Arturo O’Farrill is best known for his larger band ensembles, particularly of the Latinized flavor. Here, he makes a few personnel changes and goes completely solo, giving an intimate performance of some originals and heartfelt covers. He touches on all…
Category: Reviews
IT SOUNDS SO EASY! Joe Alterman: Give Me The Simple Life, The Joe La Barbera Quintet: Silver Streams
It seems so simple to create it, yet so few artists are able to do it: namely, make an acoustic jazz disc, not too out there, having some good melodies with well constructed solos performed by artists who have their own…
Tora: Spilling Over
Here’s a singer that’s a bit of a throwback: Tora Fisher is a vulnerable soul who tells stories about her life on this release of pop/rock flavored material. She was the sole survivor of a plane crash, so she sees…
Erena Terakubo with Legends: New York Attitude, Ibrahim Maalouf: Diagnostic
Here are a pair of releases by newer artists; one with keeping and advancing the tradition, and the other bringing in a whole new reservoir of sounds and ideas into the idiom. Alto saxist Erena Terakubo is joined by the stellar…
TRUMPET & VOCAL PERFECTION-Clifford Brown: The Singers Sessions with Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan & Helen Merrill
If you want to know why I’m down on so many modern female vocalists (as well as trumpet players and musicians in general), just give a listen to the music on this heavenly 3 cd set. A few years ago…
Eddie Daniels@ Vitello’s 10.26.12
The full house at Vitellos Upstairs was treated to not only a serving of great Italian food and inspiring small group jazz, but got a chance to be on a recording session that everyone in attendance (“and beyond!”) will want…
****ROTW****Eddie Gomez: Per Sempre
This seems to be the year of the older generation getting their faces back into the music scene. Chick Corea just put out a hot little trio disc with Eddie Gomez and Paul Motian, and now the famed Bill Evans…
FRESH SOUND PIANO CLASSICS-Dick Morgan: Dick Morgan Trio, Randy Weston: Randy Weston Trio Plus Cecil Payne
Fresh Sound Records is doing what Mosaic Records USED to do: put out important but obscure material by important but obscure artists. For some reason, Mosaic releases only dribbles a year, while the Spain-based Fresh Sound Records is making more…
Gary Moore: Blues For Jimi
So, what’s your dream gig? Rhythm guitar for The Beatles? Sax section with Ellington? Bass with Miles? Playing the Strat with Jimi Hendrix’s band has got to be up there, and back in 2007, guitarist Gary Moore (who has since…
Arthur Kell Quartet: Jester
Here’s a bass player leading a band that’s a bit on the undiscovered side-this one should get your attention. Arthur Kell leads a quartet with Brad Shepik/g, Loren Stillman/as and Mark Ferber/dr. The litheness of the instrumentation works quite well here, as alto players…