While not as well known as Kamasi Washington, Godwin Louis in similar fashion has released a debut album that is ambitious in size (two discs) and range, including musical sounds from almost every continent, along with rich vocals to add…
Category: Ringer of the Week
WHAT WENT ON AFTER WHAT’S GOIN’ ON…Marvin Gaye: You’re The Man
By all standards, Marvin Gaye’s 1971 album What’s Goin’ On, remains one of the greatest of all soul, pop and rock albums. There has always seemed to be a musical gap between that album and the followup Let’s Get It…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****AS YOU LIKE IT…Deborah Shulman: The Shakespeare Project
Anyone up for The Great Stratford-Upon-Avon Songbook? You might be after giving a listen to this brilliant album by vocalist Deborah, as she takes lines from Shakespeare plays such as Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night’s…
JAZZ DEAD SEA SCROLLS…Wes Montgomery: Back On Indiana Avenue-The Carroll DeCamp Recordings
In the liner notes of the 44 page booklet, producer and musical sleuth Zev Feldman correctly calls this 2 disc cache of previously unreleased vintage Wes Montgomery recordings the “Dead Sea Scrolls of Jazz” and he’s pretty spot on. There…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Pacific Harp Project: Play
You don’t often get a jazz album led by a harp this side of Alice Coltrane, so Megan Bledsoe Ward shows some moxie by bringing her heavenly instrument to the fore along with a jazz team of Noel Okimoto/vib, Todd…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THIS IS A PIANO TRIO…Michel Petrucciani Trio: One Night in Karlsruhe
Sometimes you forget how much you miss someone. German based label Jazzhaus recently released this concert recording from July 7, 1998 of Michel Petrucianni’s piano trio with Gary Peacock/b and Roy Haynes/dr. Petrucianni is dearly departed, Haynes rarely performs anymore…
JUST BEFORE HIS GIANT STEPS…John Coltrane: Coltrane ’58-The Prestige Recordings
Just on the cusp of breaking out into his own solo career on the major label Atlantic Records with albums like Giant Steps and My Favorite Things, John Coltrane was honing his skills and reigning in his unique personal sound…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Catherine Russell: Alone Together
Sometimes pedigrees and gene pools help. Catherine Russell’s dad, Luis, was the musical director for Louis Armstrong and lead his own bad with Red Allen back in the day, so she’s got the relaxes swing feel in her marrow. It…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****A FUNK BROTHER RETURNS…Dennis Coffey: Live at Baker’s
Back in the day, every major label had a studio band to support either a vocalist or group. For Motown, it was the Funk Brothers, with Dennis Coffey being the guitarist on hits like “Cloud Nine” and “Just My Imagination”…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****VAN’S ASCENT…Van Morrison: The Healing Game (Deluxe Edition)
This is a great time to be a fan of Van Morrison. His recent albums that focus on jumping the blues reveal a renewed musical enthusiasm. His live shows are swinging affairs with Morrison in not only wonderful voice, but…