This is the album that Lizz Wright’s talents have always promised to make. It just took her long-life spiritual journey to have her reach the top of the hill. At this stage in her career, she has the both the…
Category: Ringer of the Week
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Gerald Beckett: Oblivion
Gerald Beckett hits the jackpot as he plays flute and alto flute on this rich collection of material and moods. Ranging from post bop to modal and even chamber, Beckett teams with a string section and a rotating jazz rhythm…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Zem Audu: Spirits
Tenor saxist and composer Zem Audo puts together a highly exciting and textured album of originals. He boasts of a rich, strong and flavorful tone, delivering rich arias with pianist Benito Gonzales, all star bassist Ben Williams and drummer John…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Alex Hahn: Emerging
Judging by this incredible album, it’s easy to see why alto saxist, composer and arranger Alex Hahn has won a bunch of Downbeat awards as well as getting press at the Next Generation Monterey Jazz Festival. He’s got a great…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Green Moss: Black Sand
Pianist Lars Jansson’s trio including Thomas Fonnesbaek/b and Paul Svanberg/dr bring in the Paul Desmond-influenced alto sax of Sigurdur Flosason for a collection of rich pastels of song. Flosason’s alto sax has a tone of beautiful lightness, something rarely delivered…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Brian McCarthy Nonet: The Better Angels of Our Nature
Brian McCarthy plays alto and soprano sax, and brings together three more saxes in Daniel Ian Smith/ts-ss, Stantawn Kendrick/ts and Andrew Gutauskas/bs along with a brass section of Bill Mobley/tp-fh and Cameron MacManus/tb and a rhythm team of Matt Aronoff/b,…
WHEN R&B RULED THE WORLD…Larry Williams The Complete Releases 1957-61, Lloyd Price: The Complete Singles As & Bs
Before Rock and Roll took over radio and record sales, Rhythm and Blues artists like Lloyd Price and Larry Williams were kings of both the pop and R&B charts. Mixing blues, rhythm, gospel and a New Orleans groove, these two…
TESTIFY! The Soul Stirrers, The Staples Singers, Five Blind Boys of Alabama, etc: Jesus Rocked the Jukebox
Back when I was growing up in the church, there was a popular song titled “Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?”. I later learned that with all things concerning Satan, he didn’t create what later became “rock…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****The New Vision Sax Ensemble: Musical Journey Through Time
Sorry if I sound prejudiced, but any time a sax quartet emerges, I get excited. Blame it on my being weaned on Duke Ellington’s, Count Basie’s and Woody Herman’s sax sections, but even when I hear The World Saxophone Quartet,…
Davala: The Book of Transfigurations
Davala consists of leader/vocalist Julia Ulehla with Aram Bajakian/g, Peggy Lee/cel, Tyson Naylor/p-key, Colin Cowan/b and Dylan van der Schyff/dr-perc. Together they perform music and ideas from the Czech Republic in a way that keeps with traditional sounds yet also…