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South Africa: Tales of Gospel and Urban S.A.
by AAJ Staff
The two reviews in this update are both compilations produced by South Africa's Sheer Sound label as part of its Sheer Africa series. The church and the city form the roots of Tales of Gospel S.A. and Tales of Urban S.A., respectively, and vocals predominate.
For the corresponding jazz compilation, click here.
Various Artists Tales of Gospel S.A. Sheer Sound 2004
No sane fan of African vocal music ...
Continue ReadingVarious Artists: Newport Jazz Festival-50th Anniversary Volume 2
by Michael P. Gladstone
The second volume of this 50th Anniversary compilation presents several jam session-type tracks in the '50s, '60s and '70s, and in the second half female jazz vocalists in small combo settings. This disc acts as a bridge between the trad jazz and post-war swing artists as well as the big bands of Basie and Ellington, as presented on disc one, and the bebop artists who are showcased on disc three.
The Buck Clayton All-Stars with Clayton, J.J. Johnson ...
Continue ReadingVarious Artists: Newport Jazz Festival-50th Anniversary Volume 3
by Michael P. Gladstone
Without mincing words, the final compilation of this three disc series makes the best case for the bop generation and beyond between 1955-'63, closing with a coda from V.S.O.P. The Quintet in 1976. There is little reference to the postwar Swing Era most notably on Volume 1.
Volume 3 begins with a previously unreleased treat. Miles Davis was a last minute entry in Newport in 1955 and performed with Zoot Sims, Gerry Mulligan and some old acquaintances like ...
Continue ReadingSouth Africa: Tales of Afrojazz S.A.
by AAJ Staff
Various Artists Tales of Afrojazz S.A. Sheer Sound 2004
Last year South Africa's dominant jazz label, Sheer Sound, came up with a new imprint known as Sheer Africa, dedicated to documenting musical instruments and styles from all over the continent. Three of Sheer Africa's seven Tales of releases to date focus on South African musicians, and that includes this disc devoted to today's jazz.
One would expect, given Sheer Sound's ...
Continue ReadingVarious Artists: Newport Jazz Festival-50th Anniversary, Vol.1
by Michael P. Gladstone
On July 17, 1954 Impresario George Wein opened the gates to the first Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island and changed the face of jazz arena presentation for the second half of the Twentieth Century. He took what was essentially the concept of Jazz at the Philharmonic and moved it outdoors into a multi-day concert setting, attracting a wider and more diverse audience. The three volumes of retrospective material include recordings from the festival years of 1956-1976; the first volume ...
Continue ReadingThe Sound of Jazz
by Colin Fleming
Oddly omitting Thelonious Monk, this DVD presentation of CBS Television's The Sound of Jazz still rates near the top of jazz on the small screen, albeit in a somewhat diminished capacity, lagging behind the earlier VHS release. But for most jazz fans, any edition of The Sound of Jazz still boasts, regardless of drawbacks, the ultimate televised gathering of many of the music's key artists. Particularly evident with this transfer is how the studio lights wreak havoc with the reflections ...
Continue ReadingVarious Artists: Jazz For Kids: Sing, Clap, Wiggle and Shake
by Mark Sabbatini
It’s a rare album needing evaluation based on its chicken squawks.
But Verve, in its latest effort to market an old collection of classics to a new audience at a full retail price, offers squawks, mumbles and a range of other nonsense in “Jazz For Kids,” along with the hype that the genre isn’t just for grown-ups. Maybe not, but if the label hopes to get tots hooked early they need better bait.
Most consumers will ...
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