Category: Ringer of the Week

Albums for when the lights are low, the room is empty and you need to think. Jimmy Scott’s life and music was put into a documentary film of the same title as this album by Ralf Kemper. I have not…

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There is truly no better way to appreciate 20th Century music than taking in the sounds of Duke Ellington’s Orchestra. Storyville Records has done a commendable job through the years of releasing vintage material via radio broadcasts, private recordings and…

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Neither the bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson nor the pianist Mulgrew Miller are with us on earth anymore. This collection of concert recordings from July 15, 2000 shows us what we are missing. Taken from the North Sea Jazz Festival, the…

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Two of the most lyrical string artists got together at various times in their careers, and this 2 cd set captures the earliest collaboration. Cool toned Jim Hall had an off again, on again relationship with the melodious bassist &…

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Just six years ago, the then 36 year old Gregory Porter was transitioning his career as a chef to a vocalist with his debut album Water. Now, this old soul of a vocalist has revived the art of storytelling through…

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One attractive thing (among many) about Tom Harrell, he never sits still. Almost every album is a tweak of something he’s done and is already comfortable with. This time around, he replaces his long time pianist Danny Grisset and saxist…

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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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