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The Paul Dunlea Group: bi-polAr
by Dan Bilawsky
Bipolar disorder is, at its core, about extreme changes in personality and mood. When somebody is diagnosed with said ailment, it's a serious problem, but it can be a positive attribute when an album carries this affliction. Trombonist Paul Dunlea's two polar opposites deal with grooving funk versus staid scenarios, but nobody need worry about these ...
Frank Gratkowski Quartet: Le Vent et la Gorge
by Glenn Astarita
Multi-reedman Frank Gratkowski is a shrewd operator from almost all conceivable angles. And on Le Vent et la Gorge, the stylizations of drummer Gerry Hemingway's fabled quartet weave in and out of the full spectrum. Of course, this component is factored in by the drummer's appearance along with Hemingway's longtime band-mate, Dutch trombonist Wolter Wierbos, lending ...
Zoe Schwarz: Slow Burn
by C. Michael Bailey
British singer Zoe Schwarz is a blues singer in the same way that the late Gene Harris was a blues pianist. Harris often referred to himself as a blues player with jazz chops." Even his jazziest performances are steeped in the vernacular. For an example, see his famous performance from Ray Brown's Bam Bam Bam (Concord, ...
Heather Masse & Dick Hyman: Lock My Heart
by C. Michael Bailey
Vocalist/songwriter Heather Masse received her didactic training at the New England Conservatory of Music and her practicum on Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion. Her academy training was in jazz vocals, but her practical experience reflects more folk- flavored fare. Her previous recording, Bird Song (Red House, 2009), was a well- received collections of folk originals, ...
Arbouretum: Coming Out Of The Fog
by Glenn Astarita
Hailing from Baltimore, MD, Arbouretum purportedly enjoys a hefty fan base overseas, but for those unfamiliar with the band, Coming Out of the Fog is most assuredly a good place to start. Framed by a sense of ominous regality amid lead guitarist Dave Heumann's nervy, prophetic, and authoritative vocal delivery, the plan of attack is partially ...
Yuhan Su: Flying Alone
by John Eyles
Flying Alone is Taiwanese vibraphonist Yuhan Su's debut, a 2011 Berklee College of Music graduate who put together an international band to record the album in March 2012. As well as vibraphone, Su plays malletkat, and sings on two tracks. The personnel have been well chosen; although not long together at the time of recording, they ...
Aaron Neville: My True Story
by Chris May
Singer Aaron Neville cut his teeth on doo-wop--a prominent sound of black urban American from the late 1940s through the start of the 1960s--as a teenager in New Orleans. Fashions change, and Neville went on to make his name in funk and soul. In 1985, he made a brief doo-wop touchdown with the EP Orchid In ...
Mats Gustafsson: Stones
by John Eyles
Stones is a recording of the very first meeting of two remarkable saxophonists--legendary Swedish baritone and tenor player Mats Gustafsson and Montreal-based American Colin Stetson, a member of Arcade Fire's touring band as well as bass saxophonist of choice for an impressive list of musicians including Laurie Anderson, David Byrne and Tom Waits. The album's four ...
Paul Winter Sextet: Count Me In
by Edward Blanco
The Paul Winter Sextet was a short-lived group from the 1960s, leaving little in terms of an imprint or legacy in jazz but for one distinguishing fact: it was the very first jazz group to perform in concert at The White House. After a grueling six-month State Department-sponsored tour of 23 Latin American countries, First Lady ...
Coreto: Aljamia
by Jeff Dayton-Johnson
Coreto is an eleven-piece jazz ensemble from the Portuguese city of Porto. Aljamia, its début release, is also among the first albums to emerge from Porta-Jazz, an association of Porto jazz musicians.Leader and alto saxophonist/flautist João Pedro Brandão is a student of the multilayered musical traditions of the Mediterranean. The region is a remarkably ...

