Category: Ringer of the Week

Who says a strong family doesn’t make you a better person? The father-daughter team of Clarice and Sergio Assad, as the movies say, “make beautiful music together” on this collection of gentle Latin and Iberian originals. Dad plays guitar and sings…

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Vocalist Sara Gazarek and pianist/arranger Josh Nelson have been staples of the LA scene for years, usually performing together in small group gigs around town. For this album, they played to their strengths and deliver a definitive album for each…

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I remember watching this concert on TV and wondering to myself “Is this even possible, or am I experiencing an optical illusion?” The mix of legendary fusion guitarist John McLaughlin taking up the acoustic guitar with flamenco legend Paco DeLucia…

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Usually, when you think of Afro-Cuban music, sounds of Cuba with a bit of octane come to mind. Well, Cameroon-born bassist Richard Bona changes that thought on this album. With Osmany Paredes/p, Roberto & Luisito Quintero/perc, Rey Alejandre/tb, Dennis Hernandez/tp,…

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One of my “go to” albums for reinforcing a mood of contemplative serenades with a dash of Mediterranean flavor has been 2007’s Mare Nostrum that had Jan Lundgren’s lyrical and impressionist piano, Richard Galliano’s bohemian accordion and Paolo Fresu’s warm…

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I don’t know where he’s been the last few years, but I’m glad alto saxist Kenny Garrett is back. No one mixes searching ideas with fun and funky grooves like the Miles Davis alumnus. Here, he emphasizes the latter with…

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“This is what dreams are made of” Humphrey Bogart “The Maltese Falcon” Do you want to know what is right about jazz and wrong about most of what is being confused for as  jazz these days? Just pop on ANY tune on…

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Puerto Rican Sylvia Rexach (1922-1961) gained cult status as a passionate bohemian who produced some riveting boleros in both instrument and voice. Singer Reinaldo Alvarea and pianist/arranger Marlysse Simmons-Argandona  have taken her songs and delivered them in an Old World…

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If you thought the tradition of the cocky and strong hard bop trumpeter was dead and gone, wait until you get a load of this guy Darren English. He leads a sizzling quartet of Kenny Banks Jr/p, Billy Thornton/b and…

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Yes, Quincy Jones was actually a swinger before he made a gazillion dollars producing Michael Jackson’s Thriller among other pop and rap albums. Don’t forget he was the musical director for the classic Frank Sinatra at the Sands with Count…

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