Articles by Alex K. Fong

Keith Jarrett Returns to San Francisco

by Alex K. Fong
April 2, 2006

Keith Jarrett SFJAZZ Spring Season San Francisco, CA March 19, 2006

Standing ovations and good music are considered par for the course at a Keith Jarrett solo piano concert.But jokes?“I guess my reputation is to complain about something, Jarrett said while retaking the stage after an intermission.The crowd whooped.“So I'll complain about government in general, but I guess I don't have to do that, he said with the practiced ...

Joaqu: Out of This World

by Alex K. Fong
February 4, 2005

Being a recording artist on the Fresh Sound New Talent label must be daunting given the semantic implications of its name and its track record of solid, varied mainstream jazz releases. But Spanish guitarist Joaqu'in Chacón lives up to all those expectations except one: he is not a new talent. He is, however, a talented, sparsely-documented leader whose new album, Out of This World , should be the first step in remedying the paucity of records under his own name. ...

Tucker Rountree Sound: No Goodbyes

by Alex K. Fong
January 26, 2005

With a bassist still in his teens and a group leader that doesn't look much older, it would be easy to dismiss the Austin, Texas-based Tucker Rountree Sound as a collection of feisty youngsters venturing out of their depth by cutting a full-length record. But the Sound's new album, No Goodbyes, exhibits as much maturity as puerility throughout its ably-performed set of eight originals written by group leader and guitarist Tucker Rountree.

“Vista" has a sweet melodic head that recalls ...

Jimmy Bruno: Solo

by Alex K. Fong
January 5, 2005

A lot of musicians first learn their craft through the various method books produced by Mel Bay Publications. And so it is within reason to expect outstanding technique on the recordings recorded by Mel Bay Records.

Solo , guitarist Jimmy Bruno's first album for the fledgling label, doesn't disappoint on that score. It's a fiercely swung set of standards and originals featuring walking bass lines, sweep-picked arpeggios, and whole tone scales imaginatively deployed on solo guitar. There's even ...

Clark Terry: Porgy & Bess

by Alex K. Fong
November 15, 2004

The Gil Evans arrangements of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess have lain fallow ever since their 1958 recording by iconic trumpeter Miles Davis.

That is, until now.

Trumpeter and flugelhornist Clark Terry replaces Davis, his former protégé, as the soloist on the Chicago Jazz Orchestra's rendition of the Evans Porgy and Bess arrangements. Terry is an inspired choice by the orchestra's conductor Jeff Lindberg because Davis employed both the trumpet and flugelhorn on his version.

But the merit of revisiting ...

The Nels Cline Singers: The Giant Pin

by Alex K. Fong
November 8, 2004

Los Angeles guitarist Nels Cline surprised some of his longtime fans when he joined the rock band Wilco earlier this year. But he has always been involved with rock and roll in some form throughout his career. He's played with Mike Watt of the Minutemen and various members of Sonic Youth. His own solo career has been defined by his attempt to bridge the gap between rock and improvised music.

Cline's second album with his trio, the Nels Cline Singers, ...

Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Paseo

by Alex K. Fong
October 15, 2004

Paseo, the title of virtuoso Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba's first album as a leader in three years, means “walk" or “stroll" in English.

And that's what he does throughout the record with his New Cuban Quartet.

Rubalcaba examines his musical roots as if he were walking through his hometown for the first time in many years. He plays tunes that conjure up images of exuberant youths at local playgrounds, intense teenagers exposed to the newness of the streets, and adults ...

Ray Charles: Genius Loves Company

by Alex K. Fong
October 2, 2004

He was in his sunset.

Yellows, pinks, and oranges combined with the encroaching black of night to form a cool reminder of Ray Charles' smoldering day.

The Genius, as Charles was sometimes known, recorded his last album, Genius Loves Company, before succumbing to acute liver disease. The Concord Records release returns Charles to his musical roots of gospel, soul, blues and jazz while stripping away the calculated modern R&B veneer of his last few records. It's a fine swan song ...

Tin Hat Trio: Book of Silk

by Alex K. Fong
September 24, 2004

When an individual crosses America by starting on either coast to later arrive upon the other, that intrepid explorer will notice the vast expanses of land and open skies that divide the many bustling cities. And should this person listen to the native music along the way, he or she will notice a similar spaciousness in the nation's dusty folk songs, rustic boogies, and cosmopolitan jazz. The Tin Hat Trio's approach to American music on their new album, Book of ...