles Davis: The Bootleg Series Vol 8…Miles In France-Quintet 1963/64
Miles Davis’ “Classic” Quintet of Ron Carter/b, Tony Williams/dr, Wayne Shorter/ts and Herbie Hancock/p did not go under-recorded. There are a plethora of single and multi-disc sets of the band, with this collection of the team in various gigs in…