Articles by Cary Tenenbaum
Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band: Kings Highway
by Cary Tenenbaum
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines fellowship as “community of interest, activity, feeling, or experience," which seems to state well what Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band have been doing, cultivating a certain sound for over 25 years. The community is drummer Brian Blade, pianist Jon Cowherd, saxophonist Melvin Butler, saxophonist and clarinetist Myron Walden, bassist and synthesizer player Christopher Thomas and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel. The interest and activity these folks share is playing music, specifically jazz music. Finally, the feeling or ...
read moreBill Frisell Trio featuring Thomas Morgan and Rudy Royston at World Cafe Live Music Hall
by Cary Tenenbaum
Bill Frisell TrioWorld Cafe Live Music Hall jny: Philadelphia, PA July 29, 2023 The band took the stage at the intimate Music Hall at World Cafe Live on Walnut Street at about 8:15 for the 8 p.m. scheduled performance. Arranged in a tight semicircle with leader and guitarist Bill Frisell in the center, drummer Rudy Royston to his left and bassist Thomas Morgan to his right. Frisell introduced his two bandmates and they ...
read moreRicardo Dias Gomes: Muito Sol
by Cary Tenenbaum
This record is not a typical jazz record. The first impression it makes is of something fresh and unique. It invites one to listen to combinations of rhythms, textures and sounds and instrumentation not typically used together. The title track starts the record with a pulsing bass line plus floating synthesizer; the vocal starts softly, like a modern Gilberto Gil, in a language you may or may not understand--but that does not matter, it is the overall feel ...
read moreBobby Sanabria: Vox Humana
by Cary Tenenbaum
The opening track on Vox Humana could easily have been the encore of this live performance recorded at Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, part of Jazz At Lincoln Center in New York City. It is a rousing version of the Duke Ellington crowd pleaser “Caravan" and a boisterous Latin tinged big band version it is, with Matthew Gonzalez's barril de bomba and requinto pandereta, bandleader and drummer Sanabria and others on congas, bongos and bells prominently leading the percussionists and portending ...
read moreDominic Miller: Vagabond
by Cary Tenenbaum
The third album by guitarist Dominic Miller echoes the melodic, moody, romantic sounds of a Sting album without lyrics or singing. What we hear is the instrumental interplay of Miller with pianist Jacob Karlzon, bassist Nicolas Fiszman and drummer Ziv Ravitz. The comparison is not surprising as Miller has played with Sting for the last 30 years. He co-wrote one of Sting's hits, 1993's “Shape Of My Heart." Maybe, in fact, Sting's albums are really Dominic Miller records with lyrics ...
read moreBill Laurance & Michael League: Where You Wish You Were
by Cary Tenenbaum
As of this writing in Spring 2023, pianist Bill Laurance and bass and oud player Michael League have apparently been playing together in Snarky Puppy for almost 20 years. This may come as a surprise to some listeners who may still think of them as new kids on the block, so to speak. These two have been busy performing together all these years in the aforementioned band as well as backing up various artists ranging from Erykah Badu to David ...
read moreRalph Towner: At First Light
by Cary Tenenbaum
If you love the sound of the acoustic guitar, do yourself a favour and listen to this recording. Place the record on the turntable, slip the CD in the tray, press play on your streaming service, turn up the volume one notch higher than you might usually and close your eyes. As if by magic, guitarist Ralph Towner is in your home playing the songs from At First Light for you. This is a beautifully recorded and wonderfully played solo ...
read moreChristian McBride’s New Jawn at The Arden Gild Hall
by Cary Tenenbaum
Christian McBride's New Jawn Arden Gild Hall Arden, DE March 30, 2023 Nestled in a residential neighborhood in the little historic town of Arden, Delaware, just outside of Wilmington, is the Arden Club and Gild Hall. The mission of the hall according to its web page is to be “dedicated to the enjoyment of and the participation of the arts." This show was presented by The Arden Concert Gild, which is one of the various ...
read moreChristian McBride: Prime
by Cary Tenenbaum
Prime's opening track, “Head Bedlam," opens with a cacophony of horns playing in a style reminiscent of Sun Ra's Arkestra. This transforms into a quiet, cool riff with bass and drums leading the way, shifting the music into a more accessible groove before returning to the aptly titled bedlam in the track's closing seconds. It is a brave opening to New Jawn's second release because it is not the easiest way to attract the casual jazz listener. ...
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