Jazz Articles
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Jennifer Leitham: Remnants of Humanity
by Jack Bowers
Jennifer Leitham, already known as one of the most accomplished bassists on the West Coast (as well as other precincts spanning the globe), spreads her wings, so to speak, on Remnants of Humanity, singing on seven numbers as well as playing her usual assertive upright bass most of the way. As a singer and musician, Leitham has plenty to say, addressing, as she writes, the need for outcry against injustice and the cruelty being done in the name of the ...
read moreJennifer Leitham: Mood (S)wings
by Jack Bowers
One of the rules of thumb in jazz is that hardly anyone ever looks forward to a bass solo. Rules, however, were made to be broken, and a case in point is multi-talented Jennifer Leitham whose solos on Mood (S)wings are nimble, well-crafted and consistently engaging--in other words, worth looking forward to. Not that anything less would be expected from someone who has been at the top of her game for more nearly four decades and performed with a who's ...
read moreJennifer Leitham: Future Christmas
by Jack Bowers
The spirit of Christmas past, present and future overspreads this charming holiday album by virtuosic bassist Jennifer Leitham's working trio (Andy Langham, piano; Randy Drake, drums) on which she offsets a program comprised mainly of established seasonal favorites with some tantalizing curves (for example, her own Future Christmas," a.k.a The Global Warming Winter Holiday Blues," or Bob Dorough's clever Blue Christmas" --not to be confused with Elvis Presley's version from the '50s). Such uncommon departures seem only proper, as there ...
read moreJennifer Leitham: The Real Me
by Jack Bowers
Those who know Jennifer Leitham best will most appreciate the title of The Real Me. Others need know only that she is a terrific bassist--and not a bad singer either.
The album is comprised entirely of Leitham's invariably charming compositions, and much of it is performed by her trio with pianist Josh Nelson and drummer Randy Drake, which has been a working unit for several years. The exceptions are Keni's Song, a vibrant solo vehicle for Leitham; Riff Raff, on ...
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