Articles by James Henry Smith
Russell Malone Trio at Jazz at the Bistro, St Louis, October 20, 2010
by James Henry Smith
Russell Malone TrioJazz at the Bistro SeriesSt Louis, MOOctober 20, 2010 Guitarist Russell Malone returned to the Bistro, somewhat more exposed this time, his guitar in a trio with bass and drums. His companions for this visit were David Wong on acoustic bass and Darrell Green on drums. This session might be best described as an advance release celebration for his newest album Triple Play (MAXJAZZ, 2010) soon due to market. Pre-release copies were ...
Continue ReadingJoshua Redman Trio at Jazz at the Bistro, St Louis, October 7, 2010
by James Henry Smith
Joshua Redman TrioJazz at the Bistro SeriesSt Louis, MOOctober 7, 2010 St. Louis' prime jazz venue again welcomed Joshua Redman. His partners for this outing were Reuben Rogers on acoustic bass and Gregory Hutchinson on drums. Redman has always had strong preference for the trio format, with uncommon sidemen. In the era of Back East (Nonesuch, 2007) his saxophone was supported by several outstanding bass and drum teams including: Larry Grenadier with Ali Jackson, ...
Continue ReadingKenny Barron and Mulgrew Miller at Jazz at the Bistro, St Louis, September 23, 2010
by James Henry Smith
Kenny Barron/Mulgrew MillerJazz at the Bistro/Season OpenerSt Louis MOSeptember 23, 2010 St Louis' prime jazz venue opened its current season with Kenny Barron and Mulgrew Miller, two legendary pianists whose inaugural appearance kicked off the first Jazz at the Bistro season fifteen years ago. “Love For Sale" set the pace for the hard swingin' bluesy exchange which was to be the hallmark of the show. The styles of these giants have so much in ...
Continue ReadingBruce Williamson Quartet feat Art Lande: Standard Transmission
by James Henry Smith
Woodwind multi-instrumentalist Bruce Williamson features his longtime compatriot and mentor, pianist Art Lande, in this collection of mostly standards, breathing new life into old melodies. Except for “Large Barge," a Williamson original tune reflecting his impressions of a lazy barge on the Ohio River, this quartet outing contains only material that will be well-known to seasoned jazz listeners. But these Williamson/Lande arrangements, each contributing roughly half, produce results far beyond standard. Reharmonization, uncommon time signatures, and unlikely combinations and treatment ...
Continue Reading
