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Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra: Consummation
by C. Andrew Hovan
When it came to progressive big bands during the '60s, few ensembles could boast the kind of staying power and muscle of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. With some of the biggest names in the business as part of the ensemble's regular roster and the uniformly exceptional output of writer Thad Jones, this band was ...
Count Basie: Basie Meets Bond
by C. Andrew Hovan
Leave it to one of the most swinging big bands of its time to make a silk purse out of a cow’s ear. Visiting themes from James Bond movies, arrangers Chico O’Farrill and George Williams craft hip and bristling versions of what might appear to be less than complimentary pieces for jazz exploration. But then O’Farrill ...
Ray Brown: A Jazz Odyssey
by C. Andrew Hovan
While it seems that things have come to a point in the history of jazz when many of the music's elder statesmen are leaving us and there are fewer and fewer masters left to pass on the proverbial flame, 75-year-old bassist Ray Brown continues to champion the mainstream cause while inflecting his own music with the ...
Kenny Garrett: Happy People
by C. Andrew Hovan
Just going over the press material for this album, I got the distinct impression that there was a pretentious sense of crossover appeal in the mix with verbiage that in effect claimed Garrett was trying to bridge the gap between jazz, hip hop, and world music. As for the music itself, let's just say that too ...
David Hazeltine: The Classic Trio Meets Eric Alexander
by C. Andrew Hovan
Honing his skills to such a degree that it all sounds deceptively easy, David Hazeltine’s art is always in danger of being misunderstood because it’s not radically too far to the left or right. In other words, he’s a mainstream player working within the tradition. But you know it seems that these days you have to ...
Dave Douglas: The Infinite
by C. Andrew Hovan
When it comes to varied musical projects, trumpeter Dave Douglas seems to be almost schizoid in his zeal for not recreating himself. On a purely artistic level, that's a good thing. But for those trying to follow his career it can all seem to be a bit disjointed. You know, “I liked his last record, but ...
Orrin Evans: Blessed Ones
by C. Andrew Hovan
One certainly can’t accuse pianist Orrin Evan of hopping on the revival bandwagon. Nothing he’s done over the course of four previous Criss Cross sides and two self-promoted albums smacks of mainstream sentimentality. On the contrary, Evans likes to push the envelope and that fact becomes ever so apparent now that he’s in the wide open ...
Bill Charlap: Stardust
by C. Andrew Hovan
Although he had made a few records previously, by the time that pianist Bill Charlap cut All Through the Night in 1997, it was obvious that the connection established with trio mates Peter and Kenny Washington was a special one, capable of great finesse and intuitiveness. People in the upstairs offices at Blue Note also must ...
Bill Charlap: Stardust
by C. Andrew Hovan
Although he had made a few records previously, by the time that pianist Bill Charlap cut All Through the Night in 1997, it was obvious that the connection established with trio mates Peter and Kenny Washington was a special one, capable of great finesse and intuitiveness. People in the upstairs offices at Blue Note also must ...
Bobby Hackett: The Complete Capitol Bobby Hackett Solo Sessions
by C. Andrew Hovan
For a myriad of reasons, it seems that the audience which supports a major portion of jazz music’s current fortunes knows little about the mainstream artists of the ‘40s and ‘50s. It’s as if anything that occurred before Charlie Parker hit becomes lost in the shuffle. Sure, these fans may be familiar with Duke Ellington or ...
