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Jazz Articles about Mike LeDonne

41
Album Review

Mike Clark, Leon Lee Dorsey: Blues on Top

Read "Blues on Top" reviewed by Jack Bowers


While drummer Mike Clark and bassist Leon Lee Dorsey are the nominal leaders on Blues on Top, the album's subtitle —"featuring Mike LeDonne"—speaks volumes about its import and rationale. Without LeDonne at the keyboard, Clark and Dorsey would have to amplify their rhythmic talents to compensate for the absence of a secure melodic presence. Luckily, they don't have to as LeDonne is more than happy to shoulder that responsibility, leaving his teammates free to do what they do best --fill ...

20
Album Review

Mike LeDonne: It's All Your Fault

Read "It's All Your Fault" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Even though listed on only four tracks, organist Mike LeDonne's superlative Groover Quartet performs on every one of the nine selections on LeDonne's admirable new recording, It's All Your Fault--and that's a good thing, as each member of the quartet (LeDonne, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, guitarist Peter Bernstein, drummer Joe Farnsworth) is an accomplished soloist and ardent team player. On the album's remaining tracks, the quartet is assimilated into LeDonne's seventeen- member big band, a taut and high-powered unit that ...

6
Album Review

Cory Weeds: O Sole Mio! Music From The Motherland

Read "O Sole Mio! Music From The Motherland" reviewed by Jack Bowers


O Sole Mio!, the latest in a series of splendid albums by Canadian-bred saxophonist/entrepreneur Cory Weeds, is subtitled “Music from the Motherland"-- in other words, Italy, which, presumably, is Woods' ancestral home. Whatever the case, Woods' blue-chip quintet focuses for the most part on music born in Italy or written by Italian-Americans including Henry Mancini, Nino Rota, Pat Martino, Chick Corea and Dodo Marmarosa. To allay any doubt that all would go well, Weeds invited the superlative tenor saxophonist Eric ...

1
Album Review

Cory Weeds: O Sole Mio! Music From The Motherland

Read "O Sole Mio! Music From The Motherland" reviewed by Pierre Giroux


Even in these trying and uncertain times, there are some professional creative artists who recognize the need to “carry on" and make the best of a bad situation. Saxophonist Cory Weeds is one of those individuals. He is releasing O Sole Mio! Music From The Motherland on his own label, CellarMusic. Weeds has merged his talents as an alto saxophonist with Mike LeDonne's Groover Quartet featuring LeDonne on Hammond B3 organ, Eric Alexander on tenor saxophone, Peter Bernstein on guitar ...

9
Album Review

The New York All-Stars: Live Encounter

Read "Live Encounter" reviewed by Chris May


Some things live forever and take-no-quarter hard bop is one of them... If you time travelled back to jny: New York City circa 1958 and wandered into the Half Note or Five Spot, Live Encounter contains the sort of music you might have heard. Tough, emotionally-rich jazz with no-fuss head arrangements, extrovert horn solos and a propulsive rhythm section. The album, recorded at jny:London's Pizza Express Jazz Club in 2018, will appeal to anyone who keeps their Hank Mobley and ...

2
Radio & Podcasts

Mike LeDonne & Vincent Herring Quartet Live at BIMHUIS Amsterdam

Read "Mike LeDonne & Vincent Herring Quartet Live at BIMHUIS Amsterdam" reviewed by BIMHUIS


Superior groove jazz by the well-established Hammond B3-organist Mike LeDonne and saxophonist Vincent Herring. Mike LeDonne has made his mark alongside jazz giants such as Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman and Sonny Rollins. Alto saxophonist Vincent Herring came up in Horace Silver's band and is regarded as one of the most important successors of Charlie Parker and Julian “Cannonball" Adderley. Following his jazz guitar studies in the US, Martien Oster has played with outstanding performers such as Larry Coryell ...

3
Album Review

Tony Adamo: Was Out Jazz Zone Mad

Read "Was Out Jazz Zone Mad" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello


The translation of “Adam" from Hebrew--from which the surname Adamo springs--means from the “ground" or “soil." It also derives from the Hebrew word for red, a la “red clay." Perhaps that is why any work from Tony Adamo is rare earth--gritty, and flaming crimson. Was Out Jazz Zone Mad Adamo's latest, his first for Ropeadope, is all of those things and more.Adamo is the Heavyweight Champion of “hipspokenword," wherein lingo meets vocalizing at the corner of jazz and ...


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