Two of LA’s finest get together for a meeting made in jazz heaven. Pianist Josh Nelson has made a career balancing swinging small group jazz with being one of the best vocal accompanists while Mon David is one of the…
Category: Ringer of the Week
THE APOTHEOSIS OF SMALL GROUP SWING…Eddie Heywood: The Eddie Heywood Collection 1940-59
Virtually unknown these days, pianist Eddie Heywood (1915-89) led a group of small bands in the 40s up through the 50s, and during the Swing Era put out some of the most sublime sounds you’ll ever encounter, as this two…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Kenny Washington: What’s The Hurry
With such a dearth of male singers that sound fresh, lyrical and yet holding onto the tradition, Kenny Washington is like a vocal oasis. The tenor shines brightly on recent release, and he creates an art gallery of musical portraits…
MONK IN HIGH SCHOOL…Thelonious Monk: Palo Alto
If nothing else, 16 year old high school student Danny Scher had Chutzpah. How many teenagers would have the guts to even try to sign up Thelonious Monk for a gig at a local school, but somehow this guy pulled…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Throttle Elevator Music: Emergency Exit
Here’s an exciting album by this generation’s prophetic voices mixing jazz with modern sounds that crosses all lines of taste. Tenor sax titan Kamasi Washington takes part in this sessoin with Matt Montgomery/b-p, Gregory Howe/g-b-B3, Erik Jekabson/tp-fh, Mike Hughes-“Lumpy”/dr, Kasey…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Mafalda Minnozzi: Sensorial-Portraits In Bossa & Jazz
OK! Sue me, sue me, what can you do me? I love bossa albums! This one by Mafalda Minnozzi is a real treat in that her voice and emotions show a dash of late period Billie Holiday, making it a…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Magos Herrera-Chano Dominguez-John Patitucci-Antonio Sanchez: Quatro
Sublime and gorgeously swinging sounds are emanating from the luscious voice of Magos Herrera and her top notch “supporting” cast of bassist John Patitucci, drummer Antonio Sanchez and piano Chano Dominguez. The three stallions are reigned in, and the percolating…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THE GREAT SCHUBERT SONGBOOK? Madre Vaca: Winterreise
No, it’s not someone “swinging the classics”, but Franz Schubert does get a go-over with arrangements by Benjamin Shorstein and interpretations by a nifty post bop team consisting of Juan Rollan/sax, Steve Strawley/tp, Lance Reed/tb, Jonah Pierre/p, Jarrett Carter/g, Mike…
THE LAST OF A BREED…Bobby Rush: Rawer Than Raw
10,000 years from now, when the re-excavate the La Brea Tar Pits, they’re going to find the bones of Bobby Rush firmly grasping on to his harmonica, and they’ll make a display of him in the Natural History Museum in…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****La Lucha: Everybody Wants To Rule The World
The La Lucha trio of John C. O’Leary III/p, Alejandro Arenas/b and Mark Feinman/dr mix and match with a delightful array of guest on this seamless tapestry of sounds. They do a sole piece without any accompaniment and they show…