Uh, can you say “THE SEVENTIES”? Is anyone able to have a mellower Christmas than James Taylor? Yes, he does Beta Dog versions of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Silent Night.” As you’d expect, he gets a bit…
Category: Reviews
Edie Adams: Christmas Album featuring Ernie Kovacs
If you’re talking “old school” entertainment, it’s hard to beat this collection of Christmas songs. All of them are from the early days of TV, around 1952, and the show, Kovacs Unlimited, featured one of the true avant garde artists…
Rick Braun: Swingin’ in the Snow
For his Christmas album, trumpeter/vocalist Rick Braun veers more towards the Santa Claus more than the Bethlehem side of life. He shows his hand on this cheerful collection of material by singing the lyrics with his rich voice on “I’ve…
More Christmas Music!!! Various Jazz Artists: Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Halie Loren & Matt Treder: Many Times, Many Ways
Here are a couple releases from Justin Time Records that deliver the goods for getting you into the mood for the Reason for the Season: Have Yourself is a cornucopia of Christmas Season classics in a mixture of instrumentals and…
TWO CHRISTMAS GEMS-Susie Arioli featuring Jordan Officer: Christmas Dreaming, Vinx: Little Drummer Boy
There are just SO many anonymous sounding Christmas releases that come out this time of year, and yet you want SOMETHING that’s fresh sounding, somewhere in between the gazillionth version of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” and barking dogs, quacking ducks…
****ROTW****Amikaeyla: Being In Love
Boy, there are just so many anonymous sounding vocalists out there, that it’s so refreshing when you come across someone like this lady. She mixes the jazz feel with the soul 60s groove, and her Marilyn McCoo voice is the…
CLASSICAL OR JAZZ? Yvonne Troxler: Brouhaha, Andrew Violette: Sonatas for Cello and Clarinet
Innova Records put out a wide range of sounds; pretty impressive for a label from Toe Head Country Minnesota. Actually, these people up there have a hot little jazz community. These two latest releases veer towards the more artsy side…
Daniela Nardi: Espresso Manifesto
If you’re not into what’s happening in Italian songwriting, you might not completely appreciate this tribute disc that vocalist Daniela Nardi has put together. She’s featured with her husband Ron Davis, as well as the “ultima” of Italian artists: Dario…
Tia Fuller: Angelic Warrior
I’ve been meaning to see this lady in concert for a time, as her discs have been impressive but a bit two sided. Usually, half of the material is straightforward and hard swinging jazz, and the other part is a…
Makaya McCraven: Split Decision
While the political system of the Windy City leaves a lot to be desired, the musical environment is as clean as a whistle. Chicago Sessions puts out material by local cats, and this latest, a trio session lead by drummer…