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Jason Rebello: Anything But Look
by Ian Patterson
Though you'd hardly describe six years touring and recording with singer/bassist Sting and six more with guitarist Jeff Beck as languishing in the wilderness, Anything But Look does represent pianist Jason Rebello's first recording of original material since Next Time Around, (Onion, 1999) and his first as leader since Jazz Rainbow (Jumby Records, 2007)--his wonderful reworking ...
Jim Manley: Short Stories & Tall Tales
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Back in the 60s, there was a classic James Bond film starring Sean Connery entitled Goldfinger (United Artists, 1964). The key antagonist in the action-packed film was a character named Auric Goldfinger." He had less than the Midas touch. Conversely, St. Louis-based trumpeter Jim Manley does indeed have that touch as he shines on Short Stories ...
The Dickens Campaign: Oh Lovely Appearance
by Glenn Astarita
New York-based drummer Deric Dickens' southern roots and inspirations derived from legendary music archivist Alan Lomax morph into an Americana-dappled spectrum of modern jazz on this delightful trio date. The bass-less program summons a capacious platform, as the artists' rural and bluesy twists underscore the modern jazz vernacular. Lomax zigzagged across America in the 1930s with ...
Mark Orton: Nebraska
by Mark F. Turner
Even without seeing director Alexander Payne's critically acclaimed motion picture Nebraska, the soundtrack evokes a sense of poignant storytelling, motion, and depth. Multi-instrumentalist and film scorer Mark Orton vividly captures the essence of the film's story about a belligerent old man--performed by Bruce Dern who earned Best Actor" for the role at the 2013 Cannes Film ...
Nnenna Freelon & the John Brown Big Band: Christmas
by Jack Bowers
Renowned jazz singer Nnenna Freelon's first Christmas album truly is a gift, made possible by a small bequest from her Christmas-loving mother and a long-time friendship with John Brown, director of Duke University's Jazz Studies program and leader of the splendid John Brown Big Band. Brown not only made his ensemble available but co-produced the album ...
Kit Downes and Tom Challenger: Wedding Music
by Karl Ackermann
The multiple-award winning pianist Kit Downes and the versatile saxophonist Tom Challenger have the distinction of conceiving one of the most unusual releases in years with Wedding Music. This alliance of these critically praised members of the UK's Loop Collective has produced a superb and unique collection of duets for church organ and tenor sax. While ...
The Apophonics: On Air
by John Eyles
For those who do not recognise the group name, let's introduce The Apophonics--on saxophones, from London, England, John Butcher... on bass, also from London, England, John Edwards... and, on energised surfaces and synth, from San Francisco, California, drummer Gino Robair. The more savvy reader will have spotted that On Air is released on Weight ...
Quartet San Francisco: Pacific Premieres
by Dan Bilawsky
Gone are the days of the insular string quartet that turns its back on anything and everything outside of the classical canon. In many respects, the world can thank the venerable Kronos Quartet, which celebrates its fortieth anniversary in 2013, for opening eyes, ears and minds to the fact that the string quartet is just like ...
Satoko Fujii: Gen Himmel
by John Sharpe
A solo album tends almost inevitably to focus on instrumental chops rather than compositional skills. And that's the way it is on Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii's third unaccompanied outing, following Sketches (NatSat, 2004) and Indication (Libra, 1997), although she shows herself to be blessed with both. Compared to the exuberance and spirit of her group work ...
Mike Jones Trio: Plays Well with Others
by Jack Bowers
Pianist Mike Jones not only Plays Well with Others, he plays well--period. Using a sharp, two-fisted style that hearkens back to Dave McKenna, Dick Hyman and even Earl Hines, undergirded by a buoyant melodicism worthy of Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan or his namesake Hank Jones, it's clear there's not much that Jones can't accomplish musically with ...

