Articles by Donald Elfman

Carol Sudhalter: The Octave Tunes

by Donald Elfman
June 6, 2010

The notes to this thoughtful and beautifully executed disc suggest this is the first collection in which the tunes share the trait of all starting with an octave interval. True, perhaps, but what sets it apart is smart music passionately and intelligently played by musicians committed to the fine art of communication. Carol Sudhalter is a talented multi-reed instrumentalist and her work on tenor, baritone and flute is of a piece--keen on melody, finely proportioned and always ...

Eddie Gomez: The Playing is Free

by Donald Elfman
May 20, 2010

Eddie Gomez is known throughout the world as a consummate bassist, sterling educator and a musician active in a wide variety of musical settings. He has been on the music scene for more than 40 years and has worked with everyone from Bobby Darin to Giuseppi Logan. Gomez moved from Puerto Rico as a child and was playing music from an early age. He came to prominence when Bill Evans asked him to be the bassist for the pianist's trio, ...

Uptown Records

by Donald Elfman
April 9, 2010

Uptown Records, in the person of its founder Bob Sunenblick, has become something of a jazz missing persons—or sessions—bureau. The label's Flashback series have released rare treasures by some of the giants of the music as well as some of the more unsung heroes. Uptown has released 'new' recordings by Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Dorham and Charles Mingus but has also unearthed gems from pianist Dodo Marmarosa, trumpeter Dupree Bolton and saxophonists Serge Chaloff and Lucky Thompson.

Gershwin Two-fer: Bohuslan Big Band & Scottish National Jazz Orchestra

by Donald Elfman
April 3, 2010

Bohuslan Big BandGeorge Gershwin's Porgy & Bess (feat. Lew Soloff & Adam Nussbaum)Self-published2009 Scottish National Jazz OrchestraRhapsody in Blue LiveSpartacus2009 It's still no surprise that George Gershwin, one of America's first 'serious' composers to be influenced by jazz, would continue himself to influence countless jazz musicians. The pieces he composed have proven themselves to ...

Accordion Three-Fer: Triphilia; Nice Guy Trio & Will Holshouser

by Donald Elfman
March 6, 2010

Alan Bern/Michael Rodach/Paul BrodyTriophiliaJazzwerkstatt2009 The Nice Guy TrioHere Comes The Nice Guy TrioPorto Franco2009 Will Holshouser Trio + Bernardo SassettiPalace Ghosts and Drunken HymnsClean Feed2001 Because it was portable and reflected the many cultures that came to the US in the 20th century, once upon a ...

Ron McClure: Lookout Farms and New Moons

by Donald Elfman
February 11, 2010

Bassist Ron McClure has a practical philosophy about what he does. “Making music begins with doing your job," he says. “It's nice if you can be a hot soloist, but do your job first and do it well." These are words that the bassist has lived by for over 40 years in the jazz music business. McClure has done everything from playing with saxophonists such as Charles Lloyd to being part of pop recordings by the Pointer Sisters and Blood, ...

Piano/Bass Four-Fer

by Donald Elfman
January 16, 2010

Charlie Haden / John TaylorNightfallNAIM Audio2009 Jo ...

James Weidman: Three Worlds

by Donald Elfman
November 12, 2009

Three Worlds is the product of a thoughtful musical soul. Pianist James Weidman is well-versed in the traditional and modern jazz vocabulary and has found ways of deftly incorporating what's he's heard into his playing and composing. And here he adds color to his pianistics with melodica and the exotic xaphoon, a single-reed keyless bamboo wind instrument.

He's found a great assemblage of modern players to realize his various musical visions. Particularly and delightfully surprising are reedman Marty Ehrlich and ...

Sean Jones: The Search Within, Dedicated & Modern Times

by Donald Elfman
August 2, 2009

Sean JonesThe Search WithinMack Avenue2009 Ralph BowenDedicatedPosi-Tone2009 Bobby SelvaggioModern TimesArabesque2009 Trumpeter Sean Jones is only 30 but here he is with his fifth album as a leader and great work as a sideman. On The Search Within, Jones finds new colors and textures ...

Enja Records

by Donald Elfman
July 12, 2009

Matthias Winckelmann's favorite recording of the hundreds he's made is the one just finished. Over the years, he's documented music from all over the world and of many different stripes and has always been eloquent and passionate. His label Enja has been in existence for 38 years and a look at the catalogue tells you that the excitement is still there. In 1971, two longtime Munich jazz fans, Winckelmann and Horst Weber, made their first recording together, Black ...