Jazz Articles

J.A. Granelli and Mr. Lucky: Homing

by Matt Cibula
January 14, 2007

J.A. Granelli is a bassist of great subtlety; his backing band, Mr. Lucky, is small and versatile. This album contains nine pieces that range from alt.countrified jazz (or jazzified alt.country, not quite sure there) to New Orleans-ish funky-esque strut to straight-ahead blues-ish atmospherical soft-leaning fusiony I-don't-know-what.

As you can tell, it's kinda hard to categorize. I would not be surprised to find some Bill Frisell in Granelli's CD collection; but I'd also anticipate some Grateful Dead, some Mark Knopfler, a ...

J.A. Granelli and Mr. Lucky: Homing

by John Kelman
December 25, 2006

Bassist J.A. Granelli's Mr. Lucky may be a totally revamped lineup from the group that released Gigantic (Love Slave, 2004), but its philosophy remains the same. Homing lives in a place somewhere between Ry Cooder's loose, pre-Buena Vista Social Club work and Bill Frisell's Good Dog, Happy Man, a collection of roots-oriented material that's about groove and a collective sound more than any one person's contribution. Still, while the album has nothing to do with overt virtuosity, its emotional honesty ...

J.A. Granelli and Mr. Lucky: Gigantic

by Dan McClenaghan
April 7, 2004

The words “surf's up" keep coming to mind when I listen to bassist J.A. Granelli and Mr. Lucky's Gigantic. Though it may seem an odd comparison, the music here has that rough-around-the-edges groove mode of long ago guitar/organ-based surf music, a very early sixties (pre-Beatles) Southern California type of garage rock. These minor hit records from regional instrumental groups served as soundtracks for 8mm surf documentary movie makers who traveled from high school gym to local community centers with their ...

J.A. Granelli and Mr. Lucky: Gigantic

by Jerry D'Souza
March 10, 2004

The music that J.A. Granelli and Mr. Lucky make has nothing to do with jazz. That does not matter, for they serve up dollops of music that tantalizes and captivates even in the quietest moments.

Granelli balances the structure of the album very well as he brings in different moods to keep the snare secure. One of the most beautiful tunes is the title track on which he plays the piccolo bass and David Tronzo cuts a deep ...

J.A. Granelli and Mr. Lucky: Gigantic

by Michael P. Gladstone
March 4, 2004

This is not going to be an album for everyone, but here are some potential candidates: listeners who feel that smooth jazz is too limited and without any real pulse rockers who are tired of the same old licks and Top 40 syndrome the disenchanted who yearn for music that's better suited than mainstream jazz for parties musical adventurers who pride themselves on always looking beyond the obvious and wish to explore some fresh, cutting edge music.

J.A. Granelli and Mr. Lucky: Gigantic

by John Kelman
February 24, 2004

What is jazz? Does anyone know anymore? When Bill Frisell won Downbeat's Album of the Year award a few years back for Nashville--an album that was long on Americana and bluegrass and, at least on initial inspection, short on the things that most people tended to associate with jazz--the landscape had clearly changed.

And that's not a bad thing. What really defines jazz is the improvisational spirit; not just someone soloing over a band mind you, but a ...

Jerry Granelli / Jeff Reilly: Iron Sky

by Mark Corroto
November 1, 2002

Drummer Jerry Granelli and his ever shifting attention and projects finds him recording in blacksmith John Little's metal shop on Iron Sky. From his early days with Mose Allison and Charlie Brown pianist Vince Guaraldi, Granelli has developed from a session bop drummer into a remarkable voice of percussion.

As a leader he has pursued the history of jazz, A Song I Thought I Heard Buddy Sing, street and folk jazz with his band UFB, and he has ...

Jerry Granelli and Jeff Reilly: Iron Sky

by Dan McClenaghan
October 25, 2002

Iron Sky opens with a pair of pearls of rolling metallic thunder, a sound that is resonant, funereal, foreboding, the deep reverberations of a giant steel bass drum created especially for this sonic project.Jerry Granelli is the percussionist; Jeff Reilly plays the bass clarinet. The sound sculptures herein were created and recorded in John Little's blacksmith shop. Gongs, cymbals, an all metal string banjo: all of the instruments created--we'll guess by John Little the blacksmith himself--specifically for Love ...

J.A. Granelli and Mr. Lucky: El Oh El Ay

by Glenn Astarita
February 1, 2002

Here's a concisely arranged, quaint and slightly off-kilter effort from a crew of New York City musicians who generally shun the straight and narrow. Organist Jamie Shaft commences the opener, “Whatever Lola Wants," with an eerie, low-pitched groove followed by David Tronzo's wily slide guitar ruminations. The band continues to meld laid back, funk vibes with country blues and rock backbeats on many of these works. Saft's haunting organ motif serves as the underpinning for Tronzo's dreamy guitar and the ...

Lemeshev/Shepik/Scherr: Tridruga

by Mark Corroto
September 1, 2000

Apologies to Huey Lewis, but it is indeed so very hip to be square these days. Instruments like the clarinet and accordian are making their way back into jazz today. The trio of ‘three friends’ is a translation of Tridruga and at its very hip center is accordionist Yuri Lemeshev. Guitarist Brad Shepik, a fan of eastern music whose bands, Dave Douglas Tiny Bell Trio, Paradox Trio, The Commuters, and Pachora all seem to sample Eastern European folk music, plays ...