Recording News

Oscar Peterson and Nelson Riddle

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
March 7, 2009

Easy Listening as a genre has been unfairly maligned for  years. Since the advent of rock in the late 1960s, the entire category has been disparaged as “elevator," “background" or “mall" music, depending on the decade. The assault has been so pronounced that the very term “Easy Listening" now is code for “artless music." But like all types of music, there's good Easy Listening and bad. The newly released Oscar Peterson & Nelson Riddle recorded for Verve in November 1963 ...

Continue Reading...

John Carrozza's Defining Moment

Source: All About Jazz
March 7, 2009

"Defining Moment" is a reflective, soulful EP that features the smooth melodies of John Carrozza. Mr. Carrazzo's pop sensibilities shine brilliantly throughout this collection on the keyboards, guitar and from the producer's chair. The opening track, “Defining Moment" is a smart pop-jazz melody that is the perfect lead-in to this thought provoking record. The bouncy bassline is the perfect counter- point to Mr. Carrozza's piano lead. The next track, “Prodigal's Return", tells a beautiful story. The changing tempos and the ...

Continue Reading...

Black Clock's Noir Soundtrack: Miles Davis, Henry Mancini

Source: Michael Ricci
March 6, 2009

Black Clock, the literary magazine run by many a refugee, student and esteemed leader of the CalArts MFA program, is having an event this weekend at REDCAT to celebrate its fifth anniversary on the occasion of its 10th issue, based around the city- appropriate theme of noir.

(Full disclosure: This humble scribe is one of those refugees, and a contributor to Black Clock 7.)

The fete will include readings by Aimee Bender (noted Jane Siberry fan), sci-fi writer Samuel Delany ...

Continue Reading...

Recent Listening: Lou Levy, Carol Sloane

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
March 6, 2009

Trying to keep up with new releases, I often get sidetracked by old favorites. It happens that my recent listening coincides with the birthday of two of the listenees.

Lou Levy, Lunarcy (Verve). Levy would have been 81 today. He died in January of 2001. From his post-World War Two beginnings with Georgie Auld through work with Sarah Vaughan, Boyd Raeburn, Woody Herman, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz and Frank Sinatra--among many others--Levy was in demand as a band ...

Continue Reading...

Raquel Bitton Celebrates Renowned Latin Composers in New French/Latin Jazz Recording

Source: All About Jazz
March 5, 2009

French Jazz singer Raquel Bitton celebrates renowned Latin composers in her hot new French/Latin Jazz recording Boleros which will be released on March 17.

Boleros, Raquel Bittons 7th recording to date, sung in French and Spanish, was engineered by 11x Grammy award winner Rafa Sardina and showcases the music of legendary Latin composers including Armando Manzanero, Consuelo Velasquez, Augustin Lara, Isolina Carillo and others.

Raquel Bitton is accompanied by a 28 piece orchestra featuring notable Latin Jazz musicians including: Ramon ...

Continue Reading...

Ozomatli: Album/Tour w/ Tuna

Source: JamBase
March 5, 2009

OZOMATLI SIGN WITH MERCER STREET - NEW DOWNTOWN MUSIC IMPRINT Ozomatli currently in the studio recording new music for '09 release US State Department trip now confirmed for May '09 With Ozo performances in Myanmar, Vietnam and Russia

Ozomatli Ozomatli will be bringing their pioneering mash-up of hip-hop, salsa, and cumbia to Downtown Music's new imprint, Mercer Street Records, inking a just completed deal with the fledgling NYC-based label.

Mercer Street's goal is to ...

Continue Reading...

Fernando Huergo, Featuring Luciana Souza Now on BlueMusicGroup.com

Source: All About Jazz
March 5, 2009

Argentinean bassist and composer Fernando Huergo's debut album, Living These Times, featuring Grammy nominated Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza, is now re-released on BlueMusicGroup.com In the original liner notes from 1998, drummer Bertram Lehmann notes: For Fernando Huergo, musical diversity doesn't come as a surprise. For all he remembers growing up in a musical household in Crdoba, Argentina, surrounded by music that his father, a professional singer, pianist and guitarist would encourage him to check out. “I was singing Chega de ...

Continue Reading...

Neal Casal:Roots and Wings

Source: JamBase
March 5, 2009

By: Dennis Cook

One of the more enduring chapters in modern American music is the lovely stretch of recordings that came out of California in the early 1970s, a period that saw the emergence of Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Michael Nesmith, The Eagles, Poco, John David Souther and Chris Darrow, amongst many other greats. This music, without much flash, crept into the DNA of things, resurfacing as an ancestral wind in groups like Wilco, My Morning Jacket, Vetiver and other ...

Continue Reading...