Vince Gill and Lyle Lovett showed that the fundamentals of jazz can be universally adapted to any genre of music. Elements of swing, blues, improvisation, a unique voice and a story to tell were all provided during the intimate and…
Month: March 2017
Nancy Ruth: Sangria Jam
If you’re in the mood for a Latin Lover, check out this album by Nancy Ruth. Not only does she sing with a confident and warm voice, but she writes all of the songs as well as plays piano With…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****OUR MOST IMPORTANT GUITARIST? Kurt Rosenwinkel: Caipi
Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel continues to follow a sui generis path. Each album is an intriguing step in his musical journey. This most recent one is his most sonically ambitious one since 2003’s Heartcore, as Rosenwinkel veers away from “mere” guitar…
Lee Konitz: Frescalalto
One of the last living proto-boppers and cools schoolers, alto saxist Lee Konitz teams up with an all-star rhythm section of Kenny Barron/p, Peter Washington/b and Kenny Washington/dr for some vintage bop and a few surprises. Of the latter, Konitz…
Duchess: Laughing at Life
Mixing the Coolidge years with the modernity of an iphone app, the trio Duchess (Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner & Melissa Stylianou) deliver a sophomore release that is as fun, frenetic and fanciful as their ’15 debut. Each of these ladies…
SO COOL THAT SHE WAS HOT…Chris Connor: The Complete Atlantic Singles: 1956-1960
Making her name first with Stan Kenton in 1953, Chris Connor (1927-2009) eventually personified the “vo-cool” genre of singing. This collection of her Atlantic singles in a variety of settings demonstrated how she could put her own signature on virtually…
Miguel Zenon: Tipico
Alto saxist Miguel Zenon continues his fascinating journey of melding the melodies and rhythms of his native Puerto Rico with post-bop jazz. His long-term teammates of Luis Perdomo/p, Hans Glawishnig/g and Henry Cole/dr have got this pattern down pat, and…
Joshua Green & The Cyborg Orchestra: Telepathy & Bop
As a music supervisor for ITV America, composer Josh Green recently was awarded ASCAP’s Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award. Here, he’s put together a wild and wooly 12 piece band that includes a string quartet for a white knuckler…
Daniel Schlappi & Marc Copland: More Essentials
A handful of years ago, bassist Daniel Schlappi got together with Bill Evans-inspired pianist Marc Copland for a delightful album that consisted of gentle musical conversations. This one follows up the original idea, and displays the value of having less…
Emily Bear Trio: Into The Blue
Back in 2013, the then-adolescent prodigy Emily Bear released an impressive album Diversity, which was produced and promoted by Quincy Jones. I caught her in concert supporting that release, and was impressed with her style, aplomb and grace. Almost four…