For much of his career, Louis Armstrong was denigrated for not “changing with the times” and embracing modern sounds of bebop and hard bop. What these critics and musicians didn’t understand is that, like Mozart, once you perfect a sound…
Category: Ringer of the Week
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****HIT THAT JIVE, JACK! Nat King Cole: Hittin’ The Ramp-The Early Years (1936-1943)
I don’t care if it was inspired by Nat King Cole’s 100th birthday celebration or the 50th anniversary of the first Mets World Championship, but this 7 disc collection of the fledgling years of Nat “King” Cole is an essential…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****FORGET HIRING A SITTER! Camille Harris: Baby On The Subway
I’ve heard people put jazz into a variety of styles, but this has to be the first time I’ve heard someone swing Captain Kangaroo! Pianist/vocalist Camille Harris puts together a whimsically flexible team of trumpeter Wayne Tucker, bassist Georgia Weber…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Eric Legnini: Six Strings Under
Belgian pianist put together a hip little team sans drummer that swings light and smooth. Joined together are Legnini alongside guitarists Rocky Gresset and Hugo Lippi with Thomas Bramerie holding down the pulse with the bass. The quartet shows its…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THE LAST FROM “KIND OF BLUE”…Jimmy Cobb: This I Dig Of You
As the last living member of the classic Kind of Blue album, drummer Jimmy Cobb still shows no signs of slowing down at the vintage age of 90 years young. I saw him a year or so ago, and his…
BEBOP SPOKEN HERE…Howard McGhee: Collection 1945-53
While most people may recognize the names of bebop progenitors Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker and Thelonious Monk, for some reason trumpeter Howard McGhee gets little notice. He was one of the very first beboppers, arguably on the very first recording…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Victor Gould: Thoughts Become Things
This album lead by pianist and composer Victor Gould oozes with warm and pastoral style. Along with Jeremy Pelt on trumpet (who also co-produced the session)j Gould teams together Godwin Louis/as-ss, Dayna Stephens/ts, Anne Drummond/fl-af, Vicente Archer/b, Rodney Green/dr, Lucas…
THE PROPHET STILL SPEAKS…John Coltrane: Blue World
There is something wonderfully nostalgic about opening up a brand new John Coltrane album from the Impulse! label, complete with the iconic orange siding, recorded, mixed and engineered by Rudy Van Gelder in Englewood Cliffs, NJ and filled with liner…
****REISSUE OF THE YEAR?****THE SPICE OF PEPPER…Art Pepper: Promise Kept-The Complete Artists House Recordings
Once upon a time, saxophone players actually had their own personal sound, and NO ONE had as a fingerprint of a delivery as Art Pepper. His career is lovingly divided by his “pre-incarceraton” cool period of the 50s-60s and his…
****RINGER OF THE WEEK****Lucy Yeghiazaryan: Blue Heaven
There are so many female vocalists out there that simply sound the same that it’s a treat when you find someone as fresh as Lucy Yegiazaryan. She’s definitely in the jazz tradition, with a tone and timing that gives hints…