Category: Ringer of the Week

Yes, it’s a bold claim that Sister Rosetta Tharpe was to gospel what Louis Armstrong was to jazz, but it’s simply true. Back in the 1920s, not only did Armstrong transform jazz by being the best trumpet player around, but…

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Pianist and composer Amina Figarova brings together a jazz combo of Bart Platteau, Alex Pope Norris/tp-fh, Wayne Escoffery/ts, Yasushi Nakamura/b and Rudy Royston/dr to juxtapose with 23 members of the tender  hearted and full voiced Matsiko World Orphan Choir to…

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It’s important to remember that the word “record” album is just that-an actual record of where the artist is at that specific moment of time, be it musically, socially or spiritually. Tenor saxist Wayne Escoffrey, one of the most important…

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Back in the 1950s and 60s, vocalist Julie London carved out a career by cooing out soft and seductive albums for the late night crowd. Lauren Henderson goes one better than nurse Dixie McCall, as she even composes her own…

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They’ve made a career of creating beautiful music both apart and together. Guitarist Lee Ritenour  reunites with pianist-keyboardist Dave Grusin for another gorgeous collection of Brazilia. This time, they employ Ebu Ribeiro/dr, Bruno Migotto/b, Marcelo Costa/perc and some guests for…

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At one time, Los Angeles/Hollywood was the hub of jazz. Back in the 1950s-60s, with TV and radio soaring in popularity, studios were filled with jazz musicians playing things like the theme song to “Leave It To Beaver” and living…

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Randy Weinstein comes up with a brilliant idea that almost works perfectly the whole way through the album-take the tunes of Thelonious Monk and interpret them through both the diatonic and chromatic harmonicas, backed only by the most Spartan of…

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If you don’t know that Nat “King” Cole is one of the top 3 jazz vocalists of all time, then here’s a great place to get acquainted. By the time of this 1953 collection of concerts from Chicago’s Blue Note,…

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Drummer Adonis serves up an impressive trio of his own, and brings in a ringer for most of the album in a guest vocalist. For the instrumentals, Rose guides Ryan Hanseler/p and Lex Warshawsky/b through a sleek modal rounder of…

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If you want a unique singing style that still hits home, check out Korean vocalist Hyeonseon Baek. He is backed by a bopping team of Kevin Hays/p, Linda May Han Oh/b, Jochen Rueckert/dr and guest Lucas Pino/ts for a mix…

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