Jazz Articles
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Jeff King: Catalyst
by Jerry D'Souza
Saxophonist/woodwind multi-instrumentalist Jeff King has made Toronto his home from the time he came to the city to study jazz, after graduating in classical saxophone, flute and clarinet. Over the years, he has formed his own band and performed with several jazz musicians including a host of Canadians, some of whom are his accomplices on Catalyst. King couldn't have chosen better for his debut recording; each musicians is a luminary in his own right, and brings a lucid and luminescent ...
Continue Reading...Zeno de Rossi / Shtik: The Manne I Love! (Vol. 1 & Vol. 2)
by Mark Corroto
Drummer Zeno De Rossi's tribute to the late Shelly Manne covers the valiant west coast drummer's contributions from swing to bebop, and from soundtracks to Frank Zappa. Recorded over a two-year period, this double-disc set incorporates varying ensembles and diverse styles into an inexhaustible homage to a neglected jazz hero. Shtik'sprevious release--Me'or 'Einayim (El Gallo Rojo, 2007)--combined Rossi's two loves: jazz and Jewish music, not unlike the NY Downtown crowd. Here his group covers both Manne compositions and ...
Continue Reading...Doug Wamble: A New Direction
by Matthew Warnock
It's never easy for an established artist to make a change in their musical output mid-career, especially if up until that point they have made a name for themselves in the realm of traditional jazz. While some of these artists make a switch because for monetary reasons or to reach a wider audience, others are drawn to a new and exciting sound that they feel the need to explore further and share with their fans, both old and new.
Continue Reading...Dan Bilawsky's Best Releases of 2010
by Dan Bilawsky
As 2010 draws to a close, I am taking this opportunity to look back at some of the new, standout recordings I've encountered over the course of the year. Some of my new favorites--like Paul Motian's Lost In A Dream (ECM, 2010), the new three-disc collection from the SFJazz Collective, and People Time: The Complete Recordings (Sunnyside, 2010), from Stan Getz and Kenny Barron--spent a good deal of time in my CD player, but never made it into my review ...
Continue Reading...Dan Block: From His World To Mine: Dan Block Plays The Music Of Duke Ellington
by Bruce Lindsay
Dan Block is an exceptionally talented reed player, a stylish arranger and composer, a skilful bandleader and a valued sideman. He's worked with Michael Feinstein, Rosemary Clooney and Clark Terry, among others, and has also performed for Broadway shows and Hollywood movies, but he has never achieved the widespread recognition his talent deserves. From His World To Mine: Dan Block Plays The Music Of Duke Ellington should change that. It is, quite simply, gorgeous. Block has drawn ...
Continue Reading...Denise Donatelli: When Lights are Low
by Edward Blanco
Commanding a soothing, lush voice capable of tenderizing the lyrics of any song, Denise Donatelli does a wonderful job on When Light are Low, a collaboration with friend and musical director Geoffrey Keezer. The album has received two Grammy nominations, one of which is for “Best Vocal Jazz Album," leaving no doubt that this is indeed an exceptional recording. The other Grammy nod is for “Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying A Vocalist," for Keezer's arrangement of Billie Holiday's classic, “Don't Explain."
Continue Reading...Quest: Re-Dial: Live in Hamburg
by John Kelman
The new millennium seems to be a time when groups are reuniting, sometimes to even greater acclaim than they achieved the first time around. It's also a time when aging jazz musicians are lighting a fire under their own careers, ramping up their output and broadening their reach. Saxophonist Dave Liebman's activity in the past year has been almost beyond belief, closing in on a dozen as a leader and co-leader, as well as a couple of important reissues. One ...
Continue Reading...George Duke: Facing the Music
by Jeff Winbush
In jazz, there are two seminal figures called “Duke." For Edward Kennedy Ellington, “Duke" was a nickname. For George Duke, it is his surname, but the similarities with Duke Ellington don't end there. As a pianist, arranger, songwriter, bandleader and composer, George Duke has solidified his reputation as one of jazz's most important figures. Also a bold innovator who isn't afraid to confound admirers and critics alike, Duke dived headfirst into funk with his irresistible hit “Reach For It," an ...
Continue Reading...Bruce Lindsay's Best Releases of 2010
by Bruce Lindsay
Like most people, I love a good list. But the act of compilation isn't easy. I have no idea of the criteria by which a collection of tunes on a CD can be judged to be The Best. Even if I had, the simple fact that I haven't heard every new jazz CD released in 2010 renders futile any attempt at a “Best Of" list. So I present absolutely no objective evidence in support of the following ten albums: just ...
Continue Reading...George Duke: Deja Vu
by Jeff Winbush
George Duke's Deja Vu should win the 2010 Truth in Advertising award, because it will sound familiar to anyone who following the keyboard virtuoso's 40-year career. Duke, however, doesn't recycle riffs wholesale from his repertoire, as he did on 2008's tepid Dukey Treats (Heads Up); instead, he pulls back from trying to recapture past funk glories with more consistently satisfying results, sounding more relaxed--and, perhaps, having a bit more fun.As a musician and producer, Duke has accomplished too ...
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