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Todd Groves
The Justin Rothberg Group: Hurricane Mouse
by Jack Bowers
The Justin Rothberg Group is a quintet led by the versatile New York-based guitarist who wrote eleven of the dozen numbers on the group's third CD, a diverse enterprise that covers a lot of ground, from funk, fusion and blues to rock, R&B and occasional mainstream jazz. Funk is the groove in which Rothberg's sometimes abrasive guitar most often lands, a stance that is abetted and reinforced by his solicitous teammates. Even though Rothberg's guitar—and mandolin—serve as ...
Continue ReadingCharles Pillow Ensemble: Chamber Jazz
by Jack Bowers
Chamber Jazz, alto saxophonist Charles Pillow's eighth recording as leader of his ensemble, is a generally sedate but remarkably engaging series of tone poems that combine contemporary jazz with elements of classical music to produce a hybrid that underlines what is most harmonious and charming in each genre. Chamber Jazz is what it says, and chamber jazz is what it is. For comparison's sake, think of the ensemble as the Modern Jazz Quartet times five. True, there is no John ...
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