Jazz Articles

Vernelle Anders: At Last

by Dave Nathan
August 1, 2001

Vernelle Anders is no newcomer to the vocal scene having performed for many years in Alaska, Hawaii and at various West Coast venues. Her soulful and on point vocalizing reflects the years of working in a variety of settings at a variety of locales. Not that there is cloying hand wringing, but instead a sense of I've been there and done that. Although the musical list is comprised mostly of standards, Anders is comfortable taking on the Motown classic “Neither ...

Walter Savage: Soothes the Savage Beast

by Dave Nathan
July 1, 2001

Walter Savage is another artist from San Francisco's large and active jazz community. A bassist of considerable talent, this album debuts him as a leader. The CD cover is a picture of a Savage. But the music is anything but brutish. The play list of compositions by Savage runs the gamut from mainstream jazz such as “Cah La La La La La" through the exotic “Thai Forest" to the very modern sounding “Morning Bird". It's this track as much as ...

Jazz Philosophy: Jazz Philosophy

by Dave Nathan
July 1, 2001

Jazz Philosophy is not the musical expression of the intellectual concept of Mahanaim Satya as to the direction jazz should take, it's meaning or anything so heavy. Rather it's the name of his group who join him to perform a mixed play list of Satya originals and existing material. The pianist also has another small group called the Rhythm Section with whom he regularly performs and records. A lot of activity for someone who stayed away from jazz for about ...

The Jim Burke Trio: Hands On

by Dave Nathan
July 1, 2001

Although a native New Yorker, it was in Chicago that Jim Burke honed his pianistic skills playing with the likes of violinist Johnny Frigo and others. Moving to San Francisco in 1982, he quickly made a name in that city's jazz community. This inaugural CD is a stage for his stylish elegance as the music flows from his piano like a rippling stream, clean, bright and breathtakingly beautiful. No matter the genre or tempo, whether the blues as on Ahmad ...

Bryce Rohde Duo Featuring Bruce Cale: Always Come Back Here

by Dave Nathan
July 1, 2001

Piano/bass duos are not all that common in jazz. There needs to be both a musical and mental symmetry between the players to make this low decibel performance work. Some of the more notable combinations include Art Hodes/Milt Hinton, Roger Kellaway/Red Mitchell and the classic This One's for Blanton uniting Duke Ellington and Ray Brown. Australians Byrce Rohde and Bruce Cale, with this duo album, can demand to be admitted into that august company. That these two have previously been ...

Ellis Marsalis: Afternoon Session

by Dave Nathan
July 1, 2001

The circumstances surrounding this session which took place more than 30 years ago are illuminating. Drummer Lee Charlton struck up a friendship with Ellis Marsalis, patriarch of the famous jazz family, while in New Orleans. In 1968, Marsalis notified Charlton he was coming to Nevada with New Orleans trumpeter Al Hirt's band. Marsalis and three other members of the Hirt outfit collaborated with Charlton to record a tape which gathered dust until last year when it was released.

The music ...

Mahanaim Satya/Art Hirahara/Alan U'ren: The Rhythm Section

by Dave Nathan
June 1, 2001

Leader and bassist Mahanaim Satya pays tribute to rhythm section jazz giants of the 1960s and beyond with these two volumes. The trio is patterned after the rhythm sections that were crucial to the music being played during this era by John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Wayne Shorter. Thus, Wynton Kelly, McCoy Tyner, Philly Jo Jones, Elvin Jones, Paul Chambers and those other rhythm section players who were major players in the bop, and post bop/impressionistic eras get honored. On ...

John Mackay: Peaced Heart and Often Grin

by Dave Nathan
June 1, 2001

John Mackay came to the Napa Valley and Sonoma wine countries of California via Toronto, New York and Boston. In addition to jazz, Mackay has written choral works and is currently immersed in Indian music and instruments. This album is dedicated to Sri Sri Bhagavan who has the title of Divine World Teacher. The six Mackay originals on the album find their roots in Bhagavan's teaching. If the music is any indication, serenity is an important part of the man's ...

David Watson: Imprisoned Splendor

by Jack Bowers
April 1, 1999

Although David Watson performs with smaller groups on Imprisoned Splendor, one can easily envision him singing in front of a big band in the manner of his role model, the incomparable Joe Williams. He has the same earnest approach to a lyric and flawless sense of swing, but without the dark burnished voice or spark of individuality that made Williams instantly recognizable and secured his reputation as one of the foremost Jazz/blues singers of our time. That’s no putdown; there’s ...