“Instruct a wise man, and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man, and he will increase his learning” Proverbs 9:9 RARE IS THE ARTIST THAT RE-ASSESS HIS CRAFT DURING THE ASCENT OF HIS CAREER, BUT THAT IS…
Month: December 2018
BENNY GOLSON : ALONG CAME BENNY!
ONE OF THE MOST INTRIGUING CAREERS IN JAZZ HAS TO BE THE ONE BELONGING TO BENNY GOLSON. HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY WHISPER NOT IS AN EXCELLENT INSIGHT INTO THE MIND AND SOUL OF THE OCTOGENARIAN, WHO SPINS INTRIGUING YARNS OF HIS DAYS…
John Legend’s “Legendary Christmas” @ Microsoft Theater 12.23.18
So, my 29 year old daughter reprimands me, “Dad, you’ve got to get out of your narrow horizons and check out John Legend. He’s like a perfect combination of Nat “King” Cole and Marvin Gaye, with a dash of Sam…
Walter Smith III Group@The Blue Whale 12.21.18
Walter Smith III reunited with old Angeleno friends with a set at the Blue Whale that was impressive in that it reflected his growth not only as a composer, but as also a tenor sax player, as his sound and…
Mike Stern/Dave Weckl Band@Catalina’s 12.13.18
The sparks were flying at Catalina’s Thursday night as the powerful front line provided by guitarist Mike Stern and drummer Dave Weckl gave the packed house 100 minutes of rocking modern jazz. Both gents are formidable leaders in their own…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****LAST OF THE BEBOPPERS? Frank Morgan & George Cables: Montreal Memories
Recorded at the the Montreal Jazz Festival back in Dominion Day, 1989, this previously unreleased concert finds one of the last of the original bebop alto players at the renaissance of his career. Frank Morgan (1933-2007) was one of the…
NO, THAT JIMMIE SMITH!…Jimmie Smith: Plays Jimmy Smith Live in Music City
Talking about hurdles to jump over, Hammond player Jimmie Smith has to overcome the iconic namesake that essentially invented the jazz B3, and then at this gig in Music City, he andhis band do the Jimmy Smith Songbook to boot!…
WHEN JAZZ WAS KING…Norman Granz: The Founder
During an era when jazz is on the fringe of the fringes in terms of popularity, it’s almost impossible to believe and appreciate the era from 1942-1960 that had jazz artists filling up giant concert halls with sounds of swing,…
Camille Thurman: Waiting for the Sunrise
Camille Thurman is a two time winner here, blessed with a rich and cheery singing voice as well a warm old school tone on the tenor. She leads a team of Cecil McBee/b, Jack Wilkins/g, Steve Williams/dr and Jeremy Pelt/tp…
Joe Locke: Subtle Disguise
One of the most consistent vibe players around, Joe Locke puts together a rich and pastoral album as he also adds piano to his arsenal along with members Jim Ridl/p-key, Lorin Cohen/b, Samvel Sarkisyan/dr and guests Raul Midon/v-g, Adam Rogers/g,…