If you’re a fan of left of center music, you’ll definitely want it. German-American Heiner Stadler was a composer/arranger/pianist who was part of the avant-garde music scene of the 60s and 70s. This 2 disc set includes material from his…
Category: Reviews
Juhani Aaltonen and Heikki Sarmanto: Conversations
This two disc set features the tenor saxophone of Finnish musician Juhani Aaltonen and piano of likewise Heikki Sarmanto. Most of the tunes are originals, save for standards “You and the Night and the Music” and “Alone Together.” Aalonen’s got…
Jane Scheckter: Easy To Remember
Sandy-toned vocalist Jane Scheckter has a nice earthy delivery on this collection of standards and obscurities. Her backup trio of Tedd Firth/p, Jay Leonhart/b and Peter Grant/dr is as sharp as an Italian suit, and when augmented by guests like…
INTRODUCTION TO MODERN JAZZ 101: Chet Baker, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Wes Montgomery, Sonny Rollins
INTRODUCTION TO MODERN JAZZ 101: Chet Baker The Very Best of Chet Baker John Coltrane The Very Best of John Coltrane Miles Davis The Very Best of Miles Davis Wes Montgomery The Very Best of Wes Montgomery Sonny Rollins The…
Doug Ferony: You Will Be My Music / Sandra Marlowe: True Blue
Posers or singers? Or, can you be both? Vocalist Doug Ferony could easily be dismissed as a Rat Pack wannabe. This disc has him going through some classic Blue Eyes tunes like “Fly Me To The Moon” and “Come Fly…
Carol King: The Legendary Masters
Before there was Dark Side of The Moon, Frampton Comes Alive or Thriller, Carol King’s simple and plaintive Tapestry was the all time selling album. The composer of innocent pop hits like “The Locomotion” put out a debut album back…
Cassandra Wilson: Another Country
Vocalist Cassandra Wilson always seems close to putting out the album that she’s supposed to, but never does. Her earthy and husky voice is on and off with many of her releases; the more “jazzy” the backing, the less logical…
ROTW: Muddy Waters/The Rolling Stones: Checkerboards Lounge: Live Chicago 1981
****RINGER OF THE WEEK**** Oh, Yeah! Everything is going to be all right this mornin’! If you have ANY desire to hear the blues the way they’re supposed to be played, then sit right down and either watch or listen…
Stephane Grappelli: With Orchestra Plays Jerome Kern
In case you didn’t know, violinist Stephane Grappelli was probably the world’s best ballad player. He had a tone and vibrato that was the envy of every other musician. I saw him a number of times in my early days…
Daniel Smith: Goes Latin Jazz
Bebopping bassoonist Daniel Smith has definitely cornered the market on this unwieldy double reeded monster. He’s put out a couple of other discs, which show the strengths and weaknesses of this instrument. Teamed with an adroit group of Daniel Kelly/p,…