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Brad Turner Quintet: The Magnificent
by Jack Bowers
If the title of Canadian trumpeter Brad Turner's latest album, The Magnificent, sounds a trifle self-absorbed, rest assured it does not refer to him but to another “magnificent" horn player, the late Thad Jones. The honorific, however, would not be unwisely used if applied to Turner himself, who not only excels on the trumpet but also plays tasteful piano and wrote every one of the album's generally engaging themes. Although the group is listed on the album ...
Continue ReadingIvan Lins, Donald Harrison & Brad Turner
by Joe Dimino
We begin the 821st Episode of Neon Jazz with multi-instrumentalist Brad Turner and music from his 2023 release The Magnificent. That tune kicks off a full hour of music dedicated to the new jazz. From there, we hear from Kurt Elling, Donald Harrison, Ron Blake and Ivan Lins. We complete the circle with Jon-Erik Kellso live at The Ear Inn. We also give a very special shout out to MLB legend Dwight “Doc" Gooden. Dig the jazz and baseball, my ...
Continue ReadingDaniel Hersog Jazz Orchestra: Open Spaces
by Jerome Wilson
The subtitle of this album is “Folk Songs Reimagined" and Daniel Hersog uses a very liberal meaning for the term “folk song" here. He includes traditional folk songs on this album, in addition to familiar tunes by Bob Dylan and Gordon Lightfoot and his own folk-based compositions. All are given a glistening polish in the sweeping cinematic arrangements which he writes for his orchestra, and are further enhanced by excellent solo work from a number of musicians. Hersog's ...
Continue ReadingBrad Turner Quintet: The Magnificent
by Pierre Giroux
Brad Turner's album The Magnificent is a sonic gem on which he invites listeners on a musical journey which effortlessly balances tradition and innovation. Comprising a wish-list of stellar musicians, including guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist Neil Swainson, drummer Quincy Davis and, on four tracks, tenor saxophonist Cory Weeds, the band gathered together to record a session to breathe life into nine Turner compositions. The opening track is “You're OK," in which Turner's trumpet takes center stage ...
Continue ReadingDaniel Hersog: Open Spaces
by Jack Bowers
Locked down and socially distanced during the pandemic, composer-arranger Daniel Hersog had an interesting idea: rearrange some well-known and well-loved folk songs, most with Canadian roots, for jazz orchestra and throw in a handful of his own original compositions with a folk-tune ambience. The result is Open Spaces: Folk Songs Reimagined, the sophomore album by Hersog's Vancouver-based ensemble. As on his debut recording, Night Devoid of Stars (Cellar Music, 2020), Hersog welcomes a number of talented guest ...
Continue ReadingNeil Swainson: Fire In The West
by Jack Bowers
It's hard to believe that 35 years have flown by between the release of bassist Neil Swainson's debut album, 49th Parallel (Concord Jazz), and his second, Fire in the West, recorded in November 2021 and released nine months later. But Swainson was hardly in hibernation during those years, as he has been one of Canada's busiest and most sought-after sidemen, traveling the world while working with the likes of George Shearing, Woody Shaw, Marian McPartland, Sonny Stitt, Slide Hampton, James ...
Continue ReadingDavid Blake: Fun House
by Jack Bowers
David Blake and his teammates are definitely having a good time on Fun House, the Vancouver, Canada-based guitarist's third recording as leader, as their energy and enthusiasm flow through the speakers. This is Blake's first album in a setting other than a trio, as he shares the front line here with trumpeter Thad Bailey-Mai and has added pianist Brad Turner to complement bassist Conrad Good and drummer Bernie Arai. Blake wrote all but two of the session's ...
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