Articles by Lewis J Whittington
Dianne Reeves Quartet: Philadelphia, PA, December 1, 2012
by Lewis J Whittington
Dianne Reeves QuartetAnnenberg CenterPhiladelphia, PADecember 1, 2012Even though jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves grew up in Denver, judging by the reception she gets in Philly it could easily be her adopted hometown crowd. Reeves was back for a single tour date in support of two new recordings, and warmly recalled her first date in Philly at the Chestnut Cabaret in the '80s, saying that she still remembered how crowded it was and the great time she ...
read moreJoaquim Paulo and Julius Weidermann: Jazz Covers
by Lewis J Whittington
Jazz CoversJoaquim Paulo and Julius Wiedemann560 pagesISBN: 978-3-8365-2406-3Taschen2012Writers Joaquim Paulo and Julius Wiedemann have assembled a stellar exhibit by way of these oversized Taschen books. The two volumes, packaged in a slipcase, are a beautiful collection of album cover art that document the global jazz scene from 1940-90. They are comprised of pristine transferred images and represent both commercial and fine art trends.The covers evoke specific ...
read moreDavid Schiff: The Ellington Century
by Lewis J Whittington
The Ellington CenturyDavid SchiffHardcover; 336 pagesISBN: 978-0-520-24587-7University of California Press2012In the pantheon of jazz giants, bandleader and pianist Duke Ellington holds an undisputed top spot, but, David Schiff believes, Ellington has never been given the recognition he also deserves as a composer. Schiff redresses the slight in this groundbreaking, if sometimes too dense, study.European music, torn loose from its older harmonic moorings, needed to acquire something ...
read moreJuan Andrés Ospina: BBB (Barcelona Bogota Boston)
by Lewis J Whittington
The jazz diary of pianist/composer Juan Andrés Ospina's BBB is an elegant, untethered tour of primary musical colors, with inviting light, angles and shadows. Todavía No" states the theme with percussionist Austin McMahon's airy drums swinging, with tango punctuations. Saxophonists Ben Roseth and actually Matan Chapnizka dominate with flights of jazz fancy, though it is Ospina's piano that keeps the pulse more grounded. The pianist composed all but one of the tracks, but he is very much part of the ...
read moreSan Francisco Latin Jazz Society: Now What
by Lewis J Whittington
Now What is raucous, adventurous music from The San Francisco Latin Jazz Society--the first of two winter 2012 releases from this electric, bluesy ensemble--and a reminder that Stateside studio jazz is not permanently lurching toward predigested pop territory as it might sometimes seem. On its website, SFLJS states it has had many aliases, including New Latin Jazz Society, Descarga Libre, the Psychedelic Mambo Cult, Los Pinguinos and Latin Jazz Descarga.This album recalls Miles Davis' Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1970) ...
read moreTaeko Kunishima: Late Autumn
by Lewis J Whittington
Taeko Kunishima's Late Autumn starts with a wandering solo entrance that engages the composer/pianist's stream of jazz style. It instantly feels both musically liberated and firmly rooted in multi-era reverence. This prologue, To the Hebrides," open an otherwise freewheeling narrative by Kunishima and her dazzling lineup.After the opening track the set ignites with the seven-minute scorcher, Return To Life." Inside of its retro-progressive ascensions, shakuhachi virtuoso Clive Bell evokes a Japanese classicism which then vanishes, jarring the imagination. ...
read moreTony Bennett: Philadelphia, PA, November 4, 2011
by Lewis J Whittington
Tony BennettAcademy of MusicPhiladelphia, PANovember 4, 2011 Tony Bennett plugged his upcoming appearance on Lady Gaga's Thanksgiving Special in the middle of singing The Good Life," to the packed house at the Academy of Music, who may or may not know that she's the biggest act around; but, to this crowd, at age 85, Bennett was the hottest ticket in town. The love for him just gushed through the concert hall and Bennett gave ...
read moreTad Hershorn: Norman Granz - The Man Who Used Jazz for Justice
by Lewis J Whittington
Norman Granz: The Man Who Used Jazz for Justice Tad Hershorn Hardcover, 488 pages University of California Press ISBN: 9780520267824 2011 Impresario Norman Granz changed the course of jazz in so many ways, as creator of the Jazz At The Philharmonic (JATP) tour package and as founder of Verve and other labels. His most indelible contribution may be, as biographer Tad Hershorn recounts, that he used jazz as a vehicle to advance civil ...
read moreDominick Farinacci: Dawn of Goodbye
by Lewis J Whittington
No lyrics necessary. The black and white cover photos of Dominick Farinacci's Dawn of Goodbye evokes the early 1960s, but the trumpeter is not just striking a pose. He may only be 28, but the tone of his trumpet is that of a multi-era jazz soul. Farinacci's concept for this collection, sans lyrics, is an instrumental narrative collection of standards that tell bittersweet love stories, and it displays an understated theatricality--from show-stopping to back alley film noir. ...
read morePeter Nero/Philly POPS, with Ann Hampton Callaway, February 6, 2011
by Lewis J Whittington
Peter Nero and the Philly POPS with Ann Hampton CallawaySingin' & Swingin'Kimmel Center Verizon HallPhiladelphiaFebruary 6, 2011 Peter Nero is so charming a bandleader for the Philly POPS that he could easily get away with phoning the music in, but with the pianist/conductor, that is never the case. The POPS' unique turf of symphonic jazz and big-band swing was on ample display at its Singin' & Swingin' concert, headlined by vocalist Ann Hampton ...
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