The Curtis Brothers Algorithm Truth Revolution You will find several common elements between The Curtis Brothers’ Algorithm and the excellent hard bop disc, the recently issued Ralph Peterson & The Messenger Legacy’s Legacy Alive Volume 6 At The Side Door. Both were recorded at the Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme, CT. Both feature […]
The Contribution Wilderness and Space LoHi The Contribution’s debut record, Which Way World (2010), had the band hailed as a “jamband supergroup.” With the band members having obligations in other bands, they do not record frequently but in 2017, The Contribution released seven tracks from this album, Wilderness and Space, with full proceeds from each single going to […]
Bill O’Connell and the Afro Caribbean Ensemble Wind Off the Hudson Savant Surely Bill O’Connell’s name would not immediately scream “Latin Jazz” to those unfamiliar with his career. Yet, for over four decades now, O’Connell has been considered one of the top pianist/composer/arranger/band leaders in NYC in both jazz and Latin jazz. Importantly, this could […]
Vaneese Thomas Down Yonder Segue Multiple BMA nominee and daughter of iconic soul man Rufus Thomas, Vaneese Thomas, delivers her eighth album, another terrific soul work, Down Yonder. Thomas splits her time between her hometown of Memphis and Broadway, as she’s lived in the New York area for some time now. Thomas is either the […]
Chase Baird A Life Between Soundsabound A Life Between, coming eight years after his debut Crosscurrents. The album follows Baird’s graduation from Julliard and a chance meeting with master pianist Brad Mehldau in New York City where Baird now resides and works, (at least when he can). Baird is one of too many young artists […]
The Session Collusion Bubble Bath Collusion, their third album, marks the return from a brief hiatus of the New Orleans-based quartet, The Session. The four members got their start with Jason Marsalis’ Vibes Quartet, but soon found synergy amongst themselves. They are bassist Jasen Weaver, trumpeter Steen Lands, pianist Andrew McGowan and drummer Darrian Douglas. […]
Mark Winkler I’m With You Mark Winkler Sings Bobby Troup Café Pacific Mark Winkler certainly counts Bobby Troup among his leading mentors. This is Winkler’s second full album in tribute to the great songwriter, known best for the iconic “Route 66.” Winkler issued Mark Winker Sings Bobby Troup in 2002, before he was as widely […]
Mark Doyle Watching the Detectives – Guitar Noir III Free Will Mark Doyle’s guitar album, Watching the Detectives – Guitar Noir III, is a unique and defyingly challenging merging of jazz, rock, and soundtrack. There cannot be many like this out there although Doyle will clearly admit to drawing from a few major influences. The […]
Ricardo Peixoto Scary Beautiful Self-released Guitarist and composer Ricardo Peixoto originally hails from Brazil but has developed a cross-pollinating music style that encompasses different cultures and genres. Scary Beautiful, his third CD as a leader, is an ambitious project involving 27 musicians in the credits, playing just about all modes of woodwinds, brass, and strings, […]
Antonio Adolfo Samba Jazz Alley AAM Music We’ve brought you plenty of Latin jazz on these pages in the past year, but Antonio Adolfo is one the founders of Brazilian jazz from the early ‘60s, taking the bossa in a slightly different direction with samba, and thus, should not go unnoticed. On Samba Jazz Alley […]
Melbreeze Amethyst MCC This is the second release for avant-garde vocalist Melbreeze, following the success of her last year’s largely Latin Animazonia. This writer is usually not interested in an album of covers, especially one that hits so many familiar tunes but Melbreeze’s approach is just so refreshingly different that it merits some commentary. First […]
Maryjo Mundy The Fourteenth Confession – Songs of Laura Nyro Bluejazz Sometimes it takes a tribute or interpretations from another artist for one to truly appreciate the beauty and power of the songs left behind by the original. Thus is the case for this live performance by Maryjo Mundy last year at the Gardenia in […]
Ben Winship Toolshed + Acorns (two complete and separate albums) Snake River Most musicians have their own kind of tool shed we suppose. Roots musician, recording engineer and in-demand sideman Ben Winship is perhaps titling one of these two albums about his backyard studio in Idaho that he calls The Henhouse. Like most studios, contrary […]
Freeloader The Path of Least Resistance Rumbar Those of you that long for the days of blaring, crunch rock n’ roll will enjoy these veteran rockers from Boston, Freeloader. Theirs is down and dirty, no frills rock, the kind that gets you shaking, sweating, and maybe even screaming. And, for whatever reason, it’s a sound […]
Lyn Stanley Favorite Takes – London With a Twist- Live at Bernie’s ATM We introduced you to jazz vocalist Lyn Stanley back in December 2017 with her double CD-set of the Great American Songbook classics., Moonlight Sessions Vol. 1 and Vol 2. You may want to reference that for her amazing back story. In 2018 […]
Patrick Barnitt Sway Self-released Vocalist and actor Patrick Barnitt is releasing his second album, Sway, backed by the 17-piece Paul McDonald Big Band and featuring a varied collection of swing, pop, and blues tunes. At times Barnitt, with his robust tenor voice, will remind you of those classic male singers of the Great American Songbook. […]
Lauren Desberg Out for Delivery Self-released Out for Delivery is a different kind of jazz vocal album because songstress Lauren Desberg wants to be anything but predictable You may not even think it’s jazz as you know it. It’s an album that doesn’t rely on standards although there are two of them transformed into almost […]
Scott Ramminger Rise Up Arbor Lane Last time out Singer/songwriter saxophonist Scott Ramminger was playing with top shelf New Orleans musicians and vocalists Bekka Bramblett and Francine Reed with The McCrary Sisters as well for his 2017 Do What Your Heart Says To. Since 2011, over the course of four previous albums, Ramminger has been […]
Blind Lemon Jazz After Hours OFEH Sometimes a format change can make a big difference. James Byfield aka Blind Lemon Pledge has made several straight-ahead blues albums that this writer deemed ordinary. After Hours, as the name implies, is a set of late night jazzy fare, with all tunes written by Byfield but mostly sung […]
Mark Morganelli & The Jazz Forum All-Stars Brasil! Jazz Forum When we think of Brazilian music, we probably first envision guitars or maybe those iconic Stan Getz/ Gilberto collaborations. In fact, the music lends itself to all kinds of instrumentation and this 2CD offering from trumpeter and flugelhornist, bandleader Mark Morganelli, is as a good […]
Hazel Mitchell-Bell Stronger Than Ever Self-Released Based on several recent releases, the Washington D.C. jazz scene if full of talent and thriving. Just last week we reviewed saxophonist Jordon Dixon. Recently this writer also was moved by D.C.’s Coniece Washington’s tribute to her idol, Shirley Horn, on Shades of Shirley Horn. Key to that album […]
Dave Wilson Quartet One Night at Chris’ Self-Released This live album from saxophonist Dave Wilson and his quartet at Philly’s Chris’ Jazz Café is a different kind of jazz album due to the choice of rock cover songs, not often heard in a jazz format. They include the Grateful Dead’s “Friend of the Devil,” The […]
Judy Wexler Crowded Heart Jewel City Jazz L.A. vocalist Judy Wexler is releasing her fifth album, Crowded Heart, in which she presents a forward look at the Great American Songbook, jazz standards for the 21st Century. In some ways it’s comparable to Chris Stamey’s forthcoming project, due at the end of the month, New Songs […]
Chanda Rule Sapphire Dreams PAO/Blujazz Amazing, multi-talented Chanda Rule is a singular talent that may escape the attention of many because the Chicago-born, New York-experienced artist is now living in Vienna where this jazz vocal album, Sapphire Dreams, was recorded about 20 months ago and originally released on a European label. Rule recorded with the […]
Rebecca Dumaine and the Dave Miller Combo Chez Nous Summit Jazz vocalist Rebecca Dumaine is the daughter of pianist Dave Miller and they collaborate for a generous program of mostly standards, several done rather inventively. Joining are bassist Chuck Bennett, drummer Bill Belasco, and on eight of the 14, guitarist Brad Buethe. This is Bay […]
Tullie Brae Revelation Endless Blues Too many singers in Tullie Brae’s ilk deliver overwrought vocals but not Tullie. Steeped in church and gospel music in her home state of Louisiana, combined with her multi-instrumental skills, Brae is not faking a thing; she knows the blues . Also, Executive Producer Mick Kolassa knows a few things […]
Jordon Dixon ON! Self-released Jordon Dixon is a Washington-D.C. based emerging tenor saxophonist with a big fat sound that owes in part to Stanley Turrentine and Dexter Gordon. As a bandleader on this, his second album, he fronts a quartet/quintet that includes the brilliant Allyn Johnson on piano and the rhythm duo of bassist Herman […]
Pablo Lanouguere Quintet Eclectico Self-released Pablo Lanouguere is a native-born Argentinian bassist and composer and this is the recording debut of his quintet, Eclectico. These are a dozen originals, 11 by Lanouguere. Their music is unique, for lack of a better term, world fusion, combining modern jazz, tango, Argentinian, and classical music. Lanouguere has been […]
Adam Holt Kind of Blues Zenith Given the familiarity of the title, with the added ‘s,’ it is somewhat surprising that no one else has used it (at least that this writer is aware of). Adam Holt is right; there are blues influences here but it’s essentially a southern rock album from the Alabama roots […]
The Waterboys Where the Action Is Cooking Vinyl This one from Mike Scott and his current lineup of Waterboys lies somewhere between 2017’s Out of the Blue and earlier Waterboys and Scott solo material. At times, the full band is revved up in rock mode and at others the poet Scott holds court over ethereal […]
Joe Zook & Blues Deluxe Good Mornin’ Blues Self- released Blues guitarist, singer, songwriter, bandleader and now retired teacher, Joe Zuccarello (Joe Zook) is now nearing almost five decades playing in various configurations. Here he leads the ensemble Blues DeLuxe, with a full three-piece horn section, a group comprising nine members. Zook, based in Trenton, […]
Elizabeth Tomboulian Love’s In Need of Love Today Self-released It’s never too late. Elizabeth Tomboulian has been singing since the ‘70s but this is her debut CD, Love’s In Need of Love Today. In keeping with her career, it’s an eclectic mix of blues, bossa nova, and jazz – all styles that she has covered […]
Mike Daly Renascence Self-released Mike Daly is a steel player, as in pedal steel, lap steel, baritone slide, slide mandolin, Weissenborn, Dobro and steel drum, all of which he plays here. You have all that, right? Daly is known most, perhaps as the regular pedal steel player in Hank Williams Jr.’s and Travis Tritt’s bands […]
Ellynne Rey The Birdsongs Project Self-produced Jazz vocalist Ellynne Rey delivers this interesting project of bird songs by a wide array of writers including Blossom Dearie, Joni Mitchell, Hoagy Carmichael, Abbey Lincoln, Franz Shubert, and the Beatles. Looking at that list, you could likely guess some of the songs, but you might be wrong on […]
Ernest Turner My Americana Self-released Veteran pianist Ernest Turner hails from Durham, NC but has soaked up plenty of jazz through his university studies as well as playing in New Orleans before returning home and establishing himself as a mainstay in Durham’s burgeoning jazz scene. My Americana is his solo debut album after spending years […]
The Felice Brothers Undress Yep Roc After making some changes in personnel, the upstate folk-rock band The Felice Brothers are back with their first album in three years. They sound different than the ragged, wild, raucous band that earned them a enviable reputation for their live shows, having now matured and focused into a strong, […]
Bianca De Leon Dangerous Endeavor Lonesome Highway Music South Texas native Bianca De Leon is an Austin, TX-based singer/songwriter and author dubbed “Queen of the border ballad” by Nova Lomax and “A voice from Texas that does it right” by Guy Clark. Outside of Texas, she’s better known in Europe where she’s been touring since […]
Art Turk Burton Ancestral Spirits T N’T Music Percussionist, band leader and author Art Turk Burton leads a powerful ensemble with several AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) members, a six-piece rhythm section and singer Maggie Brown for another adventurous album as a leader. This is his follow-up to Spirits – Then & […]
Ellis Mano Band Here and Now Self-released Switzerland may be one of the last places you’d expect as home for a soulful blue band. Yet. Switzerland has a more vital music scene than most of us realize. If the Elllis Mano Band is a good indication of that underated musical hotbed, we can only respond […]
Dave Stryker Eight Track III Strikezone We’ve not only covered composer/guitarist Dave Stryker on these pages before but also projects from his working trio of drummer McClenty Hunter and organist Jared Gold as leaders. That formidable trio is augmented here by stellar vibraphonist Stefon Harris and, on four of the nine selections, percussionist Mayra Casales. […]
Bennett Paster Indivisible Self-produced Bennett Paster is a keyboardist, producer and arranger-composer who loves being eclectic. You’ll hear echoes of Monk and Hancock to New Orleans pianists like James Booker and soul men like Ramsey Lewis on Indivisible, a wide ranging set of music performed by his core trio and some contributing guests on guitar, […]
Akira Tana & Otonowa Love’s Radiance (Ai San San) Vega Drum master Akira Tana is releasing the third album with his group Otonowa, which was founded in 2012 to tour and raise funds for the communities devastated by the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in 2011. That earthquake registered a whopping 9.1, damaged the […]
Grady Champion Steppin’ In: A Tribute to ZZ Hill Malaco Thirty-seven years later, we have the iconic songs of Texas-born singer Z.Z. Hill brought to us by Grammy-winning bluesman Mississippi-based Grady Champion on the same Mississippi-based Malaco label. Champion is a producer/singer/songwriter/musician who has won a Grammy, several prestigious Blues Music Awards as well as the 26th International Blues Challenge. Amazingly, […]
Russ Tolman Goodbye El Dorado Lost As one who has spent considerable time in LA, I find sustenance in this, Russ Tolman’s love letter to LA, Tolman’s eighth solo album. It’s the lyrics that keep me returning for listens. The titles read like an La travelogue: “North Hollywood Dream,” “405,” “Yuba City,” Pacific Rain” and […]
Anna Tivel – The Question Fluff & Gravy Portland-based guitarist/violinist, singer-songwriter Anna Tivel releases her fourth album, The Question, as she continues her provocative look into flawed characters, overlooked aspects of ordinary life, shared experience, and some political commentary. Her music is often deceptively quiet, concealing the pain and heartache that she writes about, whether […]
Sarah McKenzie Secrets of My Heart Normandy Music Australian pianist, singer, composer Sarah McKenzie became well established globally with her Impulse! 2017 Paris in the Rain and now returns on an independent label with the half originals/half covers Secrets of My Heart. She reunites with noted Australian composer, arranger, and events music director Chong Lim […]
Daniel Norgren Wooh Dang Superpuma Wooh Dang is the first worldwide release from Swedish musician Daniel Norgren and it’s a mix of jazz, new age, and contemporary folk. Said another way, it’s practically impossible to pigeonhole it as it moves from the ambient tones of electronica in the opening “Blue Sky Moon” to the spare, […]
Jay Anderson Deepscape Steeple Chase Bassist and composer Jay Anderson has appeared on over 400 recordings including nearly 100 for this Steeple Chase label. This, at long last, marks his return as a leader. His others as leader were from the early 90s.We don’t have nearly enough space to document all the artists that Anderson […]
Lauren White Life in the Modern World Café Pacific Los Angeles-based vocalist Lauren White teams with the superb vocalist and in-demand producer Mark Winkler for her third album, the eclectic storytelling Life in the Modern World, a collection of rarely covered standards from classic writers and interpretations of tunes from more contemporary ones. These tunes […]
Molly Tuttle When You’re Ready Compass It’s rare when an artist can win Americana Instrumentalist of the Year without having released a full length album, but such is the case with flat-picking guitar phenom and singer-songwriter Molly Tuttle who now debuts with When You’re Ready. Blessed with a crystalline, honest voice and boundless instrumental talent, […]
