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The Jeff Hamilton Trio: Symbiosis
by AAJ Italy Staff
Con un pò di impegno si riesce a dare un pó di luce propria anche ad una formazione, quella del trio pianistico, in cui, specie sugli standards, non si sa bene che cosa dire che non sia stato detto. Spesso si copia il modello di successo, oppure si fanno operazioni filologiche, o si tira fuori un'atmosfera da jam session che su disco si fa ascoltare distrattamente. Questa volta il leader è il batterista, che fa molto bene il proprio lavoro, ...
Continue ReadingThe Jeff Hamilton Trio: Symbiosis
by Jerry D'Souza
Jeff Hamilton's presence as a drummer is pervasive both with his trio and as part of the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra which he co-leads with bassist John Clayton. Hamilton's reach as a drummer goes well beyond these two outfits, his history as a musician complementing Oscar Peterson, Warren Vache, and Phil Upchurch among others. Style and approach may have differed, but Hamilton let his drums signal captivating rhythmic signposts.
The trio setting is a compact one. The interaction between ...
Continue ReadingJackie Ryan: You and the Night and the Music
by Joel Roberts
San Francisco-based chanteuse Jackie Ryan has a smoky contralto, an impressively wide vocal range and an actress' flair for delivering dramatic lyrics. That adds up to a winning combination on this collection of love songs. Backed by a top-notch trio of Los Angeles musicians, Ryan delivers straight-ahead performances of 14 mostly familiar romantic tunes. She shows she can swing hard on Cole Porter's “You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," sing with deep feeling on a ...
Continue ReadingJackie Ryan: You and the Night and the Music
by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
On most vocal recordings, singers are accompanied by their usual band, perhaps with a famous guest sitting in for a track or two. If the singer and band are good, the result is pleasing--but when the singer is excellent, the band is a crackling, long-term trio on its own, and the guest is a legend, it vaults the whole enterprise into an altogether different category.
All of these elements are here, on Jackie Ryan's third release for Open ...
Continue ReadingJeff Hamilton: Sound Painter
by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
If Jeff Hamilton isn't the world's greatest living drummer, he's on the short list for coronation. For the past five years, he's been in Modern Drummer's top five (#1 in 2004 and 2006), and was #4 in the most recent Jazz Times readers' poll. Whether you think such polls reflect true quality or just recent visibility, the undeniable fact is that Hamilton is a reliably creative, classy and swinging drummer whose live shows contain a nearly balletic grace that few ...
Continue ReadingJeff Hamilton Trio: From Studio 4, Cologne, Germany
by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
This disc was recorded in a hurry. Wolfgang Hirschmann, the legendary recording engineer of the WDR Big Band in Cologne, expressed a wish to record the Jeff Hamilton Trio before his imminent retirement. This meant the group had about two months to come up with a final set list and arrangements in the midst of a packed gigging schedule--a challenge these three pros brilliantly met, as the recording demonstrates. And it was clearly worth the rush, since the recording has ...
Continue ReadingJeff Hamilton Trio: The Best Things Happen...
by Dr. Judith Schlesinger
The Best Things Happen' when you listen to Jeff Hamilton. He's universally acknowledged as one of the greatest drummers in jazz, whether he's swinging the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra or waking up a famous ghost band by sitting in--I witnessed that once, and the before/after difference was stunning. Unmatched for chops, ears, and flair, Hamilton has led his own trio for nine years. Previously with the superb Larry Fuller and maestro Lynn Seaton, it now contains players who all live in ...
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