Recording News

Smooth Jazz Artist Kenny Love Brings Listeners On A "Voyage To Serenity"

Source: Kl Ma
April 7, 2011

Jazz/World recording artist Kenny Love has released “Voyage To Serenity," the first track from his upcoming full-length compilation release entitled cAsE sEnSiTiVe, which is slated for release this summer. Kenny's musical influences include The Crusaders, George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Herbie Hancock, Lenny White, and Donald Byrd. “Voyage To Serenity" begins with chimes and a soft piano solo that leads into a smooth jazz fusion that changes, and yet stays the same in its underlying melody. A nice saxophone lead carries ...

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The Traneumentary: Jason Moran (Commentary)

Source: Jazz Online By Joseph Vella
April 7, 2011

Pianist Jason Moran is one of the most exciting musicians in jazz today. Over the years, he has successfully balanced the great jazz tradition with contemporary musical influences creating his own mark and signature on a certain brand of jazz. On the first of two Traneumentary episodes, Jason insightfully walks us through the classic track “Monk's Mood" taken from the historic 1958 Carnegie Hall recording. Listen as Jason explains the musical magic between John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk.

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Jazz Backstage: Harvey Mason (Mulligan/Baker)

Source: Jazz Online By Joseph Vella
April 7, 2011

Drummer Harvey Mason has contributed to a good number of major jazz recordings with Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, Lee Ritenour, Donald Byrd, Bob James and many more. His ability to swing hard as well as lay down a funky beat are signatures of his playing but he is also well known for his precision time keeping, tasty riffs, warmly tuned drums and dynamic cymbal work. Harvey is a living legend and one of the greatest drummers of all-time ...

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Philipp Van Endert Trio "Rosebud"

Source: Sound Insights by Doug Payne
April 7, 2011

Cinema has long since rendered the word “rosebud" as something elusive and enigmatic that cannot possibly sum up what others want it to. From the moment that Orson Welles whispers the word in the film Citizen Kane, we embark on a mysterious journey of the purely unknowable. But what a journey. Titling his latest recording Rosebud, the remarkably inspired German guitarist Philipp van Endert properly gives light to the inability of properly discussing creative music. Much in the same way ...

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Matthew Shipp's "Art of the Improviser": A Strong Voice Takes Center Stage

Source: Gapplegate Music Review by Grego Edwards
April 7, 2011

After a number of years as a key member of David Ware's Quartet, Matthew Shipp has found his own pianistic voice and brings it to the forefront on the new 2-CD set Art of the Improviser (Thirsty Ear 57197). Matthew shows two facets of his playing on this set. The second disk is a live solo piano spot. It gives you Mr. Shipp the creative harmonic-melodist, a very inventive, musically imaginative improviser who makes music that stays in the mind. ...

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From the Stacks 2011, Vol. 3: Michel Reis, Pitom, Rhys Chatham, Ken Peplowski, Others

Source: Something Else!
April 7, 2011

by S. Victor Aaron Rhys Chatham: The Man With The Horns. Many, many horns. It might be only the third Stacks so far this year, but it's a much overdue one. There's a whopping seven 2011 releases discussed here, with several other worthy ones being pushed back to a later fourth installment. Two of these albums are by veteran acts, but the remaining five capture five budding talents at or near the beginning of their recording careers as leaders. Some ...

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Ghost of Django Reinhardt haunts Gypsy jazz of the Icy Hot Club of California

Source: Lauren Rogers
April 7, 2011

The spectre of Django Reinhardt haunts the Icy Hot Club of California. No, there's no need to phone the Ghostbusters as this is not a paranormal haunting. Rather, Los Angeles-based guitarists Ethan Emerson and Ray Bergstrom are attempting to resurrect a somewhat dormant genre, Gypsy jazz, on their six-cut debut The Icy Hot Club EP. Opening with a Reinhardt cover, “Minor Swing," Emerson and Bergstrom waste no time in unveiling their guitar wizardry as driving acoustic riffs surge forward at ...

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The Warm World of Jack Sheldon

Source: Sound Insights by Doug Payne
April 6, 2011

One of the finest yet least known albums of the sixties is The Warm World of Jack Sheldon (Dot, 1968), an elegant and groovy piece of lighter-than-air jazz that holds up much better than its title or its time period might suggest. Trumpeter Jack Sheldon was born in Jacksonville, Florida, on November 30, 1931, and has lived in Los Angeles since 1947. Early on, he established himself as a resourceful trumpeter on the West Coast, gigging with Jimmy Giuffre, Curtis ...

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