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Randy Brecker and Eric Marienthal: Double Dealin'
by Jim Worsley
It can be difficult for two giants to share space without colliding into each other. It alternatively can be a bold mix of dynamic forces. Double Dealin' (Shanachie, 2020) robustly falls into the second category. It took many years for Randy Brecker and Eric Marienthal to finally find the right project to come together on. The long wait is rewarded with energetic performances in this funk and groove extravaganza. The title track kicks the record off with more ...
Continue ReadingRandy Brecker & Eric Marienthal: Aces
by Jim Worsley
Randy Brecker certainly needs no introduction. Neither does Eric Marienthal. But the fact that they have joined forces on a new record is something to talk about. That's exactly what we did, and then some. We went deep into the record, when we weren't busy having a laugh or two. Then there were memories of Michael Brecker and a glorious time past. My gratitude to them both for this fun and enlightening conversation. I hope you enjoy it as much ...
Continue ReadingAl Di Meola: Across the Universe
by Doug Collette
Al Di Meola's Across The Universe reaffirms how ideally the music of the Beatles translates into the eclectic style he forged early in his career. It's not as if the multi-instrumentalist/composer hadn't already made the point with All Your Life (inakustik, 2013), but this second, similarly conceived album is not only worth savoring repeatedly on its own terms, but as a reliable point of departure to rediscover both the source material and Di Meola's own discography. The mix ...
Continue ReadingSilvio Amato: Variations Of Relevance
by Jim Worsley
Silvio Amato has a well-established career as a composer, arranger, and film scorer. Amongst other projects, the Italian-born pianist has written soundtracks for major motion pictures, a multitude of pieces for children's television programming, theme songs for a variety of television shows, and has been highly successful with ice ballets. His compositions for Peter Pan, Snow White, and Beauty and the Beast have been taken to the ice all over Europe. He has also composed pop music. Coupled with a ...
Continue ReadingTom Kennedy: Stories
by Jim Worsley
It's commonplace that an artist will have a concept or theme in mind when starting a record project. To build from the ground up without any preconceptions could be a recipe for a disaster. However, if it didn't crash and burn and, in fact, went the other direction, the possibilities then become infinite. With no boundaries and nothing to be tethered to, the sky's the limit. Tom Kennedy boldly took that approach to his new record. He took flight with ...
Continue ReadingRandy Brecker: Rocks
by Angelo Leonardi
A 73 anni Randy Brecker rilegge il repertorio dei Brecker Brothers con l'esuberanza di quando ne aveva trenta. Il risultato è un album ricco di tensione, pur senza la presenza del grande Michael, scomparso dodici anni fa. Il coinvolgimento di quella perfetta macchina di suoni che è la NDR Big Band e la presenza dei sassofonisti David Sanborn e Ada Rovatti rende quell'assenza sopportabile. Cinque delle nove tracce appartengono al repertorio storico dei Brecker Brothers, tre ("First Tune ...
Continue ReadingSteve Khan: Patchwork
by John Kelman
Amongst the many myths out there about music-making—especially in jazz, where the improvisation quotient is often so high—is that composing may, indeed, be work, but doesn't require the kind of relentless attention to detail that far more truthfully defines how many artists write and arrange their music. These days, one need only look to music by artists including Pat Metheny, Antonio Sanchez and Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah to find music conceived with intimate and painstaking detail while, at the same ...
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