Category: Ringer of the Week

There have been a plethora of books and films about Miles Davis. This 110 minute documentary by Firelight Films, directed by Stanley Nelson, is possibly the most comprehensive, clear and easily the most musically satisfying. Originally shown at the 2019…

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Being perfectly honest, I have to confess that I get a TON of albums by female singers, and they tend to all blend in and run together. This one by Kandace Springs really stands out for a variety of reasons.…

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As a rule, the JALC has dedicated itself to jazz stars that have already  passed away, so it’s refreshing to have Wynton Marsalis give tribute to a living legend, saxist Wayne Shorter. In fact, Shorter een plays tenor and soprano…

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Since the Swing Era, two tenor summits have been one of the joys of jazz. This one with warm toned Jeff Rupert and modern sounding George Garzone is an absolute delight, with the comparison, contrasts and combinations of the two…

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Back in the 1970s, when jazz was actually popular among the masses, each record label had a certain sound and feel. CTI, started by Creed Taylor, came up with the concept of mixing “classic” jazz with rich and luscious strings,…

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Pianist Aaron Diehl takes some time away from touring with Cecile McLoren Salvant to show what he can do with his own team. This trio outing with bassist Paul Sikivie and drummer Gregory Hutchinson is a gorgeously melodic and impressionistic…

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After he left the group the Soul Stirrers and before he became the proto-typical souls singer of the early 1960s, Sam Cooke took up a three year stint with the independent Los Angeles-based label KEEN records. This boxed set of…

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Alto saxist Will Vinson does some creative mixing and matching with pianists in a series of quartet and duet settings. The pianists are a formidable collection, featuring Fred Hersch, Geral Clayton, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Sullivan Fortner and Tigran Hamasyan, with the…

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Toronto-based tenor saxist Harrison Argatoff leads a double tenor front line quartet with Mike Murley on the other Selmer with drummer Harry Vetro and bassist Steve Wallace keeping everything both together and freely swinging. The result is a mix of…

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Got your recipe book out? OK-take a dash of Count Basie-Woody Herman Swing, add a heaping amount of West Coast Cool and throw in The Four Freshmen and you’ve got the tastiest collection of sounds coming your way. Al Belletto…

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