You can tell after just one song that singer Allan Harris grew up around the corner from the world famous Apollo Theatre. Every song on this album oozes over with Old School soul, mixing a gospel feel, upbeat messages about…
Category: Ringer of the Week
Gretchen Parlato: Flor
It’s been way too long since vocalist Gretchen Parlato has released an album, and this one may simply be her strongest. For one thing, it sounds most like her concert performances, as she stays mostly with a single working team…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Franco Ambrosetti Band: Lost Within You
Franco Ambrosetti brings his trumpet and flugelhorn to lead a classy sounding collection of all stars in this wonderfully lyrical album of mostly jazz standards. The team of John Scofield/g, Renee Rosnes-Uri Caine/p, Scott Colley/b and Jack DeJohnette/dr is first…
DO-WOP AT IT’S DO-WOPPIEST…The Ravens: The Ravens Collection 1946-59
There was a ton of do wop groups named after birds, namely the Larks, Crows, Cardinals and Wrens, to name just a few. Highest of the fliers were The Ravens, originally consisting or Jimmy Ricks, Warren Suttles, Leonard Puzey and…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****DARE TO BE “LIVE”…Jim Snidero: Live at the Deer Head Inn
Tired of staying holed up in the studio or producing those lame “streaming” concerts, alto saxist Jim Snidero finally burst out and boldly decided to do an actual concert. Yes, there was social distancing, but the crowd and musicians were…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Mark Winkler & David Benoit: Old Friends
This reunion of venerable buddies Mark Winkler and David Benoit is what long time kindred spirits are supposed to feel like-putting on an old pair of slippers; warm and comfortable. The West Coast Cool vocalist and smooth jazz pianist do…
WELL PRESERVED JAMS…Joe Castro: Passion Flower (for Doris Duke)
Pianist Joe Castro had one of those jazz lives that unfortunately got overlooked but fortunately got re-discovered by Sunnyside Records. In the 1950s, he was a fledging bebopper, playing with the likes of Teddy Edwards and Billy Higgins in the…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****A ONE-OFF GEM…Hasaan Ibn Ali: Metaphysics
Here’s a pianist I guarantee you’ve never heard before, as he only did (to my knowledge) only this one session as a leader and then dropped off into even deeper obscurity. Pianist Hasaan Ibn Ali was discovered by drummer Max…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****WHEN LA WAS STILL SWINGING…The Bobby Shew Sextet: Play Song
Back in the 70s and 80s, for five bucks you could go into one of half a dozen jazz clubs any night of the week and catch a first class set or two. LA was filled with studio cats looking…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Zvonimir Tot’s Jazz Stringtet
This mix of gypsy guitar by Zvonimir teamed up with the sring team of Carmen Kassinger/vi, Lisa Fako/vi, Cheryl Wilson/va, paula Kosower/cel and Rob Kassinger/b feels like the logical step of Django Reinhardt if he were alive today. The mix…