Pianist Alvaro Torres brings in some heavy hitters to Barcelona for a steaming gig at Jamboree with Tony Malaby/ts, Masa Kamaguchi/b and Kresten Osgood/dr on a hot August night in 2023. Osgood leads the charge on an aggressive “The Good…
Author: George W. Harris
Lao Tizer Band: Amplify
Rare are the jazz groups these days, so it’s encouraging to see one from LA making some fresh sounds. Keyboardist Lao Tizer puts together a working team of Eric Marienthal-Danny Janklow/wwinds, Aaron J anik/tp, Khristian Foreman/tb, Chieli Minucci/g, Carey Frank/B3,…
Greg Nathan: In The Autumn Years
Pianist and composer Charles Nathan (1921-2012) is best known for a hit he wrote for Perry Como back in the 1950s, called “Say You’re Mine Again”. Fast forward about 4 score years, and son Greg has released an album of…
Oded Tzur: My Prophet
Soft and smoky sounds are produced by tenor saxist Oded Tzur and his team of Petros Klampanis/b, Nitai Hershkovits/p and Cyrano Almeida/dr on this impressionistic collection of originals. His hornis almost cantoral on the somber “Epilogue” while wafting with Heshkovits…
Steve Turre: Sanyas
One of the masters of the hard bopping trombone, Steve Turre brings together an impressive cast of Nicholas Payton/tp, Ron Blake/ts, Isaiah J. Thompson/p, Buster Williams/b and Lenny White/dr for a bicep flexing recording from gigs recorded August 3-6 at…
THIS IS BEBOP 101…James Moody: Septet 1951-1955
Making his name associated with his mentor Dizzy Gillespie, James Moody carved his own niche as one of the most bebopping sax and flute players of modern jazz. This three disc set covers his more obscure year on the Mercury,…
Billy Childs and the Temple University Studio Orchestra: Labyrinth
One of Los Angeles’ greatest treasures, Billy Childs, takes a trip to Philadelphia where his big band compositional and arranging skills are put to good use. The Temple University Studio Orchestra, conducted by Jose Luis Deominguez, is supplemented by ringers…
THE SPIKE JONES OF ROCK…Frank Zappa & The Mothers of Invention: Whiskey A Go Go, 1968
As Spike Jones was to jazz in the 1940s, Frank Zappa was to rock and roll. Always leading the best of musicians, he mixed nostalgia with mischief and clever music in a way that attracted as wide and disparate a…
TRIO..Greg Skaff: Re-Up
Guitarist Greg Skaff trios up with Ubonna Okegwo/b and Jonathan Barber/dr for a collection of tunes with a twist of Monk in the themes. With his rich tone, Skaff even takes on “Green Chimneys” with a playful bounce, and with…
John Escreet CD Release@ Sam First Bar 06.14.24
It was fitting that one of the songs during John Escreet’s 70 minute set at Sam First Bar included Andrew Hills, poetic and dreamy “Erato”. The impressionistic yet intricate theme, deftly breathed out by Mark Turner/ts , brushed by Damion…