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Winston Byrd
Winston Byrd: Once Upon a Time Right Now
by Nicholas F. Mondello
"Once Upon A Time" usually prefaces a fairy tale, Aesopian fable, or, a Hollywood action movie. While no tale of witches, Princess Brides, or cigar-chomping cowboys, this recording from trumpeter Winston Byrd and his magnificent more-than-seven is an overall right now hoot. An aural feast where Byrd is Exec Chef, the production delivers superbly-performed ass-kicking funk, cognac-smooth contemporary, and white-hot straight-ahead jazz for take-out. The sheer diversity of the material, all performed with high energy and outstanding musicianship, ...
Continue Reading...T.S. Monk: Higher Ground
by Franz A. Matzner
T.S. Monk's new album Higher Ground serves up a decidedly challenging musical concoction. With this release, Monk has not only solidified a highly personal sound, he has done something rare and infinitely appealing: he has created idiosyncratic, confounding music. Released in conjunction with the founding of Thelonious Records, and coinciding with the long awaited opening of the Thelonious Monk Archives, Higher Ground consists of nine tracks presented by the younger T.S. Monk's septet, a standing group of ...
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