Home » Search Center » Results: Andrew Rowan
Results for "Andrew Rowan"
James Moody & Moody And The Brass Figures
by Andrew Rowan
What a perfect name: James Moody. His playing has that fire and fluency honed in the bebop and post-bop eras, but there is also a haunting sound that tells the listener that his music is about feeling as much as it is about musical notation. James Moody James Moody Argo-Verve ...
Leaves of Grass & Mystic Trumpeter
by Andrew Rowan
Fred Hersch Leaves of Grass Palmetto 2005 In Leaves of Grass, Walt Whitman, the poet of democracy, sought to express the still-young nation's ideals. Fred Hersch has realized his dream to pay homage to the poet by crafting an intelligent and, often, moving account of carefully selected excerpts from Whitman's ...
Sammy Davis Jr./Buddy Rich: The Sounds of '66
by Andrew Rowan
Sammy Davis Jr. opens these after-hours Las Vegas recording sessions, remarking that even at this hour the town is still swinging. He tells listeners that any noises from the audiences are real, not canned. From this simple setup, this release captures live the excitement these two musical dynamos generated in an era, and in a town, ...
Deborah Latz: Toward Love
by Andrew Rowan
A sure-footed singer possessing a mature sound and an attractive, lived-in voice, Deborah Latz uses Toward Love as an opportunity to explore a traditional set of popular standards with satisfying results. A swinging “It Had to Be You sets the pace with the band providing great ballast for her vocal. What a treat it is to ...
Louise Rogers/Rick Strong: Bassically Speaking
by Andrew Rowan
Louise Rogers, a singer with great chops and a warm, witty approach to song, owes a debt, whether consciously or not, to the legendary Sheila Jordan. The latter's approach to improvising (note, among other signs, Rogers' scatting on the title track), as well as the voice/bass format, is evident. But Rogers uses these as a jumping-off ...
Edgar Bateman Jr.
by Andrew Rowan
Drummer Edgar Bateman Jr. has been around music his entire life. An aunt played piano, her husband played trumpet in jazz bands, and, ironically, his sister introduced him to the drums. Because of a childhood illness (rheumatic fever and an enlarged heart), he was not allowed strenuous activity. But his sister was in the drum corps, ...
Love Songs: Sarah Vaughan, Lena Horne & Nina Simone
by Andrew Rowan
Many jazz purists shy away from collections, opting for the artists' original CDs. But collections have their purpose. My first vocal jazz recording was on Columbia Records: Billie, Ella, Lena, Sarah. It led to my lifelong affection for jazz singers. These Love Songs collections present three of the most distinctive American singers of ...
George Cables: Looking for the Light & Portal
by Andrew Rowan
George Cables is a personal pianist. His harmonic sense, as well as the way he touches the keyboard, the way he comps and the way he phrases, raises him above the pack of competent yet generic players. In his own words, impressed by Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, but influenced by John Coltrane and Miles Davis, ...
Joe Smith: Melodic Workshop
by Andrew Rowan
Joe Smith's Melodic Workshop begins with a joyful piano-bass-drum fanfare that leads to a long-lined theme, motored by an almost martial drumbeat. “Shroo" is grand and generous in its scope. Jazz to be sure, but not the traditional kind. Free of more conventional metric considerations, the musicians make the most of the occasion to improvise thematically. ...
Steve Davis: Meant to Be
by Andrew Rowan
On Meant to Be, trombonist Steve Davis features all original material, creating and sustaining a positive impression from the first track to the last. The band plays as a unit, the solos are more than mere scale runs, and each of the compositions has an individual character that distinguishes it from its surroundings. Take ...
