Jazz Articles about John Hart

John Hart: Standards: Green and Blue

by Ken Dryden
November 29, 2006

Guitarist John Hart adds vibraphonist Joe Locke for this valuable studio quartet date that's focused primarily on standards, but with a fresh look.

They transform “Lazy Afternoon from a subtle ballad into a snappy mid-tempo post bop vehicle, with lively soloing by the two players. Bassist Bill Moring's sinewy new bass line and a change to a minor key slightly alter the character of the timeless ballad “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans, while the piece ...

The John Hart Trio: Indivisible

by John Kelman
December 4, 2004

It's unfortunate that certain guitarists are so pervasive that others are inevitably assessed in comparison. Play with a certain Midwestern sensibility and warm tone and images of Pat Metheny abound. Add a little distortion and some blue notes and John Scofield is almost sure to be cited. Incorporate some quirky Americana leanings and Bill Frisell will certainly be mentioned. Economy and concision yield unavoidable comparisons to Jim Hall. And from a critical perspective, such comparisons aren't necessarily a bad thing--after ...

David Bixler: Show Me The Justice

by John Kelman
December 11, 2003

While not exactly breaking new ground, alto saxophonist David Bixler delivers a set of seven clever original compositions on Show Me The Justice. With a front line including guitarist John Hart and trumpeter Scott Wendholt, and a rhythm section including bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Andy Watson, Bixler examines the nooks and crannies of the post-bop tradition with a style that is spare and economical.

There is, in fact, a certain sense of directness about the whole recording. The New ...

David Bixler: Show Me The Justice

by Norman Weinstein
November 24, 2003

There is more than a hint of the late '60s Blue Note sound to this album, resembling in atmosphere something like an obscure Joe Henderson session. Alto saxophonist David Bixler doesn't sound self-consciously retro, make no mistake about that. He has an individual sound and lots of complex ideas, but his quintet, as well as his seven original compositions, sounds strongly colored by that label's '60s bop proclivities. Bixler has made a name for himself as a ...

John Hart: Scenes From A Song

by Bill Donaldson
August 1, 2001

You can't keep a good guitarist down for long, in spite of the vagaries of the recording industry. John Hart, who has gained attention for his individualistic approach on a series of Blue Note and Concord releases in the past dozen years, has jumped to the HepJazz label, thereby extending his stream of self-assured and musically mature recordings. As one listens to the progression of Hart's work, it becomes evident that he has grown even as he presents a signature ...

Mary Pearson: You and I

by Dave Hughes
September 1, 2000

Vocalist Mary Pearson's CD You and I is interesting in that each song is a duet in which she is accompanied by a lone instrument. It may be a piano (Lynne Arriale on four tunes, Fred Hersch on two), a guitar, a bass, or on two tunes, drums. While Pearson doesn't delve into scat singing or daring improvizational flights, her interpretations, phrasing, and articulation are excellent. Of the dozen tunes on the program, nine are standards and three are very ...

Mary Pearson: You and I

by Dave Nathan
July 1, 2000

When Nashville is mentioned, jazz, especially jazz vocalizing, is not the first thing that comes to mind - - in fact, it's likely to come to mind at all for most. Pearson comes from and works out of the country musical capitol of the world, and has been doing so for some time now. With this her first album, she may be driving a small wedge in the monopoly country music enjoys in that city.

There's no ensemble playing on ...