Louis Armstrong tends to get the latter part of his career dismissed because his concerts tended to play the same traditional material. To that complaint, I always ask, “Were you expecting him to perform ‘So What’?” Yes, his concerts had…
Category: Ringer of the Week
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Musique Noire: Reflections-We Breathe
Want something fresh and invigorating? Check out this album by the quartet made up of three violinists/violaists Michelle May, Leah Celebi, and Leslie Deshazorand along with percussionist Jovia Armstrong. The mix and match support, usually with Elden Kelly/b, Marion Hayden/b…
THIS IS A BEBOP TRIO 101…Hank Jones: In Copenhagen Live at Jazzhus Slukefter 1983
Pianist Hank Jones is one of the few artists that even if you’re a die hard hater of jazz, you’re going to love him. You can blindfold select any of his albums, and it’s guaranteed to be a winner; they’re…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THE LAST OF THE CLASSIC QUINTET…Miles Davis & John Coltrane: The Final Tour-Bootleg Series Volume 6
This 4 cd set (also available in vinyl) comprises the last concert recordings of Miles Davis’ “First Classic Quintet” with John Coltrane, Jimmy Cobb/b, Wynton Kelly/p and Paul Chambers/b. These concerts from Paris, Stockholm and Copenhagen, while most having been…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Omar Sosa & NDR Big Band: ES: Sensual
All that is right about Afro-Cuban music is delivered here as Oma Sosa brings his piano, vibes and various sorts of percussion into the fold of the NDR Big Band under the direction of Jaques Morelenbaum. The 13 piece horn…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Leslie Pintchik: You Eat My Food, You Drink My Wine, You Steal My Girl
Pianist and composer Leslie Pintchik has been slowly amassing an impressive catalog which showcases her compositional and technical acuity. This most recent album teams her in a mix and match situation with Satoshi Takeishi/perc, Michael Sarin/dr, Scott hardy/b-g, Ron Horton/tp-fh,…
WERE THINGS REALLY THAT MUCH BETTER? James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke,etc: The 1962 R&B Hits Collection
When you hear some old curmudgeon say, “Today’s music stinks compared to when I was a kid,” it’s probably because they grew up listening to music like what you’re hearing on this 103 song, 4 cd collection. This box set…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****A FRESH VOICE…Jeff Baker: Phrases
There aren’t a lot of male vocalists who stray form the same old Great American Songbook, so a guy like Jeff Baker immediately grabs my attention, and should yours. He’s got a low tenor-high baritone sound, and his style is…
IT WAS A VERY GOOD YEAR…Elvis Presley and His Competitors: The Heartbreak Hotel Top 100
On May 5th, 1956, Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” went to Number 1 on the Billboard top 100 chart. So, what was the competition that he was dealing with? Many times, people denigrate the popular music of the mid-50s claiming that…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Robert Hurst: Black Currant Jam
Robert Hurst plays both acoustic and electric bass while leading a flexible team of musicians and vocalists through his creative originals. The core unit of Nate Winn/dr, Ian Finkelstein/p-key, Rafael Statin/sax-woodwinds and Pepe Espinosa/perc are augmented by a rotating team…