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Lonnie Plaxico: Melange
by C. Andrew Hovan
He was part of the crowd surrounding Wynton Marsalis’ jazz revival in the late ‘80s, yet bassist Lonnie Plaxico has been seen in the spotlight far too little during the past decade. Yet, with a resume that includes work as a musical director for Cassandra Wilson and an inclination for the genre-bending grooves of the M-Base ...
Jason Moran: Black Stars
by Jim Santella
Jason Moran has hit the mark every time out. The adventurous pianist creates suite-like musical portraits that, in the end, will affect the growth of modern mainstream jazz. For his third album as leader, Moran has enlisted saxophonist Sam Rivers. As like-minded improvisers, the four artists drive with considerable force. What makes it work so well ...
Pat Martino: Live At Yoshi's
by Jim Santella
Recorded late last year at a highly regarded Oakland, California nightclub, Pat Martino's trio session smokes from start to finish. Yoshi's features an impressive lineup all year round. The audience reaction on this, Martino's twentieth album, is merely an outward expression of what we feel as we listen. Guitarist, organist and drummer romp through straight-ahead classics ...
Lonnie Plaxico: Melange
by Jim Santella
Experience has taught Lonnie Plaxico that a tenor saxophone and trumpet front line works best. His 6th recording as a leader combines straight-ahead, modern mainstream, and Tower Of Power funk. At 40, the bassist has paused to reflect on which jazz styles are meaningful; his session includes variety with significance. Plaxico writes out the arrangements in ...
Lonnie Plaxico: Melange
by David Adler
Lonnie Plaxico’s Blue Note debut is similar in thrust to last year’s Emergence (Savant). The emphasis is on funk, yet the frequent complexity of Plaxico’s writing harks back to his M-Base roots, especially on tunes like “Short Takes," “T.O.P.," “Patois," and the title track. Apparently the disc grew out of two different sessions — the first ...
Rodney Jones: Soul Manifesto
by Jim Santella
A handful of originals and several classic tunes give Rodney Jones' latest album soul. By pairing saxophonists Maceo Parker and Arthur Blythe, the guitarist has created an interesting environment. With the organ sound pervading, the two alto veterans serve up funk, soul, and a few sensitive looks at the ballad. Jones plays from the heart and ...
Gonzalo Rubalcaba: Supernova
by Mark Corroto
Cuban Pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba burst onto the American jazz scene in the early 1990s with his over-caffeinated piano gymnastics. To be fair to the young performer, he had musical talent beyond his years, and with the State Departments restrictions on his appearances in the US he would squeeze an entire tour into one night’s concert. Since ...
Greg Osby: Symbols of Light (A Solution)
by David Adler
Both Ted Nash and Tom Harrell have explored the “double quartet" concept. Now we can add to the list Greg Osby, whose music sounds nothing at all like theirs. Supplementing his working quartet (Jason Moran, Scott Colley, Marlon Browden) with a string quartet, Osby heightens the dark, austere quality of his harmonies. This results in some ...
Greg Osby: Symbols Of Light (A Solution)
by Jim Santella
By dedicating pieces to specific jazz masters, Greg Osby honors the tradition without repeating it. High on individuality since he joined Blue Note in 1990, the saxophonist has dared--on past albums--to introduce jazz to funk, hip-hop, street poetry and more. His creative freshness is what drives him. It's that uniqueness of spirit that moves each of ...
J.J. Johnson: The Eminent J.J. Johnson Vol. 1
by AAJ Staff
Compared with the first appearance of previously released jazz albums in CD format, the second generation of jazz CD reissues represents sophisticated product: 24 bit remastering, updated liner notes, and glossy packaging--candy for jazz lovers. One in the most recent block of titles from Blue Note’s Rudy Van Gelder (RVG) edition reissue series, The Eminent J.J. ...
