Jazz Articles

Various: Latin Jazz

by Derrick A. Smith
June 1, 2000

Music Club have created some sterling compilations of a wide range of artists from throughout the world. With this release the label attempts a summation of the genre of Latin Jazz, with mixed results. Fred Dollar's notes are appropriately spirited and sell the artists well, but the lack of anything but incidental listing of ensemble musicians is frustrating, and the packaging itself plays on stereotypes of color and design (oranges and reds, with unsubtle line motifs.)

Although this purports to ...

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra: The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays The Music Of Meatloaf

by AAJ Staff
May 1, 2000

All throughout my childhood, I remember hearing in department stores, elevators, and patient waiting rooms, symphony orchestras like Arthur Feidler and the Boston Pops playing elaborately orchestrated instrumental versions of rock and roll tunes like the Beatles I Want To Hold Your Hand or the Doors Light My Fire. I loathed that music! I remember thinking to myself “Do these guys know how ridiculous they sound? What is the point of all this? Are symphony orchestras trying to corner the ...

Finis Tasby: Jump, Children!

by Ed Kopp
August 1, 1999

The more I listen to most blues releases, the more they sound like every other blues release. The more I listen to Jump, Children! the more I like it. Finis (rhymes with highness) Tasby is a veteran bluesman who spent most of his career as a drummer and bassist, not a singer. His singing is formidably soulful on this CD, recorded with some of Los Angeles' finest blues instrumentalists: Rick Holmstrom, Kid Ramos, Coco Montoya, Larry Taylor, Lester Butler, Rob ...