If you’re a drum freak, you know about the in-the-pocket-chops of Steve Smith, who’s made a name for himself as THE go to drummer, playing with Jean Luc Ponty, Journey, Steps Ahead, Stanley Clarke and Ahmad Jamal, to name just…
Category: Reviews
Jochen Rueckert: Somewhere Meeting Nobody
Drummer Jochen Rueckert leads a quartet with some of the major movers of the new generation of jazzers, namely Mark Turner/ts, Brad Shepik/g and Matt Penman/b. The music while, sophisticated and intellectual, is a bit more cerebral than necessary, with…
Rufus Reid & Out Front: Hues Of A Different Blue
If you have a Jazz Play-Along book/cd, you’ve probably heard Rufus Reid’s bass, as he’s on a plethora of those essential educational tools. Here, along his Out Front Trio (Steve Allee/p and Duduka Da Fonseca/dr) he puts forth a textbook…
Mark Rapp’s Melting Pot: Good Eats
Mark Rapp leads a nice and down home band with Joe Kaplowitz/B3, Ahmad Mansour/g, Klemens Marktl/dr and Don Braden/ts-fl on this trigue of sorts to the soul jazz of the 60s. The material leans heavy on the Lou Donaldson songbook,…
JD McPherson: Signs & Signifiers
Here’s a throwback record that makes you realize what’s wrong with today’s music. As CS Lewis once said, “Just because you’re moving forward, it doesn’t mean you’re progressing. If you’ve missed your turnoff, to actually turn around and go backwards…
Kenny G & Rahul Sharma: Namaste
What can be said of Kenny G that hasn’t already be said. It’s like Marx Brothers movies, Barry Manilow, Heavy Metal or Lady Gaga; you are either a devout follower, or you’ll never be one. Even on the cover photo,…
Dave Juarez: Round Red Light
Guitarist Dave Juarez leads a post-bop quintet through a series of originals with Seamus Blake/ts, John Escreet/p, Lauren Falls/b and Bastian Weinhold/dr. His round and palpable tone is well spotlighted on tunes like the title track and “The Echo Of…
Daniel Jamieson: Daniel Jamieson’s Danjam Orchestra
Canadian composer/saxophonist Daniel Jamieson leads a modern sounding band, with some intriguing charts and forward looking sounds, on this well crafted disc enhanced by the production of Jim McNeely (of Stan Getz fame). Jamieson’s charts on standards like “Alone Together”…
ROTW – Irene Jacob & Francis Jacob: Je Sais Nager
This one caught me by surprise. A brother and sister team? The vocalist a French actress? It didn’t look promising, but if you want something a little bit different in your mellow jazz catalogue, give this one a try. Irene…
Joe Jackson: The Duke
Singer Joe Jackson has always had a jazzer’s heart. Remember that 1984 album Body and Soul where he did a spot on imitation of a Sonny Rollins Blue Note session? This latest release has him going to the Duke Ellington…