Recording News

John Mellencamp - No Better Than This (2010)

Source: Something Else!
August 7, 2010

By Nick DerisoWhile John Mellencamp continues a run of career-defining records, dating back to 2007's “Freedom's Road," best leave your dancing shoes in the closet.Producer T Bone Burnett cops to it, in the liner notes to “No Better Than This," set for release Aug. 17 on Rounder Records: “All those ghosts. All those spirits. This is a haunted record."It's not just that “No Better Than This" is an old-fashioned project done in an old-fashioned ...

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One Track Mind: The Brecker Brothers "Song for Barry" (1992)

Source: Something Else!
August 8, 2010

By PicoSuch much has been mentioned here about the late, great saxophonist Michael Brecker, but nothing about the group from which he first gained fame from.Michael, of course, wasn't the only musically talented Brecker; brother Randy was and remains a pretty good trumpet player in the hard bop tradition. He was also also around for some of the critical incubation points of rock-jazz fusion: an original member of Blood Sweat And Tears in 1967 and two ...

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Jazzwax List: 8 Hip Rockers

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
August 8, 2010

Jazz versions of rock hits usually bomb. In most cases, the results sound like music played at a wedding reception, convention center or worse. But in a handful of cases, the union worked, especially when the rock tune, the arrangement and the instrumentalist's feel came together. Readers certainly have favorites of their own. Please add them to this post's Comments section so all can read and share. [Photo by Diane Arbus]

Here are eight of my favorite lesser-known jazz covers ...

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Latin Jazz Perspectives: Five More Original Takes On Ellington

Source: The Latin Jazz Corner by Chip Boaz
August 8, 2010

Many things can be said about the impact of Ellington's legacy, but one thing stands clearly obvious—Ellington's music will remain an essential part of the jazz world for years to come. The depth of Ellington's compositional process left a lifetime study for any musician with the inspiration and motivation to dig deep into the repertoire. The well-known pieces of Ellington's book sit in the minds of most jazz musicians, ready to pull out at any gig, jam session, or wedding. ...

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Mike Clark Hits #8 with Owl Studios' 'Carnival of Soul'; "Among Best Jazz Albums" of 2010

Source: Seth Cohen PR
August 8, 2010

MORE RAVE REVIEWS FOR MIKE CLARK, AS CD JUMPS TO #8 ON CHARTS! “Among the best new jazz albums to be released this year" “Mike Clark seems to create something new every time he sits down at the drums, and there is a tremendous sense of play on Carnival Of Soul. This is not just a first class jazz/fusion/funk album; it's an album alive with the joy of the players practicing their craft at its apex" “Showing his prodigious chops ...

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Frank Sinatra - Only the Lonely (1958)

Source: Something Else!
August 8, 2010

By Nick DerisoAll due respect to Nelson Riddle, but this didn't seem like it would work. “Only the Lonely," at first—even to Sinatra—felt more temperamentally suited to Gordon Jenkins, the man most closely associated with much of Frank Sinatra's more string-oriented, darker work. (See the very good CD “September of My Years," featuring “It Was A Very Good Year," from 1965.)But Sinatra and Riddle went way back. In fact, Frank had known the arranger since 1953, ...

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The Either Orchestra - Mood Music for Time Travellers (2010)

Source: Something Else!
August 8, 2010

By Mark SaleskiI'm going to begin by saying something that will probably horrify many a jazz lover: I never liked Duke Ellington or Count Basie all that much.It's true. I know that a jazz writer shouldn't be admitting to such things but sometimes you have to stick with honesty. OK, and while I'm at it? I got annoyed after they mentioned Louis Armstrong for the 427th time during that Ken Burns series. I thought, can somebody ...

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Prince Lasha - Insight (Dusty Groove/CBS UK)

Source: Master of a Small House
August 8, 2010

Flirtations with major labels are an infrequent occurrence for most free jazz musicians. For Prince Lasha the call came during a European sojourn in the mid-60s. Lasha assembled a crew of ten musicians in a UK studio, mixing and matching them on a standards-weighted program of six tunes. Fielding plastic alto like his old pal Ornette along with wooden flute he tailored each to his designs and came up with an album that still stands out in discography checkered by ...

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