Recording News

Hal McKusick in 1956

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
December 22, 2010

Saxophonist Hal McKusick is on some of the finest New York recording sessions of the '50s. His reputation for reading music perfectly the first time, no matter how complex, spread quickly among fellow musicians and those in charge of assembling them for recordings. Hal could always be counted on to swing, lead a big-band reed section and deliver smooth solos. It also helped that Hal was a supremely confident player, a virtuoso on virtually every reed and woodwind instrument, and ...

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CD: Harold Danko, Dick Oatts, Rich Perry

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
December 22, 2010

Harold Danko, Oatts & Perry II (SteepleChase). Pianist Danko was a colleague of alto saxophonist Dick Oatts and tenor saxophonist Rich Perry in the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis band and never got over them—with good reason. This successor album to Oats & Perry (2006) again teams the three with bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Jeff Hirshfield. It reemphasizes the reasons that Oatts and Perry are admired among musicians and serious listeners for their inventiveness, passion and tonal qualities. In addition, it ...

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CD: Rudresh Mahanthappa and Bunky Green

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
December 22, 2010

Rudresh Mahanthappa & Bunky Green, Apex (Pi). Mahanthappa, aged 40, is one of the most visible alto saxophonists of the 21st century; Green, aged 75 one of the least. As a result of this album, Green is gaining the prominence he might have achieved in the 1960s had he not left Charles Mingus for academia. Among the saxophonists he influenced through recordings was Mahanthappa. Together, they are formidable kindred spirits. Throughout, but notably on “Summit" and “Playing with Stones," their ...

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CD Review: Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O

Source: John Kelman
December 22, 2010

SOURCE: BEBOPIFIED BY PAMELA ESPELAND This syndicated blog entry appears courtesy of Bebopified by Pamela Espeland. Copyright © 2010. All rights reserved. I'd rather hear jazz artists perform Christmas songs than the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (way rather than Mannheim Steamroller or, just shoot me, Mariah Carey) and have somehow accumulated several holiday CDs over the years. You have to love “An Oscar Peterson Christmas" and Marcus Roberts' “Prayer for Peace," Chet Baker's icy-cool “Silent Nights," and the great Joe Williams' ...

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Various Artists - Andrew Vachss' Safe House (Relativity, 1998)

Source: Music and More by Tim Niland
December 22, 2010

Author and attorney Andrew Vachss has spent years fighting the good fight against child abuse and neglect, both in the courtroom (representing only minors) and writing his famous Burke series of dark crime novels. Reading the books, you learn that Burke (and Vachss himself) are deep fans of the blues. This compilation CD, with all of the tracks picked by the author is something of a soundtrack to the books, the music that Burke would listen to while cruising the ...

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Emory Quinn - See You at the Next Light (2010)

Source: Something Else!
December 22, 2010

By Nick DeRiso Emory Quinn doesn't quibble about genre. Heck, this happy-go-lucky San Antonio, Texas-based band can't even stick to one instrument, with its principal members merrily switching from one to another. That makes for a nice metaphor on See You At The Next Light, an album of restless musical ambition and jangly, country-fried delights. The group's sound is principally shaped by guitarist Nathan Rigney, a classical music prodigy who appeared at Carnegie Hall with the Texas State Youth Orchestra. ...

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The Best of 2010, Part 4: Mainstream and Modern Jazz

Source: Something Else!
December 22, 2010

Many relative newcomers like Sarah Wilson have brought a breath of fresh air to jazz this year. By Pico When scanning the landscape of jazz records from 2010, one thing is clear: there's an awful lot of very skilled and talented jazz musicians out there today, and I would argue that there are more of those than at any other time in jazz history. The sad irony of this is that all indications are that jazz audiences are at a ...

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All About Jazz / SonicBids MP3 Download of the Month: Phil Hawkins "Encendido" from Sugarcane Suite

Source:
December 22, 2010

All About Jazz has selected Phil Hawkins' “Encendido" from Sugarcane Suite as our featured SonicBids MP3 Download of the Month. You can download and listen to the track for free here. Enjoy! Your friends at All About Jazz and SonicBids

About the All About Jazz/SonicBids Download Program 6.4 million downloads and going strong! All About Jazz has offered a free full-length MP3 daily since 2005. We also select and feature at least one track per month through our ...

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