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John Hasselback III: Entrance
by Jack Bowers
Entrance, New York-based trumpeter John Hasselback III's debut recording, is basically a quintet date on which Hasselback shares the front line on four tracks each with saxophonist Wayne Escoffery or trombonist Steve Davis. If one is known by the company he keeps, that's a rather persuasive frame of reference. Hasselback wrote every number save one, the standard “Body and Soul," showing from start to finish a keen ear for enticing bop-inspired melodies and rhythms. He plays as he writes, laying ...
Continue ReadingSteve Davis, Paul Desmond & Walt Weiskopf
by Joe Dimino
We begin the 684th Episode of Neon Jazz with veteran jazz trombonist Steve Davis and follow that up with a song by his mentor Jackie McLean. Quite a bit of music came out during 2020 and that trend continues into 2021. We look back at music released by Walt Weiskopf, Joshua Redman and Andrea Brachfeld in 2020. Then we look into the current wave of new music this year with Cory Weeds and Mike Casey. We also say good-bye to ...
Continue ReadingAdam Shulman Septet: West Meets East
by Jack Bowers
The “west" here is represented by San Francisco-based pianist and group leader Adam Shulman, the “east" by the other half-dozen members of Shulman's impressive septet. Even though the reasons that led to the alliance are ambiguous, what matters is the payoff, and that is more than admirable from any vantage point. As if to mirror the ensemble's six-and-one makeup, Shulman wrote six of the album's seven engaging numbers; the seventh (the rapid-fire “Whose Blues") was composed by ...
Continue ReadingRalph Peterson & the Messenger Legacy: Onward & Upward
by Paul Rauch
Generally speaking, legacy bands are created to preserve the music of an artist. They feature innovative interpretations of an artist's compositions or past performances to share with future generations of listeners. In the case of drummer Ralph Peterson, his ambitious efforts to honor the continuum of his mentor Art Blakey are forward thinking, about a collective gathering of resources that stress creative thought and individuality. Just as the true legacy of the Jazz Messengers portends, contributors are charged with replenishing ...
Continue ReadingTony Davis: Golden Year
by Kyle Simpler
Tony Davis definitely knows how to get things done. At 25, he has already earned a Master's Degree and is involved in musical education. He has played and recorded with some of the most notable jazz musicians around, including the group, Works for Me. With Golden Year, his first solo album, Davis captures the energy of his recent experiences and transforms it into an exciting musical offering. This record not only showcases Davis' talent as a guitarist and composer, but ...
Continue ReadingSteve Davis at the Attucks Jazz Club
by Mark Robbins
Jackie McLean nicknamed trombonist Steve Davis Stevie-D. McLean got him his first major gig in New York with Art Blakey and Davis hasn't slowed down yet. With 20 albums as leader and over 100 as sideman to such giants as Chick Corea, Horace Silver, Jackie McLean, Freddie Hubbard, and too many more to mention, his performance at Norfolk, Virginia's Attucks Jazz Club was welcomed by a sold out house eager to hear this great player. Backed by the John Toomey ...
Continue ReadingChristian McBride: The Movement Revisited
by Chris May
The spring 2020 release of The Movement Revisited: A Musical Portrait Of Four Icons is the latest chapter in Christian McBride's inspirational salute to the African American civil rights movement and to four of its heroes: Dr. Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, Malcolm X and Muhammad Ali. Embracing big band jazz, small group jazz, gospel, funk and chorale musics, together with spoken word passages, the suite employs an eighteen-piece band, the ten-piece Voices Of The Flame gospel choir, two lead ...
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