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Joe Sample & the NDR Big Band Orchestra: Children of the Sun
by Jack Bowers
Toward the end of his remarkable career, the late pianist Joe Sample (he died on September 12, 2014) traveled to Hamburg, Germany, to record Children of the Sun, a suite of his own music, with the splendid NDR Big Band. The eleven compositions were inspired by Sample's appearance at the 1995 St. Croix Jazz Festival, where he weighed the beauty of that island paradise against the brutality of slavery (17th Century St. Croix was a crucial part of what is ...
read moreRandy Crawford and Joe Sample: Live
by Jeff Winbush
It's a slight exaggeration to say that keyboardist Joe Sample rescued Randy Crawford from pop music limbo, but it's not too far from the truth. Crawford is among the most distinct vocalists working, but her discography is riddled with over-arranged and over-produced disappointments. One of her finest moments remains when The Crusaders dropped all 11 minutes of “Street Life" on radio airwaves in 1979, featuring Crawford belting it out.Some 27 years would pass Sample and Crawford before they ...
read moreRandy Crawford and Joe Sample: Feeling Good
by Jeff Winbush
The dilemma for an artist of vocalist Randy Crawford's caliber is that, when you do a lot of things well; it's hard to say what it is you do best. Crawford has been making music since 1976 and, in that time, she's made some good albums, a lot of mediocre ones and a few awful ones.Even her best-known song is only as a guest vocalist on The Crusaders' “Street Life," their last moment of greatness almost thirty years ...
read moreJoe Sample featuring Lalah Hathaway: The Song Lives On
by Dave Hughes
Joe Sample's latest release, The Song Lives On , is appropriately titled. One of the CD's finest attributes is the excellent song selection. The Peggy Lee classic "Fever" is tastefully covered here, and Sample's own "Street Life" is reprised again, but the remainder of the program is new, at least to my ears. Most of the tunes establish an emotional connection with the listener; they're beautiful, pensive, soulful, and often introspective. Titles such as "Living in Blue," "When ...
read moreJoe Sample featuring Lalah Hathaway: The Song Lives On
by Dave Hughes
Joe Sample’s latest release, The Song Lives On , is appropriately titled. One of the CD’s finest attributes is the excellent song selection. The Peggy Lee classic "Fever" is tastefully covered here, and Sample’s own "Street Life" is reprised again, but the remainder of the program is new, at least to my ears. Most of the tunes establish an emotional connection with the listener; they’re beautiful, pensive, soulful, and often introspective. Titles such as "Living in Blue," "When ...
read moreMarcus Miller: Live and More
by John Sharpe
Contemporary session ace Mark Miller has been involved with some very high profile jazz folks over the past 20 years. Miles Davis utilized his talents to put a high gloss sheen on his fusion efforts of the late 80's. Surprisingly, Miller has released very few albums as a leader. Live and More treats his fans to 10 cuts of funky jazz/rock highlighted by Miller's slappin' bass lines. Two of the tracks were done in the studio with the remainder recorded ...
read moreMarcus Miller: Live and More
by Christopher Hoard
There's no doubting Marcus Miller's “behind-the-scenes" role as the leading stylist in the commercial, contemporary jazz of the 80s and 90s. Behind his influential presence as both a bassist and producer trails an impressive resume of studio works, often perfected to a fault. Marcus Miller is the definition of success during the past decade of contemporary jazz. Miller's unique stamp and collaborations on the past decade's recordings by legends and stars range from Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, The Crusaders, Aretha ...
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