CD Reviews on projects by Jazz artists
Hendrik Meurkens and the WDR Big Band Samba Jazz Odyssey Zoho Pairing the smallest instrument, a harmonica as the featured lead with a 17-piece big band is paradoxical to begin with. Throw in the notion that the harmonicist, the practically iconic Henrik Meurkens delivers his Latin jazz compositions, a genre that rarely features the instrument, […]
Joey Alexander Origin Mack Avenue Rising jazz pianist, the Indonesian, Joey Alexander has already achieved three GRAMMY® nominations, performed from the Obama White House to the Grand Ole Opry to most recently, the floor of the United Nations and the child prodigy is still three years shy of legal drinking age. Origin, his debut for […]
Erik Friedlander A Queen’s Firefly Skiptone If the instrumental configuration of cello, piano, bass, and drums doesn’t wow you from the outset, you will feel quite differently after hearing this inventive, often exhilarating music led by cellist Erik Friedlander and his quartet named The Throw comprised of elite Downtown players who are all bandleaders– Uri […]
Peter Manning Robinson Celestial Candy Owl Walk So, you haven’t heard anything new in music lately? Welcome to a totally unique sound from multiple award-winning composer and pianist Peter Manning Robinson. In fact, we’ll have to expand his job title once we mention that he is the inventor of The Refractor Piano™ a new way […]
CeCe Gable Next Year’s Song Self-released When a jazz vocalist gets an endorsement from Sheila Jordan and when that same singer gathers a first-rate group of accompanists, all bandleaders themselves, you know that the recording is bound to be special. Such is the case for CeCe Gable, a late bloomer with a youthful sounding voice, […]
San Gabriel 7 w/ Sinne Eeg Under the Stars JRL-SGS We covered the progressive California-based funk band San Gabriel 7 for their 2020 release, Red Dress, with vocalist Femi Knight. Now, the band returns with the preeminent vocalist of Scandinavia, Sinne Eeg, in an album of her songs with, as before, mostly the instrumental arrangements […]
Mike Holober & Balancing Act Don’t Let Go Sunnyside Initially you may think that this chamber music project, Don’t Let Go, is a quiet, pensive, mostly classical music listening experience by judging the first few notes that you hear. If you’re familiar with GRAMMY nominated pianist and composer Mike Holober and his several big band […]
Kind Folk Head Towards the Center Fresh Sound New Talent Yes, Kind Folk is a different kind of a name for a jazz quartet, but ardent listeners may recognize it as the name of Kenny Wheeler’s piece from his 1997 ECM release Angel Song. Of course, that’s not by accident as the group debuted in […]
Jo Harrop The Heart Wants Lateralize British jazz vocalist and songwriter Jo Harrop brings her second album, The Heart Wants, stateside. One immediately senses her intimate, smoky, bluesy voice as the album opens with “The Heart Wants What the Heart Wants,” to the accompaniment of a first-rate lineup that boasts bassist Christian McBride, trumpeter Andy […]
Josean Jacobo Trio Herencia Criolla E7 Studios The last time we heard from Dominican pianist Josean Jacobo, he was with his sextet Tumbao for Cimarron, not only one of the best Latin jazz albums of 2019 but one of the best overall in the umbrella category of jazz. He now returns with his trio and […]
