I’ve heard vocalist Chanda Rule on a supporting role on albums by Sound Liberation, but this one of her own is a first round knockout. She’s got a voice that was baptized in the church, while her delivery and enunciation…
Category: Ringer of the Week
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THE NAME IS LIKE THE QUALITY…Johnny Shines: The Blues Came Falling Down
I was able to catch bluesman Johnny Shines at a festival back in the mid 70s, and my first thought was “So this is how the real blues sound.” Little did I realize back then that Mr. Shines had not…
A SWEET SABRA…Anat Cohen Tentet: Triple Helix
Clarinetist Supreme Anat Cohen continues to create a wide swath of sounds. She’s recently done Brazilian duets and trios, and now brings together her richly textured tentet under the direction of Oded Levi-Ar. The result is a wonderful mosaic of…
DOES IT GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS?!? Stan Getz: Getz at the Gate (Live At The Village Gate)
Can there ever be such a thing as “too much” previously released Stan Getz recordings? Would you turn away from finding a book of undiscovered movies of Rita Hayworth or Ava Gardner? Next Question! There are few things in musical…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Natalie Cressman & Ian Faquini: Setting Rays of Summer
Here’s a gorgeous and sensuous album by the team of Natalie Cressman and Ian Faquini. Cressman sings in both English and soft Portuguese, melding her warm trombone with Faquini’s gracious acoustic guitar, who also adds vocals for harmony and a…
THE LAST UNIQUE FEMALE VOCALIST…Betty Carter: The Music Never Stops
You could make a pretty convincing argument that Betty Carter was the last of the female singers that had her own personal and unique sound. Her style, swinging yet as flexible as salt water taffy, melded swinging bebop with avant…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Tom Harrell: Infinity
One of the true jazz giants, Tom Harrell has developed an impressive catalogue not only for his albums, but his composing and arranging skills deserve status with that of Maria Schneider; he’s that good. The airy and light team of…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Yotam Silberstein: Future Memories
I caught guitarist Yotam Silberstein at The Blue Whale a couple years ago and was impressed by his mix of lyricism and creativity. This studio album with John Patitucci/b, Vitor Goncalves/key, Glen Zaleski/p-rhodes, Daniel Dor/dr and Andre Mehmari/synth continues Silberstein’s…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THE HUMMIN’ HAMMOND…Reese Wynan and Friends: Sweet Release
One of the signature sounds of the boogie blues is the wonderful wheeze of the Hammond B3. Reese Wynan is one of the best at the B3, carving out an impressive career with the likes of Captain Beyond, Dicky Betts,…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Franklin Kiermyer featuring Pharoah Sanders: Solomon’s Daughter
Vintage sounds from the ‘60s Impuse! years are conjured up on this 1994 recording lead by drummer Franklin Kiermyer and featuring tenor sax legend Pharoah Sanders along with John Esposit/p and Drew Gress/b completing the team. The spirit of John…