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Jeff Ellwood The Sounds Around the House Self-released Sometimes a musician can get comfortable as an in-demand sideman and it takes a little push to step forward as a leader. Such is the case with tenor saxophonist Jeff Ellwood who steps into that role for the first time with The Sounds Around the House. In […]
Paul Wilkinson 400 Bears Self-released This is a pleasant surprise from a local artist to this Pennsylvanian-based writer. Normally these kinds of efforts are hit or miss at best but Paul Wilkinson, longtime guitarist for the West Chester-based roots rock band Mason Porter, debut solo album , 400 Bears, impresses from the opening notes and […]
Bill Evans Live at Ronnie Scott’s (with Eddie Gomez and Jack DeJohnette) Resonance Ah, Black Friday is here. This one features legendary, influential pianist Bill Evans across 20 tracks live at London’s iconic Ronnie Scott’s in 1968 with his short-lived but remarkable trio of Jack DeJohnette and Eddie Gomez, who were at Scott’s for a […]
Miss Emily Live at the Isabel Self-released Perhaps you have not yet heard of Canada’s 2019 Maple Blues Female Artist of the Year, Emily Fennell, known as Miss Emily. She has built audiences across Canada, some portions of the U.S, UK, and Western Europe with her blend of mostly soul and blues. Miss Emily also […]
MicroCorgi MicroCosmos Self-released MicroCorgi is a New York -based trio debuting and featuring Andrew McGowan (keys), Yuto Kanazawa (guitar), and Ilya Dynov (drums). They hail from far corners of the globe and have diverse influences such as European Jazz, Japanese rock, Afro-beat, and New Orleans brass band music. Having formed in 2018, they forged a […]
John Calvin Abney Familiar Ground Black Mesa Oklahoma has produced some of the best roots music in recent years. Think John Moreland, John Fullbright, Michael McClure, Jason Boland, Turnpike Troubadours, and Carter Sampson to name a few. Yes, some notices that John Calvin Abney was missing from that short list. He is the multi-instrumentalist, solo […]
Deborah Silver Glitter and Grit (featuring Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel) Bismeaux Productions Rather inexplicably, considering that vocalist Deborah Silver reached #1 in Billboard on both the Traditional Jazz Album and the Heatseeker Album chart with her 2016 release, The Gold Standards, her latest release, Glitter and Grit, where she is backed by Ray […]
Paulette McWilliams A Woman’s Story Blujazz Chances are that you’ve heard Paulette McWilliams sing before. If you’ve heard Richard L’Hommedieu’s interview and/or seen the accompanying cover story (11/17/2020) you’re already aware of this but suffice it to say, McWilliams is the primary female voice on Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop ‘Til you Get Enough,” Aretha Franklin’s […]
The Peter Leitch New Life Orchestra New Life Jazz House Heartwarming stories such as that of Peter Leitch deserve attention. Although the Canadian-born, New York City-based guitarist can no longer play his guitar for audiences, he perseveres, having been diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer eight years ago. Due to remarkable work by his oncologist, […]
Carla Marciano Quartet Psychosis – Homage to Bernard Herrmann Challenge This one comes from across the pond and yes, saxophonist Carla Marciano and her quartet hail from Italy. This is this writer’s first exposure to her remarkable tone and passionate approach to her instruments – alto and sopranino saxes. It’s no surprise that she is […]
Last Year’s Man Brave the Storm Self-released Last Year’s Man is the moniker for Eugene, OR-based producer and singer-songwriter, Tyler Fortier. The Northwesterner has had his music featured on major television and film outlets. He enjoys working with emerging artists such as Jeffrey Martin, Anna Tivel, Beth Wood, and Jeff Crosby. Fortier has been involved […]
The Mariel Bildsten Quintet Backbone Outside in Music Maybe you are guessing that this is a debut and if so, you’re right. However, trombonist Mariel Bildsten has considerable side-woman experience and plays in several big bands, notably as the lead trombonist in Arturo O’Farrill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. She also plays in the Eyal Vilner Big Band, […]
Susan Alcorn Pedernal Relative Pitch One does not think of the pedal steel guitar in the context of jazz with few exceptions, the prime example being the versatile Greg Leisz who is part of Charles Lloyd’s Marvels. Enter the creative, trailblazing Susan Alcorn, who like most associated with the instrument, had her beginnings in country […]
Patrick Cornelius Acadia: Way of the Cairns Whirlwind Maine’s Acadia National Park has always been a favorite of this writer’s having spent at least two vacations there while raising my family. So, naturally this latest work from alto saxophonist, composer, solo artist, and educator Patrick Cornelius is of interest. Normally one associates jazz with urban locales, […]
Brandi Disterheft Trio featuring George Coleman Surfboard Justin Time Bassist-composer-singer Brandi Disterheft’s fifth album, Surfboard, features two iconic octogenarian masters — virtuoso tenor saxophonist George Coleman and the definitive Brazilian drummer Portinho — as well as world-class pianist Klaus Mueller. Disterheft’s kinetic, harmonically erudite basslines anchor ensemble interpretations of choice tunes culled from the blues, mainstream jazz, and the Great Brazilian and American […]
Douglas Olsen 2 Cents Self-released 2 Cents is the recording debut for valued sideman trumpeter/flugelhornist/composer Douglas Olsen who leads changing configurations on a combination of straight-ahead and Latin jazz, mostly with original compositions. Although the New England-based musician has been playing for over two decades, this is his first statement as a leader. He has […]
Max Haymer Whirlwind Live at Sam First Emerald City Los Angeles pianist Max Haymer is releasing his first live album – Whirlwind: Live at Sam First. For a piano trio album, this one effuses plenty of energy, as listeners will detect first from the fast-moving, engaging music, only to be confirmed by the enthusiastic audience […]
Luba Mason Triangle Blue Canoe Records Vocalist Luba Mason’s Triangle features an unprecedented configuration in any genre of a trio comprised of vocals, vibraphone, and bass. Captured before an intimate gathering of invited friends, family, and fans at Manhattan’s Power Station Studio, Mason is accompanied by master vibraphonist Joe Locke and bassist James Genus (Herbie […]
Stephanie Lambring Autonomy Self-released The multi-instrumentalist/singer-songwriter Stephanie Lambring is back with new project produced by Teddy Morgan, as the title, Autonomy, suggests after walking away from her two publishing deals. One began with BMG Chrysalis, where she remained as a staff writer for two years. In 2012, she signed with Carnival Music, owned by producer […]
The McKee Brothers A Time Like This Self-released In this writer’s radio days, a frequent caller often said, “You can never have too many horns.” It is not only the horn charts that drew me to this record, but repeated listens revealed some good songwriting, strong vocals on every track, and fond memories of their […]
Chad McCullough Forward Outside in Music Trumpeter and composer Chad McCullough releases Forward, his eighth as a leader. McCullough leads a quartet made up of three of Chicago’s best: pianist Rob Clearfield, bassist Matt Ulery, and drummer Jon Deitemyer. Renowned producer Ryan Cohan augments the affair by contributing additional programming and part-writing to Forward; creating ambient layers for McCullough’s lyrical compositions and augmenting […]
Alonzo Demetrius Live from the Prison Nation Onyx Productions Trumpeter Alonzo Demetrius and his working band The Ego deliver, as you would guess from the title, a socially conscious album, recorded live this past May from Boston’s Berklee School of Music. Demetrius is working on acclaimed drummer Ralph Peterson’s label, and, as such is the first instrumentalist to record […]
Cesar Orozco & Kamarata Jazz Rooted Forward Self-released Rooted Forward is the fourth album from César Orozco and Kamarata Jazz. A pianist, composer, arranger, and educator (who just so happens to be a classically trained violinist, too!), Orozco has always celebrated the rich musical traditions of Cuba and Venezuela, the two places that most greatly informed […]
Harvey McLaughlin Rascality Saustex Equal parts Tom Waits, Professor Longhair, Warren Zevon and Randy Newman, Texas-based pianist and singer-songwriter Harvey McLaughlin brings a bizarre set of tunes, zany attitude, and plenty of sarcasm on his second solo outing Rascality. McLaughlin is at heart a roots-rocker with punk sensibilities who seems less interested in musical mastery than in creating […]
Dustin Laurenzi’s Natural Language A Time and a Place Woolgathering Tenor saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi’s A Time and A Place, follows-up his 2016 self-titled album with his quartet of Chicago-based musicians, Natural Language, intact. Their sound embodies unbridled invention and cohesiveness that creates moods and textures in favor of aggressive soloing although there is some of that too, mostly […]
The Allman Brothers Band The Final Note – Painters Mill Music Fair 10-17-71 Warner Theater, Erie, Pa 7-19-05 (2 CDs) Allman Brothers Band Recordings/Peach Records These two live recordings of the Allman Brothers Band, as the dates suggest, represent two incarnations of the lineup, neither ever heard on record until now. The Final Note is […]
Ben Levin Carryout or Delivery Vizztone This young college student (yes, he’s still in college three albums later) sounds so good playing the rollicking piano and singing like a veteran that it would be impossible for the uninformed listener to guess that Ben Levin has just reached legal drinking age. Having received two Blues Blast […]
Budos Band Long in the Tooth Daptone The Budos Band’s sixth studio album Long In The Tooth, on their longstanding label, Daptone Records, marks the 15th anniversary of the band’s eponymous 2005 full-length debut. The album was recorded in just five days at Diamond Mine Studios in Queens, NY. After one listen, you might expect a full orchestra behind […]
Edward Simon 25 Years Ridgeway Celebrating a quarter century of inventive music, Venezuelan-born pianist, composer and bandleader Edward Simon, who now resides in the Bay Area, releases the two-disc career retrospective 25 Years on Ridgeway Records, affirming his status as a key figure in the wave of Latin American musicians who’ve transformed jazz in recent decades. Featuring tracks […]
Chuck Bergeron & South Florida Jazz Orchestra Cheap Thrills The Music of Rick Margitza Summit Bassist/bandleader Chuck Bergeron celebrates the 15th anniversary of his South Florida Jazz Orchestra (SFJO) with the music of saxophone great Rick Margitza. The SFJO is one of the best unheralded big bands, very versatile and comprised of some of the […]
Brianna Thomas Band Everybody Knows Self-released Maybe it’s a fitting coincidence that rising jazz vocalist Brianna Thomas is releasing her second album, Everybody Knows, on the same day that Ella Fitzgerald’s Lost Berlin Concert is out. All female jazz vocalists point to Ella as a major influence but not many are in the same conversation […]
Benn Clatworthy & System 6 Bennie’s Lament Skipper Productions London-bred and Los Angeles-based saxophonist Benn Clatworthy has been a fixture on the Los Angeles jazz scene since 1980. Clatworthy was originally heavily influenced by late-’50s John Coltrane, but would soften his tone and sometimes sound a little like Warne Marsh with touches of Sonny Rollins. He debuted in 1990 with Thanks Horace (which […]
Drive-by Truckers The New OK ATO One of America’s most important rock bands, Drive-by Truckers (DBTs), delivered an inspired, ferocious, and angry at times performance in Philadelphia the day after the 2016 Election. Their performance was as one would have expected. Yet, the collective vibe both onstage in the audience was collective release from the shocking numbness still […]
Nicholas Brust Frozen In Time Fresh Sound Frozen in Time is saxophonist, composer, and educator Nicholas Brust’s debut full-length album, with nine originals in a quintet setting. Brust did release an EP of original music in 2015 but has mostly stayed busy playing in NYC and serving as a educator at three institutions. Brust has […]
Fiona Boyes Blues in My Heart (20th Anniversary Edition) Reference Recordings This writer fondly remembers the Australian finger-picking blues singer-songwriter from about a dozen years ago when she performed live on my then radio show. One couldn’t help but be struck by her undeniable talent, both playing the guitar and singing, yet the overriding takeaway […]
Bart Ryan Starlight and Tall Tales Blackbird Initially what is striking about LA-born/Nashville-based session guitarist and award-winning singer- songwriter Bart Ryan’s Starlight and Tall Tales is his soulful bluesy guitar and lap steel playing, but the album offers a good dose of roots variety as it unfolds, including some very soulful tunes. Twangy and bluesy […]
Doug Webb Apples and Oranges Posi-Tone Posi-Tone, the highly selective label that only issues about a dozen recordings annually, a label that we began covering on these pages this year, now releases Doug Webb’s Apples & Oranges, the latest from the veteran saxophonist and composer, one of the label’s longest tenured artists. Some of the […]
Elvin Bishop and Charlie Musselwhite 100 Years of Blues Alligator As this writer has said before of other artists, the eventual pairing was inevitable. Not only are Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame guitarist Elvin Bishop and Grammy-winning harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite fellow blues travelers and Blues Hall Of Famers with over 100 years of […]
Band of Heathens Stranger BOH The Band of Heathens (BOH) have made a pandemic record, loosely alluded to by its title, Stranger, the sixth studio album for the Austin-based unit, and their first of original material since 2017’s Deuende. Actually, the title for this one, wasn’t directly drawn from the pandemic but rather influenced by […]
Eric Revis Slipknots Through the Looking Glass Pyroclastic GRAMMY award-winning bassist and composer Eric Revis, if nothing else, is consistently explorative and experimental. Slipknots Through a Looking Glass, his debut for Pyroclastic Records is definitely “out there.” Like his label mates he lives on the cutting edge. Revis is not embarrassed to admit that his music is […]
José Rizo’s Mongorama Mariposas Cantan Saungu Jose Rizo’s Mongorama, founded in 2011, is a nonet consisting of four percussionists and other musicians performing high spirited Latin jazz. As the band name implies, their music is inspired by conquero Mongo Santamaria’s early 1960s band, one that paved the way for popularity of Latin jazz worldwide. This […]
Pete Kronowitt Do Something Now Self-released San Francisco-based, New Jersey born, Florida raised singer/songwriter and activist Pete Kronowitt is out with his latest set of rallying cry songs, Do Something Now. Kronowitt is the founder of the Face the Music Collective, a grassroots organization driving social and political change. However, what may be more notable […]
Orlando Le Fleming Romantic Funk: The Unfamiliar Whirlwind Renowned bassist Orlando le Fleming makes his debut with Whirlwind Recordings with Romantic Funk: The Unfamiliar, paying tribute to the high-intensity fusion of the 1980’s with an impressive team of elite players including Philip Dizack on trumpet and fellow Londoner and OWL trio mate, alto saxophonist Will Vinson , Sean Wayland on keys, and […]
Miki Yamanaka Human Dust Suite Outside In Music You could say the centerpiece for this album by New York-based musician and composer Miki Yamanaka is based on a rather strange and alarming subject but then again, you’ve probably had your own experience of wandering through an art museum, only to be totally stunned by a particular […]
Igor Kogan In a Big City Self-released In a Big City is the debut studio album as a bandleader for bassist /composer Igor Kogan for this quintet setting, He features 9-time Grammy Award nominee vocalist Tierney Sutton on “Vocalise.” The members of his fiery, versatile, contemporary sounding quintet are Jeremy Lappitt (tenor saxophone), Joshua Aguiar […]
Matt DeMerritt Fool’s Journey Self-released Woodwind master Matt DeMerritt (MD) has appeared on 75 albums in his 25 years as a sideman. Now he finally steps forward with his own, Fool’s Journey. Yes, it’s primarily a jazz album but he taps into a few other genres that he’s played in during his wide spanning career. […]
Joan Osborne Trouble and Strife Womanly Hips Music Trouble and Strife, self-produced on her own label, is her tenth solo studio album and the first album of Joan Osborne’s original material in six years, since 2014’s Love and Hate. It’s Osborne, one of the best and certainly most versatile singers of our time, responding to […]
Hazar Reincarnated (featuring Al DiMeola) IAN Productions Any time there’s a chance to a great guitarist play Luiz Bonfa’s iconic “Black Orpheus,” that’s reason enough to investigate an album from a new artist, at least to this writer. Hazar is a superb acoustic guitarist who teams with luminary guitarist Al DiMeola, percussionist Mehmet Katay, pianist […]
Jim Waller Big Band Bucket List Self-released Have you ever noticed that the word ‘debut” appears often on these pages for upstart and veteran jazz artists alike? Yes, we now bring you yet another from veteran multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, and educator Jim Waller. As the title indirectly suggests, this is Waller’s fulfillment of a dream […]
Various Artists Put Down That Weapon (Make Music Not War) Y & T Music By Jim Hynes The social unrest we are experiencing now inevitably brings comparisons to the sixties and its wealth of protest songs. For example, “For What It’s Worth” has this line “What a field day for the heat, a thousand people […]
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