Category: Ringer of the Week

This album contains some of the freshest vocals you’re going to come across this year. Hungarian vocalist Nikolett Pankovits melds Old World charms with modern jazz sensibilities in an irresistible stew on these ten songs. Some are traditional Hungarian folk…

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Both of these albums are so similar in concept, and equally enthralling that I couldn’t separate them. They are at a photo finish for essentials for the week… Guitarists Carlos Jimenez and Michel Heroux deliver a series of duets on…

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Was popular music actually once this good? Like the greatest of musical artists, Otis Redding was at his absolute best when performing in concert. Yes, his studio albums like Otis Blue or The Soul Album are exciting in their own…

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And you thought Jackie Paris was obscure!!! After listening to this unbelievable reissue of the most obscure of the obscure male vocalists, I did a major Google search on Jules Farmer. All I came up with was references to these…

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There are just some artists that no matter how much you have, a newly “ undiscovered” recording is still welcome. Let’s be honest for a moment-how excited do you get about a new finding of late period John Coltrane tapes?…

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Just when you started losing hope in the new generation of jazz artists… Larry Wilson plays drums, percussion, B3, keyboards, bass, sings and I think he swept up the studio after all of the recording was done as well. He…

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In tribute to the 50th Anniversary of the seminal Miles Smiles album, Sony Legacy is bringing out 3 cds worth of unreleased material that later appeared on Miles Smiles, Nefertiti and Waterbabies. The “Second Classic Quintet” of Miles Davis with…

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Violinist Scott Tixier strikes an ingeniously perfect balance between complexity and simple on this collection of (mostly) originals that are both modern and timeless. He matches his warm violin with a harmonica in the hands of Yvonnick Prene, creating at…

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Lots of artists attempt to mix the enchanting harmonies and rhythms of the Middle East with jazz sensibilities, but they usually fall short in that they either sound too mystical or too kitschy. This one has Mehmet Ali Sanlikol leading…

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One of my weak spots is an album that keeps the same mood all the way through. Paolo Fresu uses his trumpet and flugelhorn to team up with Omar Sosa’s touch on the piano and keyboards to weave a glorious…

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