Yes, it’s a bold claim that Sister Rosetta Tharpe was to gospel what Louis Armstrong was to jazz, but it’s simply true. Back in the 1920s, not only did Armstrong transform jazz by being the best trumpet player around, but…
Author: George W. Harris
Christine Xu: Seek and Find
One of the few female singers to write her own material, Christine Xu brings a fresh mix of lyricism and wordless vocals together on this creative collection of post bop originals. She teams herself with the flexible and simpatico collection…
Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few: The Almighty
Inspirations of John Coltrane during his latter Apocalyptic period are heard her from tenor saxist Isaiah Collier and his team of vocalist Dee Alexander, pianist Julian Davis Reid/p, Ari Brown/sax, Michael Oda/dr and Jennifer Hunt/b, with a household of guests…
Raul Midon: Lost & Found
Singer/songwriter Raul MIdon mixes and matches with Richard Hammond/b, Andres Forero/dr, Fredirico Penay/p-key and various guests on this intimate release of originals. He does all the work himself including drum programming on the smooth “A Condition of Love” and is…
JAZZ ROCK RETURNS…Hawkestrel: Chaos Rocks, Todd Rundgren: Re-imagining the Court of the Crimson King, Galactic Tide: The Haas Company Volume 1
Call it fusion, jazz rock, progressive or “prog” rock, it’s coming back in popularity. Here are a few recent plugged in wonders. A spin off from the 70s band Hawkwind is created by former member Alan Davey, who teams up…
Isrea Butler: Congo Lament
Any jazzer who uses Ike Quebec as an inspiration for an album is all right in my book. Isrea Butler takes some time off from the Count Basie Orchestra for a vintage hard bopping album with Douglas Lawrence/ts, David Loeb/p,…
Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen-Carol Liebowitz-Tom Blancarte-John Bernard Wagner: Ephemeris
The quartet of Louise Dam Eckardt Jensen/as-ss-fl, Carol Liebowitz/p, Tom Blancarte/b and John Bernard Wagner/dr put together an album of highly intuitive originals. Jensen’s alto broods around the swirling and chaotic “Gnom” and pleads with Liebowitz on the somber “The…
TWO KINDS OF 70s SOUL…Silver Convention: Get Up & Boogie, Little Richard: Right Now
Two sounds from the 70s, one a trend, one still alive and well. When disco was king in the late 1970s, the vocal group Silver Convention had a ton of hits for those with boogie fever. Linda Thompson, Ramona Wulf…
The Bobby Broom Organi-Station: Jamalot
Hard bopping guitarist Bobby Brown is caught in various concert performances with his working team of Ben Paterson/B3 and Kobie Watkins/dr. He shows he knows how to work a room, getting hip on a driving read of Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition”…
LADIES AT THE MIC…Franks Bak featuring Sinne Eeg: Softer Than You Know, Amber Weekes: A Lady With A Song, Synia Carroll: Water is My Song
Voices that are not gender neutral! Pianist Franks Bak brings in the cool emotions of the perfect enunciations from Sinne Eeg on this collection of tunes from the pen of Helle Hansen. The backing team of Peter Sprague/g, Thomas Vang/b,…