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Gary Novak
Robyn Spangler: Robyn Spangler
by C. Michael Bailey
Award-winning vocal stylist, songwriter, and actress Robyn Spangler is a fourth-generation performer whose deep musical roots trace back to an Indiana childhood of circus musicians, military band players, and a mother who sang in big bands. After taking piano lessons from former Steve Miller Band keyboardist Jim Peterman and fronting professional cover bands at age 17, Spangler moved to Los Angeles to study theater and music. She quickly built a diverse bi-coastal career working both behind the scenes and in ...
Continue ReadingMauricio Morales and Adam Hersh: Between Dreams and Twilight
by Neil Duggan
Between Dreams and Twilight marks the first joint collaboration between Mauricio Morales and Adam Hersh. The pair became friends when Hersh gave Morales a lift home from the Continental Club in Los Angeles. Their album features nine pieces: three written by bassist Morales, three by pianist Hersh and three co-written. The duo keep excellent company; they are joined by vibraphonist Warren Wolf, guitarist Mike Moreno and drummer Gary Novak. The album also features the L.A.-based Rogue Lemon String Quartet. These are all musicians ...
Continue ReadingChick Corea: The Montreux Years
by Doug Collette
If there is anything more ambitious than curating an extensive, comprehensive collection covering the history of an artist, it is collating selected works which vividly outline a particular timeline or theme. Chick Corea's The Montreux Years is a fine example of the latter; this seventh edition in the archive series devoted to the iconic festival not only reflects the late composer and pianist's technical skills, but also his eclectic stylistic tastes. And that is not to mention his fondness for ...
Continue ReadingChris Walden: Missa Iubileum Aureum: Golden Jubilee Jazz Mass
by Jack Bowers
First things first: there is no doubt that Chris Walden's reverential Missa Iubileum Aureum ("Golden Jubilee Jazz Mass") is beautifully written and wonderfully performed by the LMR Jazz Orchestra, St. Dominick's Schola Cantorum and cantors Kurt Elling and Tierney Sutton. Is it jazz? That is another question, one not so easily answered. While there are elements of jazz, they are incidental and generally overshadowed by the more doctrinal aspects of what is essentially an homage to devotion and piety. And ...
Continue ReadingMarilyn Scott: The Landscape
by Jim Worsley
Some artists feel obligated to put out a new record every one-point-three years, or whatever their factory warranty calls for (mileage may vary). Others are more interested in quality than quantity. On her first record since Standard Blue (Prana, 2017), jazz vocalist Marilyn Scott has something to say about The Landscape. More than the title track, Scott's concerns with our landscape is the scope and focus of seven original compositions, all co-written with pianists Russ Ferrante or Scott Kinsey. Scott ...
Continue ReadingMike Miller: Trust
by Jim Worsley
This record is more than a breath of fresh air. It is more like when you open the front door and that momentary rush of crisp wind blows in. Trust embraces that sensation and creates a limitless screen door of opportunity. Ten original and melodious compositions by Mike Miller seamlessly flow, and both sustain and cherish the feel of the moment for the duration. The magnitude of this project propelled Miller to assemble an elite group of musicians. ...
Continue ReadingLukasz Pawlik: Long Distance Connections
by Jim Worsley
This is fusion of the highest order, the type of project that is easy to get excited about. The complexities of Polish composer, pianist, cellist and arranger Lukasz Pawlik's compositions soar to new heights on his second album as a leader. Enlisting gold-star talent from both home and abroad, this amounts to about a fifty-fifty configuration of prominent musicians from the United States and Poland. Fusion legends trumpeter Randy Brecker and electric guitarist Mike Stern unite with Polish heavyweights tenor ...
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Mikkel Villingshoj
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Music
Doppler Light - Tribute To Mike Miller
From: Doppler Light - Tribute To Mike...By Gary Novak
Low Life
From: Between Dreams and TwilightBy Gary Novak
Offertory - The Passionate Shepherd to His Love (feat. Tierney Sutton & Kurt Elling)
From: Missa Iubileum Aureum: Golden...By Gary Novak
Unzip
From: The LandscapeBy Gary Novak
Colvin
From: TrustBy Gary Novak
Tiny Circles
From: AdjustmentsBy Gary Novak
Blue Roses
From: Variations Of RelevanceBy Gary Novak
West Orange (feat. Steve Tavaglione)
From: ARC TrioBy Gary Novak
