Jazz Articles

Kevyn Lettau: Simple Life

by William Grim
July 15, 2002

Kevyn Lettau is one of the most versatile singers around and this album shows off her many talents to great benefit. Although best known as a mainstay of “smooth jazz” radio station rotations, Lettau possesses solid jazz chops and is a gifted Anglo interpreter of Brazilian music.

Indeed, the Brazilian-influenced tunes on this album are the most inspired cuts. The samba arrangement of “Forever Lovers and Friends” is one of the best recorded versions of that song currently ...

Carmen Lundy: Old Devil Moon

by Jim Santella
February 1, 1999

Primarily an acoustic session, Carmen Lundy’s latest album presents her clear, expressive alto voice in the company of complementary soloists Frank Foster, Randy Brecker and Bob Mintzer. With Billy Childs and Santi DeBriano backing her on most tracks, the jazz singer weaves through lush ballads, a few original tunes, several rhythmic adventures, and intricate blues-based stories. Lundy’s singing presence is so full of confidence and enthusiasm that she charms the listener right out of his or her shoes. Duke Ellington’s ...

The Ray Bryant Trio: The Ray Bryant Trio: Ray's Tribute to His Piano Friends

by C. Michael Bailey
March 1, 1998

Though I have several recordings on which Ray Bryant appears, I had been unaware of who he is and where he fits in the musical scheme of things. Recently, while listening to several demo CDs, I came across his newest recording, The Ray Bryant Trio: Ray?s Tribute to his Piano Friends, and fell in love with it. This is a recording that is not unlike Oscar Peterson?s A Tribute to My Friends (Pablo PACD-2310-902-2, 1987) except that Bryant?s tribute is ...

Watts, Christlieb and Woodard: The Tenor Trio

by Ed Kopp
March 1, 1998

In his book Jazz For Beginners, Ron David says that nobody really loves jazz. “People love Miles or Dixieland or Free Jazz or Fusion or two, three or four of the above -- but nobody loves jazz. It's too varied."

Truer words were never written. I like to think of myself as a lover of all kinds of jazz, but when it really comes down to it, I prefer swing, bop, fusion, and anything that smacks of the blues. Sure ...

Coleman Hawkins, Bill Evans Trio and Gene Ammons: JVC Audiophile Reissues

by AAJ Staff
January 1, 1998

COLEMAN HAWKINS Good Old Broadway (JVC)BILL EVANS TRIO At Shelly's Manne-Hole (JVC)GENE AMMONS Boss Tenor (JVC)

Fantasy has been pretty good about licensing titles it owns to labels that put out audiophile CDs, including DCC and JVC. The sound quality is superb on these three audiophile versions of titles that originally came out on Riverside and Prestige catalogues and are presently owned by Fantasy.

Toward the end of his life, Coleman Hawkins sunk into an emotional abyss and drank himself ...

Hiroko Kokubu: Moments

by AAJ Staff
April 1, 1997

Living in the United Kingdom could have its pitfalls with regard to hearing fine music but thanks to two kind friends in the United States (Mary Jo Rathbun in Providence and Steve van Dyke in Wisconsin) I can hear that wonderful syndicated show entitled 'Sounds of Brazil'. Otherwise I would not have heard a track on the Scott Adams show called “ My Heart's With You" by Hiroko Kokubu. To miss this treasure would be the musical equivalent of dying ...