Recording News

Jared Gold - All Wrapped up (Posi-Tone, 2011)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland
April 25, 2011

Organist Jared Gold builds a fine mainstream outing of hard-bop, blues and ballads on this album in conjunction with Ralph Bowen on tenor saxophone, Jim Rotondi on trumpet and flugelhorn and Quincy Davis on drums.

They open the the record fast with a couple of fine cookers, “My Sentiments Exactly" and “Get Out of My Sandbox," both of which feature fast grooving organ solos and deft bass pedal work, along with fleet work from the horns and drums. The full ...

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Terell Stafford - This Side of Strayhorn (Maxjazz, 2011)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland
April 25, 2011

The great composer, arranger and pianist Billy Strayhorn's compositions were a staple of the Duke Ellington songbook and remain a great inspiration to modern jazz musicians. Trumpeter Terell Stafford presents his view of some of the more well known compositions on this album where he is accompanied by Tim Warfield on tenor saxophone, Bruce Barth on piano, Peter Washington on bass and Dana Hall on drums.

The musicians are comfortable at many different tempos like the the lilting and haunting ...

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Steely Dan Sunday: "Only a Fool Would Say That" (1972)

Source: Something Else!
April 25, 2011

This is probably my favorite deep cut from Can't Buy A Thrill, which was on the flip side of the “Reelin' In The Years" single. More than any other track from this album, “Only A Fool Would Say That" points the way to what the band would evolve into: mocking lyrics, a fondness for Caribbean styles (most exemplified on Royal Scam) and, of course, jazzy overtones.

Most of those jazzy overtones come courtesy of Mr. Skunk Baxter, whose breezy octaves ...

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Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - The Sesjun Radio Shows (2011)

Source: Something Else!
April 25, 2011

Art Blakey is spoken about a lot in our little 'berg on the internet, and like most other admirers of his Jazz Messengers body of work, we tend to focus more on the late 50s-mid 60s era that included so many future jazz icons like Freddie Hubbard, Johnny Griffin, Lee Morgan, Bobby Timmons, Benny Golson, Wayne Shorter, Curtis Fuller, Cedar Walton, etc., etc. What's sometimes overlooked is the fact that Blakey had never stopped mentoring future jazz stars. As Nick ...

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Plunge Brings Chamber Jazz to a Good Place in "Tin Fish Tango"

Source: Gapplegate Music Review by Grego Edwards
April 23, 2011

New Orleans is a trombone town. Aside from Kid Ory and the tailgate players. Today for example you have Delfeayo Marsalis, Jeff Albert and . . . Mark McGrain. It is with the latter of the three that we concern ourselves today. He is an integral member of the trio Plunge, the others being James Singleton on contrabass and and Tim Green on alto. They are joined by guests reedman Tom Fitzpatrick and Kirk Joseph on Sousaphone for several numbers ...

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Ben Allison - Action-Refraction (Palmetto Records, 2011)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland
April 23, 2011

Bassist and composer Ben Allison has been at the forefront of the modern jazz scene as a band leader and the driving force behind the (now sadly defunct) Jazz Composers Collective and Herbie Nichols Project. Although widely respected as a composer, on this album he turns the tables, covering the music of other artists for the most part, and including aspects of progressive rock into his palette.

He is accompanied on this album by Michael Blake on bass clarinet and ...

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Nico Soffiato Quartet "Just Add Water"

Source: Michael Ricci
April 23, 2011

With all the members of the Nico Soffiato Quartet residing in New York City, the group began playing and performing together in 2008. Incorporating influences from the variety of jazz scenes in the city, each member of the Quartet weaves their own life and musical experience into the composition, performance and improvisation of each tune. Collaborating on all fronts, most of the music on the record is composed and arranged by Nico Soffiato. Playing extensively around New York City, the ...

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Delmark New Jazz Release on CD and LP: May Tour for Rob Mazurek's Starlicker

Source: Kevin Johnson
April 22, 2011

ROB MAZUREK'S STARLICKER Starlicker Double Demon (Delmark) release date May 17, 2011 The prolific Chicago/Brazil cornetist/sound manipulator Rob Mazurek of Exploding Star Orchestra and Chicago Underground collective has a new project called Starlicker with vibraphone king Jason Adasiewicz and Tortoise drummer John Herndon and they'll be touring throughout May Rob Mazurek (cornet), John Herndon (percussion), and Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone) are deeply rooted in the Chicago and international avant garde, jazz and post rock scenes. Starlicker expel sound with pervading energy ...

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