Hammondmeister Pat Bianchi forms a peanut butter and jelly trio team of tenor saxist Troy Roberts and drummer Colin Stranahan on this grooving release. Bianchi pulls out the plugs on a white knuckler read of “Cheek To Cheek” and boogaloos…
Author: George W. Harris
ALPHONSO JOHNSON: THE MYSTERIOUS TRAVELER
WHEN I FIRST GOT ATTRACTED TO JAZZ IN THE 1970S, ONE IT’S MAJOR ATTRACTIONS WAS THAT IT WAS STILL POSSIBLE TO SEE PERFORM ARTISTS THAT ACTUALLY CREATED MUSICAL STYLES, SUCH AS SWING, BEBOP OR HARD BOP. 45 YEARS LATER, MOST…
OUT OF THE CELLAR…Cory Weeds: Home Cookin’, Atley King: Unconditional
Mainstream jazz label CellarMusic has two new releases for the hard bopping huddled masses. Big toned tenor Cory Weeds surrounds himself with a “little” small band for a mix of originals and hard boppers. “The team sounds Rat Packing on…
Shawn Maxwell: J Town Suite
Playing alto and soprano sax as well as flute, Shawn Maxwell gets onto a soulful mood with Collin Clauson/key, Michael Barton/b and Greg Essig/dr on a mix of originals. Clauson’s rhodes makes the album feel like a Joe Sample vintage…
DAVID ROBAIRE: A HOME BASS
WHILE COVID AND THE ECONOMY TRIED TO KILL IT, THE JAZZ SCENE IN LOS ANGELES IS STILL ALIVE AND THRIVING. YES, A NUMBER OF CLUBS HAVE SADLY CLOSED. BUT NEAR LAX, AT SAM FIRST BAR, SOME OF THE FRESHEST AND…
PROG ROCK IN THE WAKE OF ROBERT FRIPP… Mark Wingfield: The Gathering, Quartet Diminished: Deerand, Beledo: Flotando En El Vacio, Luca Calabrese: I Shin Den Shin
The legacy of Robert Fripp and King Crimson is carried on with a new generation of musicians, although anchored with alumni of the previous Court. Here are a handful of recent declarations from the kingdom… Guitarist Mark Wingfield brings in…
Mose Allison: Eight Classic Albums
One of the original hipsters, piano/singer/songwriter Mose Allison, set the stage for just about every nightclub vocalist since. Here are his early albums that set the stage for all subsequent men at the mic. In 1957, he is in his…
Randy Napoleon: The Door Is Open-The Music Of Gregg Hill
Best known for his work with the late Freddie Cole, guitarist Randy Napoleon has created a sound and style for himself by eschewing jazz standards and, for the second time, has delved into the songbook of composer Gregg Hill. The…
John Korbel: Falling Feels Like Flying
Singer/songwriter John Korbel displays a wide swath of ideas on this album mixed and matched with Mark Falchook/key, Steve Luciano/g, Ezra Henry/dr, Marco Bojorquez/b, Alain Bradette/ts-ss, Sam Zambito/tp, Chris West-Kyle Schroeder/wwinds and Carmen Harrell-Sam Reckart/voc. His style comes a cross…
BENNIE MAUPIN: A 50 YEAR JEWEL
ONE OF THE JOYS OF JAZZ IS THAT, UNLIKE CLASSICAL MUSIC, FANS ARE STILL ABLE TO SEE THE CREATORS OF THEIR FAVORITE MUSIC PERFORM IN CONCERT. 83 YEAR OLD BENNIE MAUPIN, WHO HAS GRACED ICONIC ALBUMS SUCH AS MILES DAVIS’ BITCHES…