Articles by Douglas Payne
Funk Jazz: '60s-'70s
by Douglas Payne
Somewhere between the soul-jazz of the early sixties (often called “funk" in its day) and the disco of the mid-seventies, funk jazz was born. Rock was already crossing over into jazz. And it just made sense that rock would inject soul jazz with a greater sense of urgency and a stronger feel for the groove. Funk had that thing that made soul and any other kinds of dance music what it was--a deep, true conviction to getting you ...
read moreLee Jones: Songs From The 13th Hour
by Douglas Payne
This enjoyable and engaging album--guitarist Lee Jones's second as a leader--aims to throw some much-needed wrinkles in to the smoothness of so much contemporary jazz. That's not really newsworthy, of course, but hardly anyone thus far has succeeded in doing it so successfully. While so many of today's new breed of jazz guitarists are either trying to forge their uniqueness into some been-there-done-that formula or regurgitate the sound or style of a guitar hero of the past, Jones ...
read moreJamie Ruben: Groove-O-Ly-O-Scene
by Douglas Payne
The musical path of Canadian guitarist Jamie Ruben is surely the story of the road less traveled. Rather than gigging regularly in some urban jazz hotbed, the Toronto-based guitarist made his living for seven years performing jazz full time in the Far East in such places as Katmandu, Bangkok, Shanghai and the even more remote regions of Siem Reap and Koh Samui, among others. Taking the musical sounds of the West over to the Far East ensured that ...
read morePhilipp van Endert Trio: Rosebud
by Douglas Payne
Cinema has long since rendered the word “rosebud" as something elusive and enigmatic, that cannot possibly sum up what others want it to. From the moment that Orson Welles whispers the word in the 1941 film Citizen Kane, a mysterious journey of the purely unknowable is embarked upon. But what a journey. With Rosebud, the remarkably inspired German guitarist Philipp van Endert properly gives light to the inability of properly discussing creative music. Much in the same way ...
read morePeter Scharli Trio featuring Ithamara Koorax: O Grande Amor
by Douglas Payne
In their second recording together, Swiss trumpeter Peter Schärli and Brazilian singer Ithamara Koorax have come up with a beautiful reflection on Brazilian music that goes far above and beyond expectation. Schärli, whose attractive sound and complimentary interjections suggest the influence of Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stańko, and Koorax were first brought together in 2006 by legendary Brazilian percussionist Dom Um Romão (1925-2005), who had previously worked with both musicians on separate occasions, to record Obrigado Dom Um Romão ...
read moreLajos Dudas: 50 Years With Jazzclarinet - The Best Of Lajos Dudas
by Douglas Payne
Lajos Dudas50 Years With Jazzclarinet: The Best Of Lajos DudasJazz Sick Records2011 The clarinet is one of the most important instruments in the foundation of jazz. But it lost its luster after Benny Goodman fell out of popularity in the 1950s. After 1960, the few of the American clarinetists still left playing the instrument mostly migrated to Europe. It was only in Europe that the clarinet seemed to thrive after 1960. ...
read moreGabor Szabo
by Douglas Payne
Guitarist Gabor Szabo (1936-82) made a big noise in the early 1960s as part of Chico Hamilton's quintet. Szabo, who had one of the most unique sounds in jazz, later went on to play in Charles Lloyd's first quartet and as part of Gary McFarland's group before making a splash on his own. He became especially famed when Carlos Santana covered his “Gypsy Queen" to great acclaim in 1970. These are some of his finest performances. TrackNameTimeArtistAlbum1 ...
read moreEssential CTI: Part 3
by Douglas Payne
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Founded by legendary producer Creed Taylor in 1970, CTI Records achieved a legacy that is unrivaled in jazz. CTI produced records that were not only commercially successful but many that were superbly and artistically satisfying. Some of them are immortal. This is the third of three such sets devoted to the “Essential CTI" recordings. TrackNameTimeArtistAlbum1 Sunflower8:53Milt JacksonSunflower2 Corazón [Album Version]6:04Hank CrawfordWildflower3 Too High13:24Joe FarrellPenny Arcade4 Catch ...
read moreEssential CTI: Part 2
by Douglas Payne
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Founded by legendary producer Creed Taylor in 1970, CTI Records achieved a legacy that is unrivaled in jazz. CTI produced records that were not only commercially successful but many that were superbly and artistically satisfying. Some of them are immortal. This is the second of three such sets devoted to the “Essential CTI" recordings. TrackNameTimeArtistAlbum1 So What9:20George BensonBeyond The Blue Horizon2 The Rite Of Spring [Album ...
read moreEssential CTI: Part 1
by Douglas Payne
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 Founded by legendary producer Creed Taylor in 1970, CTI Records achieved a legacy that is unrivaled in jazz. CTI produced records that were not only commercially successful but many that were superbly and artistically satisfying. Some of them are immortal. This is the first of three such sets devoted to the “Essential CTI" recordings. TrackNameTimeArtistAlbum1 Red Clay12:11Freddie HubbardRed Clay2 Sugar10:6Stanley TurrentineSugar 3 Fire And Rain7:57Hubert LawsAfro-Classic4 ...
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