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Mike LeDonne's Groover Quartet: Turn It Up!
by Jack Bowers
Turn It Up!, the latest recording by organist Mike LeDonne's superb and long-lived Groover Quartet, is actually a two- CD set that reprises concert sessions recorded twenty years apart--the first, You'll See! (Cellar Records, 2004) in Vancouver's now- defunct Cellar Jazz Club, the second,Turn It Up!, in 2024 at Ken Kitchings' The Side Door in Old Lyme, Connecticut. It is hard to say what is most remarkable about the concerts: that the group has preserved its uncommon mastery and rapport ...
Continue ReadingAnaïs Reno: Lady of the Lavender Mist
by Pierre Giroux
Anaïs Reno continues to strengthen her reputation among the top young interpreters of the Great American Songbook with her album Lady of the Lavender Mist. Four years after her debut, Reno returns with greater vocal maturity, deeper interpretive insights, and support from a seasoned rhythm section featuring guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist David Wong and drummer Joe Farnsworth. This ensemble grounds the project in classic jazz values while allowing her plenty of space to shine as she performs a set of ...
Continue ReadingMelvin Rhyne: Classmasters
by C. Andrew Hovan
While it's an easy task to designate any number of Hammond B-3 organ players who have quickly fallen under the spell of innovator Jimmy Smith, it's not as simple to inventory the few individuals who've avoided Smith's overpowering influence to develop a sound and manner of their own. Melvin Rhyne is one who managed to carve a niche for himself during the '60s with a much lighter and less bombastic approach, around during the heydays as a member of Wes ...
Continue ReadingRalph Bowen: Five
by C. Andrew Hovan
Although he's better known in educational circles due to his solid commitment to jazz pedagogy as a member of the faculty at Rutgers University, Ralph Bowen has been a vital member of the jazz community since debuting with the group Out of the Blue back in the mid '80s. His adaptability to a diversity of musical situations has made him a valuable sideman over the years, although the opportunities for Bowen to call the shots as a leader have not ...
Continue ReadingMike LeDonne: Wonderful!
by Jack Bowers
Organist Mike LeDonne's latest recording, Wonderful!, is a labor of love on several levels. Of course, there is love of the music and love of accomplishing something that had not been done before--teaming a gospel choir with jazz quartet. Above all else, there is love for LeDonne's wife, Margaret, and daughter Mary who is disabled but, as LeDonne says, is nonetheless “truly wonderful." LeDonne wrote the album's title song for Mary, wherein he compares her to “a ...
Continue ReadingA Conversation with Peter Bernstein
by David Bixler
The week of March 5 guitarist Peter Bernstein brings a quartet to the Village Vanguard in New York City that includes pianist Sullivan Fortner, bassist Doug Weiss, and the iconic drummer Al Foster. In this episode of LINER NOTES Peter expresses a genuine gratitude for being able to play music. He also offers insights on how he personally approaches this music as a guitarist, sharing valuable lessons learned from his legendary teachers Gene Bertoncini, Ted Dunbar, and Jim Hall.
Continue ReadingMike LeDonne: Wonderful!
by Pierre Giroux
In jazz's rich tapestry, where tradition meets innovations, there emerged a convergence exemplified by the present release Wonderful! with the virtuosic Mike LeDonne's Groover Quartet + Gospel Choir, who embark on a transcendent journey into the heart of gospel- infused jazz. The project is informed by LeDonne's desire to offer a heartfelt tribute to his wife Margaret and daughter Mary to showcase the spirited and varied nature of the disability community. Participating in this harmonious affair are the long-time members ...
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