Recording News

An Evening with Dave Grusin

Source: Sound Insights by Doug Payne
May 2, 2011

The music of the great composer, pianist, conductor and arranger Dave Grusin has graced many a jazz album and film/TV soundtrack. And along the way Grusin has scored some particularly notable and memorable music that matter to both genres. Indeed it's difficult to delight in either jazz or film this day in age without appreciating a fraction of the great work Dave Grusin has contributed to both factions, if one considers them separately—though I tend to subscribe to Duke Ellington's ...

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From the Stacks 2011, Vol. 4: The Cookers, Jon Lundbom, Shane Endsley, Others

Source: Something Else!
May 2, 2011

By S. Victor Aaron This year's fourth installment of From The Stacks is, as has been the pattern, all jazz. But it's jazz in its many incarnations, from straight ahead post-bop to whack jazz. The protagonists here range from experienced old vets to hungry young newcomers. The common element among all six of these new releases is that I recommend them all, for what that's worth. These concise, one-paragraph reviews don't really do these records enough justice in describing the ...

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The Franzettis: Alborada

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
May 2, 2011

It's rare when classical and jazz merge perfectly. Most efforts tend to be ponderous and bombastic, particularly because most composers and arrangers forget that for such hybrids to win over American ears, the fusion needs to be an equal partnership with a dose of cinematic drama. Too often, jazz-classical efforts have been more classical than jazz, and quite often wind up taxing the patience of the American jazz listener. But there are glorious exceptions. One of these is the newly ...

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Saxophonist Tommy Smith Releases "Karma" on Spartacus Records on May 23, 2011

Source: Michael Ricci
May 1, 2011

Available May 1, 2011

An exciting new direction for leading Scottish saxophonist Tommy Smith's brand new band, Karma combines virtuosic musicianship and powerhouse, grooving rhythms with atmospheric textures evoking Irish, Scottish, Indian, Japanese and Arabic folk influences. A major statement from an internationally renowned master.

Personnel

Tommy Smith: Tenor & Soprano Saxophones, Shakuhatchi, Synth Steve Hamilton: Piano, Synth, Tamborine Kevin Glasgow: Electric Bass Alyn Coskser: Drums

Track Listing

1. Cause and Effect ...

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The Captain Black Big Band (Posi-Tone, 2011)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland
May 1, 2011

Putting together a big band in these dicey economic times is a tough proposition at best, but pianist and composer Orrin Evans is bucking the odds with this large ensemble that features tight ensemble playing and fine soloing. It is a particularly large band and this allows them to play several distinct textures and work them into the bands overall sound. The ensemble meshes nicely like a finely woven garment and everybody is on the same page throughout the album. ...

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Joe Jackson - Volume 4 (2003)

Source: Something Else!
May 1, 2011

By Mark Saleski Warning: Listening to the Joe Jackson Band's 2003 release Volume 4 may give you a strong urge to dig out your skinny tie (c'mon, you know you wore one!) from the back of the closet. You may find yourself heading to the hair salon for no apparent reason. You will, of course, realize that you've developed sentimental feelings for that “sideways" haircut you used to have. Resist: you're just under the spell of Joe Jackson's wayback machine ...

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One Track Mind: Walt Weiskopf, "Love for Sale" (2011)

Source: Something Else!
May 1, 2011

Saxophonist Walt Weiskopf's first-ever in-concert recording Walt Weiskopf Quartet: Live, issued earlier in the month on Colorado-based Capri Records, is special in another personal way. It's dedicated to drummer Tony Reedus, who died from a pulmonary embolism less than a year after this show was recorded in April 2008 on the campus of the University of South Carolina. He was just 49. After learning of Reedus' passing, Weiskopf returned to the South Carolina show, part of the bi-annual North American ...

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Guitarist Mahan Mirarab dazzlingly blends traditional jazz with Persian folk on new album

Source: Lauren Rogers
May 1, 2011

In the midst of war, guitarist Mahan Mirarab was able to find solace in his music. Born in Tehran, Iran on July 13, 1983, Mirarab was raised with the Iran-Iraq War as an ominous backdrop. But proving that music is a universal language, especially the poetry of jazz, Mirarab discovered the records of jazz icons like Charlie Parker and Wes Montgomery. Their artistic brilliance captivated Mirarab as a young teen; they opened a new world to him, one of peace ...

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