WordPress database error: [Disk full (/tmp/#sql-temptable-209a-31682f-e6.MAI); waiting for someone to free some space... (errno: 28 "No space left on device")]SHOW FULL COLUMNS FROM `wp_options`
WordPress database error: [Disk full (/tmp/#sql-temptable-209a-31682f-e7.MAI); waiting for someone to free some space... (errno: 28 "No space left on device")]SHOW FULL COLUMNS FROM `wp_options`
Leroy Ellington’s Sacred Hearts Live and Kickin’ It Infiniti Group Records This is a live record with no overdubs of a gritty, potent band. At times unpolished, and with a sound quality that isn’t always the best, this is raw live music from one of Cincinnati’s best bands. Leroy Ellington does all lead vocals and […]
Vito Dieterle Anemone and Status Sphere with Joel Forrester Ride Symbol Yes, you read the title correctly. We are covering two separate albums from NYC-based saxophonist Vito Dieterle that he is choosing to release at the same time. Anemone has the classic organ quartet sound of the ‘60s while Status Sphere with Joel Forrester is […]
Carla Olson Have Harmony Will Travel 2 Sunset Blvd. Have Harmony Will Travel 2 is Carla Olson’s successor to her acclaimed 2013’s Have Harmony, Will Travel which featured two-part vocals with Peter Case, Richie Furay, John York, Scott Kempner and Juice Newton. This one includes comparably renowned names such as Timothy B. Schmidt (The Eagles), […]
The Legendary Ingramettes Take a Look at the Book Virginia Folklife Program Some of us first heard of the gospel group The Legendary Ingramettes when they appeared on Sherman Holmes’ 2017 The Richmond Sessions. Yet this group has been with us for more than six decades now, held together through generations of determined African – […]
Funk Shui NYC Shark NATO on a Plane ZOHO Funk Shui NYC is a 15-piece ensemble led by co-leaders trombonist Rob Susman and bari sax/flutist Dave Morgan. They are ostensibly a jazz unit but it’s their wide-ranging repertoire that sets them apart. The five tunes composed by band members here ring with funk, classic rock […]
Clairdee A Love Letter to Lena Declare Music San Francisco jazz vocalist mainstay Clairdee bursts forth with an expansive project honoring Lena Horne, with a supporting cast of no fewer than 20 musicians or singers, including some stirring narration from actress/director/playwright Margo Hall. Clairdee spent three years shaping the project, originally envisioned back in 2009, […]
J D Walter Dressed in a Song Self-released This is a comeback for jazz vocalist JD Walter, the unexpected kind. With a reputation for being somewhat eccentric, adventurous, and the so-called “progressive electronic vocalist,” Walter returns from a life-threatening heart condition and surgeries on his heart and vocal cords to deliver an intimate album of […]
Mike Mattison Afterglow Landslide One of the clear highlights of the Tedeschi-Trucks Band’s great live shows is when vocalist and songwriter Mike Mattison takes his turn on a lead vocal. Through most of the set he backs Susan Tedeschi with harmonies and percussion. Most will also recall Mattison’s days as the lead vocalist for the […]
Maya De Vitry How to Break a Fall Self-released Two years ago, the gifted Americana band The Stray Birds left us with the parting Let It Pass, the last of their great albums. A central figure in making those was co-founder and often frontwoman, multi-instrumentalist and superb vocalist/songwriter Maya De Vitry. Last year De Vitry delivered […]
Sadler Vaden Anybody Out There? Dirty Mag/Thirty Tigers Guitarist/singer-songwriter Sadler Vaden is best known as the lead guitarist for Jason Isbell’s 400 Unit, but fans will also recognize him for his time with Drivin’ N Cryin prior to joining Isbell’s band. Anybody Out There? Is his second full-length album, a follow-up to his 2016 self-titled […]
Richard Ray Farrell Three Pints of Gin Blue Beet Life in Spain seems to be treating American bluesman Richard Ray Farrell well. You could almost say he is back where he belongs. Farrell was born to travel, having started as a street musician or “busker” in Paris, France in 1975. Totally fascinated with the music […]
Mike Bond The Honorable Ones Bounce Castle Pianist Mike Bonds is making his debut as a leader with The Honorable Ones, and it’s a quite impressive one. Joined by NYC-based first callers, the core quintet has acclaimed reed man Steve Wilson on alto and soprano, rising trumpet star Josh Evans, renowned bassist and bandleader Ben […]
Dom Flemons Prospect Hill – The American Songster Omnibus Omnivore You might have a quick reaction to those preemptive words “The American Songster” but, in fact, that’s how Grammy winner time and two-time Emmy winner Dom Flemons is known. One wonders if there’s anything that’s beyond his immense scope of talents. He’s a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, […]
Bill Curreri Hard Road Home Self-released This is singer-songwriter Bill Curreri’s third album, his most ambitious and thoughtfully rendered album to date. And, what a circuitous route to reach this point! Raised in Greenwich Village during the socially turbulent 1960’s, Bill always dreamed of someday being recognized as an accomplished singer-songwriter. But as often happens, […]
Sinne Eeg & The Danish Radio Big Band We’ve Just Begun BFM Jazz Jazz vocalist Sinne Eeg has been spreading her spell beyond her native Denmark where she is a huge star, to other locales in Europe and the U.S. Now that she’s combined songwriting with her classy interpretations of standards, she is quickly becoming […]
Sam Hirsh Quite Frankly Umadas Music Pianist, composer and educator Sam Hirsh makes his debut as a bandleader with Quite Frankly, recorded to celebrate the pianist’s thirtieth birthday and tenth year as a staple musician in the jazz scene in Los Angeles. Joined by a bicoastal cadre of world-class improvisers, Hirsh introduces a set of original tunes inspired […]
Robin McKelle Alterations Doxie Alterations is jazz vocalist/composer Robin McKelle’s follow-up to her 2018 Melodic Canvas which we covered on these pages. While that was mostly an album of originals, McKelle chooses here to, as she says, “fuse jazz, soul, r&b, blues and rock while keeping continuity in the music.” These are mostly familiar songs […]
Robert Vincent In This Town You’re Owned Thirty Tigers If it’s possible for an Englishman to be an Americana artist, then singer-songwriter Robert Vincent would be the first in line. Vincent continues to put his distinctive stamp on the genre as evidenced by the reception and acclaim received at this past year’s AmericanaFest. He is […]
Pacific Mambo Orchestra The III Side Self-released The Grammy-winning Pacific Mambo Orchestra (PMO) was founded in 2010 by Mexican-born pianist Christian Tumalan and German-born trumpeter Steffen Kuehn. The 20-piece ensemble is the only active Latin Big band on the US West Coast, comprised of some of the Bay Area’s top talent. In addition, this aggregation […]
Calle Loiza Jazz Project There Will Never Be Another You Self-released This one has a rich story. Calle Loiza is the famous street in Santurce, Puerto Rico with a storied history of culture and artistic creativity. The Bomba rhythms are known to have origin near there. Some core members of this group met at a […]
Josh Deutsch/Nico Solfiato Trio Redshift Musica.org (from Italy) The duo of trumpeter Josh Deutsch and guitarist Nico Solfiato have been active since 2006 when they first met in Boston. They draw on multiple genres, sometimes covering classical and pop in addition to jazz. Sometimes they are totally acoustic but are not averse to electronic loops […]
Randall Bramblett The Meantime (10th Anniversary Edition) New West This marks the tenth anniversary of Randall Bramblett’s “piano trio” album, The Meantime, which New West is commemorating with remastered versions, two previously unreleased tracks, and a vinyl issue for the first time. The album is one that is rather criminally under-recognized in Bramblett’s catalog but […]
Mick Kolassa Blind Lemon Sessions Endless Blues Mississippi-based guitarist/vocalist and blues historian Mick Kolassa traveled to Germany to make this album, apparently the first of three that will result from his trip. Specifically it relates to the invitation from Thomas Schleiken, who runs Blind Lemon Records. (For those of you familiar with the artist Blind […]
Jeff Rupert – George Garzone The Ripple Rupe Media The Ripple isn’t trying to mimic that most classic tenor tandem, Sonny Rollins and Trane on “Tenor Madness.” That iconic piece stands alone. Instead, tenors Jeff Rupert and George Garzone pay tribute to the legendary “Prez,” Lester Young. In fact the title refers to the far-reaching […]
Lizzie Thomas New Sounds from the Jazz Age Self-released Lizzie Thomas is a jazz vocalist in love with The Great American Songbook as are many. Yet, she brings an improvisational take on these songs, never content to just do them the same way. As she says, “I can call a tune for the rest of […]
Justin Varnes Survival Instinct: The Evilution of the Pack Self-released The title undoubtedly piqued your curiosity and there is no misspelling. Instead drummer and leader Justin Varnes is bringing awareness to one of the root causes of violence; our need to belong to a pack coupled with our need to blindly protect that pack. Thousand […]
Tom Breiding Love Commits Me Here AmeriSon Singer-songwriter Tom Breiding writes a specific kind of Americana song, ones devoted to laborers and union workers. Hailing from West Virginia, he has been doing so for his entire career due to his intense connections with union members and groups. Several on Love Commits Me Here highlight his […]
G Love and Keb’ Mo’ The Juice Philadelphonic/Thirty Tigers This is the eighth album for Philly born and raised, now Cape Cod resident G. Love (aka Garrett Dutton), a masterful multi-instrumentalist with a diverse set of influences, a knack for reinvention and a penchant for collaboration. You may be familiar with him through his usual […]
Tony Irving & Massimo Magee Vitriol and the Third Oraculum 577 Records This is today’s free jazz from two London artists. It’s either your thing or it’s clearly not. There’re no fence sitting for music like this. For reference points think of John Coltrane’s Interstellar Space, a duo with drummer Rashied Ali. Or, the long […]
Kayle Brecher Kayleidoscope Penchant Four Kayle Brecher’s interpretation of the opening “My Favorite Things” lets you know right away that she is a unique, imaginative jazz vocalist. She respects the tradition but is also willing to take some chances. Brecher currently resides in Philadelphia but is a native New Yorker who began her career in […]
Tomislav Goluban Memphis Light Spona It seems as if harmonicists are intent on being the first ones heard in this new year. This is the fourth review this writer is written for a harmonicist led group across two different outlets and we’re only in the first full week of the new year. Each certainly has […]
Chris Shutters with Jimmy Burns Good Gone Bad Third Street Cigar This is odd combination that works evenly and unevenly, depending on the tune. but guitarists/vocalists Chris Shutter and veteran Chicago bluesman Jimmy Burns (billed as Special Guest) have plenty of high moments on this collaboration. To the plus side, there is ample variety with […]
Guy Belanger Eldorado Bros From the North comes the most sought-after harmonica player in Quebec, releasing his sixth and perhaps best album. Guy Belanger brings a mix of originals, both vocal and instrumental, as well as inspired takes on covers. Following the opening “Carving the Wind” he makes Van Morrison’s “Bright Side of the Road” […]
Brian Scanlon Brain Scan Self-released Even before listening to Saxophonist Brian Scanlon’s debut album, this writer couldn’t help but chuckle at the album title, knowing how often “Brian” has resulted in the typo “Brain.” That alone was a good omen. Scanlon is a first call studio musician, who has worked on dozens of movies and […]
Yasser Tejeda & Palotré Kijombo Self- released Surely, you’ve already identified this as Latin music and possibly Latin jazz. Yet, that’s only partially right. it’s broader than either one. Yasser Tejeda’s music on Kijombo is, at least in the U.S. and many countries, the seldom heard roots music of the Dominican Republic, here re-imagined by […]
Raquel Cepeda Passion – Latin Jazz Self-released Houston-based jazz vocalist and songwriter Raquel Cepeda is a multi-talented artist with an interesting story and an auspicious debut. She uses the word ‘passion’ liberally. It’s the name of her band, her album, and her life force. From the liner notes, these excerpts from Cepeda will provide a […]
Katy Hobgood Ray Featuring Dave Ray I Dream of Water Out of the Past You may have already read about Katy Hobgood Ray on these pages with Richard’s interview. If so, (and even if not) you realize that she’s a versatile artist, probably most conveniently labeled as a folk-blues artist but that term does not […]
Mary Black Orchestrated Gifthorse Mary Black, long considered Ireland’s premiere female vocalist, has been recording now for three decades but this is a first. Like early Emmylou Harris, Black is an interpreter, not a writer. Yet, she has a sizeable catalog from which she chose 11 songs to be orchestrated by Ireland’s acclaimed RTE National […]
Fay Victor Barn Songs Northern Spy You may have never heard a vocal album like this one, unless, of course, you’ve heard Fay Victor before. Called by some an avant-garde vocalist and luminary on the contemporary avant-garde scene, Victor’s website has a slightly different descriptor – sound artist. Victor is many things – a composer, […]
The Diva Jazz Orchestra DIVA + The Boys MCG Jazz Perhaps we should start with MCG Jazz, an interesting organization that brings us the music. It is a social enterprise of Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, a subsidiary of Manchester Bidwell Corporation, a non-profit arts and learning center in Pittsburgh, PA. MDG Jazz preserves, presents, and promotes […]
Rozina Patkai Taladim Tom-Tom Rozina Patkai is a jazz singer, songwriter and visual artist based in Budapest, Hungary. This is her third release, a special one in which she sets the poems of world-famous artists to music. Herein are poems by Nathaniel Barratt (“Lorelei”), T.S. Eliot (“Song”), William Blake (“Laughing Song’), Jane Tyson Clement (“Sea […]
Santiago Bosch Galactic Warrior Self-released Fusion lives. The adage says every fifty years or so, trends reappear. There have been plenty of very good recent fusion albums from the likes of Hudson, Shijin, Gerry Gibbs, The Funky Knuckles and many, many others. What is striking about the new release from keyboard ace Santiago Bosch, among […]
Skip and Dan Wilkins Quartet Someday Deer Head Just as this recording form the Skip and Dan Wilkins Quartet is essentially an homage to the Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap, PA, my review is a kind of homage that same venue, relatively local for this writer. Yes, it’s a rather unlikely spot to […]
Alan Rosenthal Elbow Grease Street of Stars Don’t let the glasses fool you. Just like pianist Bill Evans had that professorial look, pianist Alan Rosenthal does too and just as Evans produced a distinctive piano sound, Rosenthal produces unexpected improvisations, albeit more akin to Monk. Rosenthal is also an astute and versatile composer. He composed […]
Jackie Allen A Romantic Evening With – Live at the Rococo Avant Bass This live concert from renowned jazz vocalist Jackie Allen is available as a CD or with an accompanying Blu-ray disc. You may have already seen this as it has aired on several PBS outlets across the country. There’s a bit of a […]
Hudspeth & Taylor Folie A Deux Self-released In the vein of those great acoustic blues records from the ‘60s and ‘70s on the Vanguard, Arhoolie, and Shanachie labels and such, come the Kansas City duo of guitarist Brandon Hudspeth and vocalist/percussionist Jaisson Taylor for their debut, Folie A Deux. That term, according to medical terminology […]
Matthew Snow Iridescence Self-released Matthew Snow’s Iridescence stands apart from most straight-ahead jazz albums due to that unusual instrumentation. Delivering hard bop and ballads without tenor sax, trumpet or piano is rather heady stuff but Snow’s combination proves intriguing. Joining Snow who is an emerging composer and bassist based in NYC is joined by fluent […]
Roger Kellaway The Many Open Minds of Roger Kellaway IPO The brilliant, versatile pianist Roger Kellaway may often be dismissed as “too mainstream” or generally an accompanist for vocalists singing standards or orchestrated pop material. Yet, the pianist who turns 80 this month, has a love for straight-ahead jazz from bebop to hard bop. On […]
Eric Hofbauer and Dylan Jack Remains of Echoes Creative Nation Music Guitarist Eric Hofbauer and percussionist Dylan Jack have put together an album of one of the most eclectic mix of covers ever. It’s a guitar and drum exploration into what is possible when two creative minds go to work. The goal of the Boston-area […]
Bonsai Universe Too Many Ghosts Self-released Too Many Ghosts, the latest title from renowned guitarist Woody Aplanlap, is the second project from what he’s dubbed Bonsai Universe. It’s a beautiful mess. In other words, depending on your mood his inventive psychedelic sounds can joyously transport you but if you’re looking for something more cohesive and […]
WordPress database error: [Disk full (/tmp/#sql-temptable-209a-31682f-11b.MAI); waiting for someone to free some space... (errno: 28 "No space left on device")]SHOW FULL COLUMNS FROM `wp_options`
WordPress database error: [Disk full (/tmp/#sql-temptable-209a-31682f-11c.MAI); waiting for someone to free some space... (errno: 28 "No space left on device")]SHOW FULL COLUMNS FROM `wp_options`
WordPress database error: [Disk full (/tmp/#sql-temptable-209a-31682f-11d.MAI); waiting for someone to free some space... (errno: 28 "No space left on device")]SHOW FULL COLUMNS FROM `wp_options`
