Next time you watch a movie with Dana Andrews, Robert Mitchum or Gloria Grahame, you may want to get into the mood by putting on this disc by fluglehhorn player Dmitri Matheny. He creates shadows inspired by Fritz Lang with a…
Month: June 2016
Melody Gardot: Love At The Olympia Paris
One of the few true chanteuses around, Meldoy Gardot shows both vulnerability and sass during this concert filmed in Paris in October, 2015. Most of the material here is from her two albums Currency Of Man and My One And…
Peter Bernstein: Let Loose
One of the most consistently swinging guitarists, Peter Bernstein rarely gets the chance to step out in front. He’s best known for his work with drummer Jimmy Cobb, but he doesn’t lose a step using Bill Stewart on drums along…
Yelena Eckemoff Quartet: Leaving Everything Behind
Pianist Yelena Eckemoff consistently releases material that is deeply thought provoking and reflective. This time out, she leads a team with all stars Billy Hart/dr, Ben Street/b and for added exoticism, violinist Mark Feldman through a collection of originals. The…
Eli Degribi: Cliff Hangin’
If you don’t think that modern sax players use lyricism anymore, you’re going to be encouraged by Israeli saxist Eli Degribi. He earned his chops working with Herbie Hancock’s sextet for a number of years as well as being a…
Jeremy Nail: My Mountain
Jeremy Nail plays a plethora of guitars on this album with Bobby Daniel/b, Chris Masterson/g and Chris Searles/dr while his voice has a light and almost feminine whisper to it. He’s got a subtoned vocal delivery on the easy and…
JAZZY LADIES…Celia Bark: Manhattan Serenade, Daria: Songs By The Beatles
Here are a couple of vocalists that take material not usually associated with jazz and, as they say, jazz it up! Celia Bark has a clear and clean tone, a clever vibrato and a delivery like Waterford Crystal. She fronts…
Cason Fentress: Clear Cool
Here’s a five song ep by an artist that shows a lot of promise. Cason Fentress songs and plays keyboards with a festive team of Josh Dion/dr, Brian Kelleen/b, Matt King/p and a mix of horns and guitars. All of…
Steve Wiest and Phrontrange: The High Road
Trombonist Steve Wiest got his jazz credentials with Maynard Ferguson, and that alone with strengthen your chops about 3 fold. Here, he teams up with Mike Abbott/g, Eduardo Barbosa/b, Art Bouton/ewi, Eric Gunnison/key and Mike Marlier/dr for an electric and…
Alma Afrobeat Ensemble: It’s Time
This album has a pair of personalities. The first part, with Aaron Feder/g, Joe Psalmist/voc, Josep Contreras/sax, Paquito de la Iguana/key, Alfonso Fernandez/bassoon, Aurora Arenare/tb, Didier Roche/perc,Gustavo Sassone/dr and Fernando Redondo/b is vintage Central African Afro Beat. Hints of Earth,…