Yes, there are tones of “jazz and strings” albums out there, but this one by trombonist Zach Rich is vastly different. First, it’s not just a musician blowing around the strings, but the quartet of Anton Smirnov/vi, Rachel England/vi, Mathew…
Category: Ringer of the Week
****RINGER OF THE WEEK/MONTH/DECADE?****Sonny Rollins: Freedom Weaver-The 1959 European Tour Recordings
WOW WOW WOW SHAM WOW. If you have had any doubt that Sonny Rollins is the premier tenor saxist of the past two generations, this three disc set will set you straight. Yes, much of this material has been available…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Heavenly Cream: An Acoustic Tribute To Cream
The 1960s band Cream, made up of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, straddled the high wire of balancing blues, jazz and rock, creating a legion of fans of the latter. Their small catalogue is still in demand, with…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Aimee-Jo Benoit: Horns Of Hope
I’ll be perfectly frank with you- I get so many albums by female vocalists, that at times I feel like I’m at on online dating service, just scrolling through faces and names…NEXT! Then here comes this album by a lady…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THE CHILD OF R&B AND GOSPEL…Forever Soul Collection
Muddy Waters once sang, “The blues had a child and they named it rock and roll”. Well, R&B went to church on Sunday, took gospel music and gave birth to what became known in the 1960s as “Soul”. The mix…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Tina Schlieske: The Good Life
The only thing that is inaccurate about the cover photo of vocalist Tina Schilieske on this album is that you can’t see the heart on her sleeve. Like Billie Holiday, or today’s Karrin Allyson, Schilieske doesn’t use range and chops…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THE GREAT DAVIDIC SONGBOOK..Peter Jonatan and Metrople Orkset: Psalms Symphony
Why write your own lyrics when you can quote God? That is the conclusion that inspired composer Peter Jonatan as he found (literally) inspiration from the various Psalms from the Bible. Mixing a jazz trio of Jasper Soffers/p, Aram Kersbergen/b…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****3 Below: Live In Merida
The stringed team f Alonso Arreola/eb-eb, Trey Gunn/baruk-warg, Michael Manring/b and Emmanuel Pina/oud are captured in thrilling fashion at Palacio del La Musica de Merica, Mexico for a 2023 concert. The mix of Latin, African and Middle Eastern melodies and…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****LA LEGEND…Buddy Collette: The Classic Albums
While barely known outside of LA, multi-instrumentalist was a local legend. He was the first black to be a member of the previously white-only musicians union, he was a member of the orchestra for the famous Groucho Marx TV show,…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****John Dokes: Our Day
Here’s a guy that knocks me out every time he puts out an album. John Dokes has the classic honey’d soul voice, relaxed and suave-why isn’t he a late night deejay? Here’s he’s backed by George Gee’s orchestra, and his…