Here’s a walk off home run of a disc. I’ve never heard anything about this young guy who plays the trumpet and flugelhorn. Josh Shpak wrote almost all of the material here on this collection of six songs, and along…
Category: Ringer of the Week
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Bobby Bryant: Chicago Years
I’m not sure how Fresh Sound Records keeps finding these obscure gems, but all I can say is, whoever you’re bribing to get them, keep slipping them the money. This single disc from trumpeter Bobby Bryant is a SMOKER! Bryant…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Charlie Haden & Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Tokyo Adagio
The late Charlie Haden is still able to speak to us through his recordings. This is the second posthumous release of a duet session. Last year’s album with Jim Hall was a quiet knockout, and this one with pianist Gonzalo…
TRUE BELIEVERS AMONG PHILISTINES…The Complete Bee Hive Sessions
If you got introduced to jazz in the 1970s (as I did), the music that was playing on radio stations and concerts was fusion, or “jazz-rock.” The ripples created by Miles Davis albums like Bitches Brew ended up with alumni…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Lenny Hambro Quintet 1953-1957
I play the tenor sax, and the reason I never attempted playing the alto sax is because I realized I’d never sound like Johnny Hodges, since no other alto player seemed able to accomplish the feat. Most alto players get…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Kamasi Washington: The Epic
Talking about throwing down the gauntlet for a debut album. I don’t think ANYONE’S ever released three complete compact discs (3 hours) as their initial album. WHEW! Well, it’s not like tenor saxist Kamasi Washington is a neophyte. He’s been…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Ventanas: Arrelumbre
This group, as well as the music they perform, is going to throw you for a loop. The individual members of the group Ventanas all come from Spain, but they mix backgrounds from Jewish Sephardism, flamenco, Macedonia, North Africa and…
*****CO-RINGERS OF THE WEEK*****: Tiffany Austin: Nothing But Soul, Charenee Wade: Offering
I usually make only one release the Ringer of the Week, but these two albums came across my desk at the same time, have similar themes and leaders, and to prefer one over the other via a coin flip would…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Mathias Eick: Midwest
Leave it to Europeans to capture the sound of America. Trumpeter Mathias Eick brings together Gjermund Larsen/vio, Jon Balke/p, Mats Eilertsen/b and Heige Norbakken/perc for a collection of originals that takes you through The Badlands and Custer National Park all…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Gillian Margot: Black Butterfly
Record albums are usually invitations to see the artist in concert, but in my case, I happened to hear vocalist Margot sing recently and was so impressed I had to check out to see if she sounded as attractive in…