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Nick Hempton: Odd Man Out
by Bruce Lindsay
So, just who is the Odd Man Out? It's not exactly one of the great enigmas of modern times, but it's something to ponder. Not for too long, though, for time will be much better spent enjoying the music. Odd Man Out is the third album from saxophonist Nick Hempton and his band and it represents ...
John Moriarty: Echoes
by Ian Patterson
Adopting a traditional, straight-ahead approach to the quartet, Irish guitarist John Moriarty gathered three established New York-based musicians for one day in the Bunker Studios, Brooklyn. The title suggests homage, and there is a hint of classic Blue Note in the leader's clean lines--evocative of guitarist Jim Hall--and in half of the songs that delve into ...
Mike Wofford: It's Personal
by Jeff Dayton-Johnson
Pianist Mike Wofford can boast decades of high-caliber sideman gigs: notably with vocalists Ella Fitzgerald (for whom he served as music director), Mel Tormé and Sarah Vaughan, as well as drummer Shelly Manne, saxophonist Phil Woods, guitarist Joe Pass and others. His studio work is amply represented on records by a dizzying variety of artists. And ...
Sandviken Big Band: In the Name of Freedom
by Jack Bowers
This admirably performed two-CD set by Sweden's celebrated Sandviken Big Band, recorded live in 2009 and comprised for the most part of music composed by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, isn't without its ambiguous aspects. First, there's the title: while anyone who produces an album is free to assign any name that seems appropriate, In the ...
Scottish National Jazz Orchestra: In the Spirit of Duke
by Jack Bowers
It had long been saxophonist Tommy Smith's dream to perform and record a live concert of music written by or associated with the great Duke Ellington. As leader of the acclaimed Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, Smith set about making that dream come true, and in October 2012 it happened, as an enthusiastic audience saw and heard ...
Alex Snydman: Fortunate Action
by Edward Blanco
Guitarist-turned-drummer Alex Snydman left behind an established East Coast presence in the Massachusetts and New York area jazz scenes for graduate studies at The California Institute of the Arts and, while in Los Angeles, has produced his very first album as leader with the highly audacious Fortunate Action. A student of Joe La Barbera, Bob Gullotti ...
Swingin' on a Riff . . . Hangin' by a Thread?
by Jack Bowers
Betty and I returned to Albuquerque on Memorial Day after attending Swingin' on a Riff, the latest in a series of marvelous semi-annual events presented by Ken Poston and the Los Angeles Jazz Institute for more than twenty years at venues in and around L.A. This one was held May 23-26 at the Los Angeles Marriott ...
Joshua Redman Quartet with The Knights: New York, NY, June 4, 2013
by Dan Bilawsky
Joshua Redman Quartet with The KnightsThe Town HallBlue Note Jazz FestivalNew York, NY June 4, 2013 For a couple of years, it looked like the Big Apple had lost its big jazz festival mojo. New York maintained more than its fair share of jazz gatherings in 2009 and 2010, ...
Ellingtonian Intimacy: Dukish Duos
by Dan Bilawsky
Duke Ellington elevated the art of big band writing to great heights, but his music was never relegated to the large ensemble corner of the room. While it's true that the large majority of his recordings showcase the ever-evolving, yet incredibly consistent “Orchestra" he fronted, he wasn't averse to presenting his music in small group settings; ...
Terell Stafford Quintet: Tempe, AZ, May 10, 2013
by Patricia Myers
Terell Stafford QuintetTempe Center for the ArtsTempe, AZMay 10, 2013Trumpeter Terell Stafford and his East Coast quintet delivered dynamic ensemble work and memorable solos in a concert on the theme, This Side of Strayhorn. A third of the evening's repertoire came from the leader's 2011 MAXJAZZ album of the same name, ...
