I’m going to be completely frank with you. I listen to A LOT of music every day. Some of it good, some of it excellent, and a lot of it very average. Then, I come across something by Duke Ellington…
Category: Ringer of the Week
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****STANLEY CLARKE THE GYPSY!!! Stanley Clarke/Jean-Luc Ponty/Bireli Lagrene: D-Stringz
Just when you think you’ve heard it all, along comes a release that renews your faith in the joys of jazz. Three stars of improvisation, coming from the worlds of fusion and beyond, get together for a gypsy caravan of…
THE FIRST DAY, 50 YEARS LATER…Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra: All My Yesterdays
By all standards, the Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra was one of the most important post bop big bands around. It started because co-leader Thad Jones felt constrained under the yoke of the Count Basie Band, as the Count wanted…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****MC Shoehorn: Wingin’ It
Here’s an exciting and in your face disc that dares you to sit still. Michael “Shoehorn” Conley plays alto, soprano and tenor sax as well as the fife and even tap dances on this wildly diverse and yet passionately rhythmic…
PROOF OF GOD’S EXISTENCE AND INTELLIGENT DESIGN…Stan Getz-Joao Gilberto: Getz/Gilberto ’76, Stan Getz: Moments In Time
When I get into debates with atheists, eventually the questions that come up are “Can you prove that God exists?” and “How can you not believe in Evolution?” Among arguments such as Joe DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak and Beethoven’s…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THE FOG ROLLS IN…Ernie Krivda: Requiem For A Jazz Lady
I truly thought that God stopped the dispensation of making tenor sax players like Ernie Krivda. But, just like in the Bible, God keeps sending prophets of old to remind people of what the standard of righteousness is. What a…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****PROPHETIC VOICES FROM THE PAST…Don Byas, Thelonious Monk, Stuff Smith, Erroll Garner,etc: Timme’s Treasure
Some times, you just forget how far off the path you’ve gone and you need a voice from the past to remind you. That’s why I read the bible, and that’s why I listen to material like this whenever I…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Lenny Sendersky-Tony Romano Quartet: Intersection
There aren’t many jazz albums that feature the classical guitar, so for that feature alone this album with Tony Romano should get your attention. But, the fact that he teams with Lenny Sendursky/as-ss and the supporting cast of Steve LaLpina/b…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****JOE CASTRO: Lush Life-A Musical Journey
Here’s the kind of retrospective that I’m simply a sucker for. Joe Castro (1927-2009) was a bebop pianist who made his name in the West Coast in the 50s and 60s. He was a fixture in bands, either playing with…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Harvey Valdes: Roundabout
One thing you learn from the best cooks in the world is that they all let the basic ingredient speak for themselves. No self respecting Italian chef adds too much spice to any pasta sauce. The tomatoes are rich enough…