Category: Ringer of the Week

The team of Neil Hendry on various guitars, banjo man Tim Posgate, exotic percussionist Ravi Naimpally and William Lamoureux on violin, viola, bass and guitar create a sumptuous mix of American gumbo and Asian masala on this tasty treat of…

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Guitarist Tim Fitzgerald gives tribute to his inspiration Wes Montgomery on this swinging set of tunes made famous by the famous thumb strummer. It’s not just an imitation, though, as Fitzgerald gooses up the charts with a hip team of…

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For some reason, Jackie Ryan never gets mentioned regarding top jazz vocalists, but for my money, she’s in the top tier. Her enunciation is exquisite, she has a festive swing that sounds like she just popped out of a birthday…

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It’s possible that vocalist Luciana Souza has been on more of my RINGER OF THE WEEK selection list than any other artist. The amazing thing about her is that each time she has been in a different setting, ranging from…

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With her latest series of releases, Eliane Elias has quietly and sadly unobservantly becoming not only one of the most adroit pianists in jazz, but with albums like this new one, has now entered the top tier of Brazilian vocalists.…

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Rare is the record label that has its own definable sound. Back in the day, you knew what you were expecting with a release by Blue Note, Concord, Riverside or even Chesky. Now, you might find C&W on one of…

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The aptly named label Jazz Detective is the child of producer Zev Feldman, who has uncovered countless musical treasures over the years. Under his watchful eye, hidden gems from Bill Evans, Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus and Wes Montgomery have been…

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I’ve seen LA-based session guitarist Grant Geissman in a variety of settings in the local jazz scene, ranging from big band work with Gordon Goodwin to a Steely Dan tribute to swinging small group jams. No one plays better, and…

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I’ll admit it-I’m a sucker for jazz duet albums, as they are so rare, and they are the epitome of conversant swing. This one is especially delightful on a variety of fronts. First, you rarely get an alto sax/guitar summit,…

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Look, I’m a happily married man of 38+ years. I’m devoted to my lovely bride and am gratefully faithful to her. But I also married, not buried, and know something about a woman’s ability to get a man’s temperature to…

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