Tunisian born oud master Anouar Braham has released a number of albums in intimate envrironments, but this time out he gets ambitious, and successfully so, by teaming up with a string quartet and a string orchestra along with a simpatico…
Author Archive for George W. Harris
Phil Markowitz & Zach Brock: Perpetuity
by George W. Harris • • 0 Comments
Phil Markowitz/p-key and Zach Brock/vio lead a flexible band of Jay Anderson/ab, Lincoln Goines/eb, Obed Calvaire/dr and Edson Da Silva/perc/voc on a mix of originals that mixes the complexity of jazz-rock fusion with the lightness of acoustic jazz. You get…
SWING AND BOP FROM AVID…Earl Hines: Four Classic Albums Plus, Harry James: Four Classic Albums Plus, Cecil Payne: Three Classic Albums Plus, Phil Woods: Four Classic Albums
by George W. Harris • • 0 Comments
Uk-based Avid continues its stellar reissue program, this time spotlighting guys that were the standard bearers for swing and bop, respectively. Earl “Fatha” Hines is easily one of the top 5 most important pianists in jazz history, liberating it from it’s…
Joanna Wallfisch with Dan Tepfer: The Origin of Adjustable Things
by George W. Harris • • 0 Comments
Here’s a lovely duet between vocalist Joanna Wallfisch and keyboardist Dan Tepfer. The tunes are mostly originals, and Tepfer plays it smart by keeping the support varied in sounds and background, coming back and forth like a gentle current. Wallfisch’s…
JIMMY GREENE: A BEAUTIFUL LIFE
by George W. Harris • • 0 Comments
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea billows roll; Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say, It is well, it is well with my soul. Horatio Spafford What could cause you…
JANE MONHEIT: GRABBING THE GARLAND
by George W. Harris • • 0 Comments
VOCALIST JANE MONHEIT FIRST GOT OUR ATTENTION YEARS AGO WHEN SHE CAME ON THE JAZZ SCENE WITH A STUNNING TAKE OF “OVER THE RAINBOW,” FIRST MADE FAMOUS IN THE MOVIE CLASSIC “THE WIZARD OF OZ.” COMING FULL CIRCLE, MS. MONHEIT…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Rez Abassi Acoustic Quartet: Intents and Purposes
by George W. Harris • • 0 Comments
I’ve liked guitarist Rez Abassi for quite some time, as he mixes well traditional post bop jazz with a dash of Middle Eastern intrigue. This quartet session with Bill Ware/vibe, Stephan Crump/b and Eric McPherson puts him over the top…
FUN ON THE FRETS…Yuto Kanazawa: Earthworks, Albino Mbie: Mozambican Dance
by George W. Harris • • 0 Comments
Here are a couple guitarists from Interrobang Records. They each have an approach to the axe that sounds fresh and contributory to the present scene. Guitarist Yuto Kanazaw writes all of the material on this impressive outing with the post-bop…
Dan Siegel: Indigo
by George W. Harris • • 0 Comments
Gave up hope for contemporary jazz? It all doesn’t have to be “smooth” or cacaphonic. Keyboardist Dan Siegel keeps it accessible but also hard swinging on this disc with Bob Sheppard/sax, Allen Hinds/g, Brian Bromberg/b, Will Kennedy/dr, Craig Fundyga/vib and…
Anonymous 4: 1865
by George W. Harris • • 0 Comments
Want to hear something from the REAL American Songbook? Try out this collection of tunes published during the Civil War, used by both North and South. Bruce Molsky brings his fiddle and banjo along to join up with the Anonymous…