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491

Article: Album Review

Haroldo Mauro Jr.: Bossa Na Pressao

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by Dan McClenaghan
April 7, 2006

It seems obligatory on a bossa nova outing to include some Jobim tunes. Brazilian pianist Haroldo Mauro takes care of that duty on the opener of his debut CD, Bossa Na Pressao, with the classic “Caminhos Cruzados." It's a standard bossa nova, but in the way that the late Bill Evans' take on “Witchcraft," from Portraits ...

584

Article: Album Review

Madonna: 'Bone Madonna

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by Dan McClenaghan
April 1, 2006

In yet another startling professional and personal re-invention, the rapidly aging pop songstress Madonna has incorporated the slide trombone and shades of jazz tones into her ever-evolving artistry on this latest release. Never one to rest on her laurels as a joyless, lip-synching, semi-obscene dancer, the Material Girl reportedly spent six months holed up in her ...

Article: Album Review

Christine Rosholt: Detour Ahead

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by Dan McClenaghan
March 31, 2006

Twin Cities-based vocalist Christine Rosholt comes from a theater background, but her debut CD, Detour Ahead, shows that she can take a side road and turn it into a very appealing main thoroughfare. The set's atmosphere is elegant and a bit sassy, with Rosholt--in front of a crack band that really knows how to swing--displaying sharp ...

126

Article: Album Review

Colin Stranahan: Transformation

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by Dan McClenaghan
March 27, 2006

Can anybody in this band buy a beer, legally? Nobody in the rhythm section can. Drummer/leader Colin Stranahan is nineteen years old, pianist Pascal Le Boeuf is eighteen, and bassist Dominic Thiroux is just a year older. Reaching outside the rhythm team, reedman Remy Le Boeuf--Pascal's twin, incidentally--is, of course, also eighteen years of age. Which ...

684

Article: Album Review

Ron Thomas Trio: Music in Three Parts

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by Dan McClenaghan
March 23, 2006

Relative simplicity and a complete lack of pretense are two features that make Music in Three Parts such a standout sound. The disc's six tunes are based on three different musical figures: the three “Improptus" on a figure in D minor; the two “Caprices" on a figure in C major; and the final “Epilog" on a ...

372

Article: Album Review

Fred Hess Band: How 'Bout Now

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by Dan McClenaghan
March 19, 2006

If you go down the list of categories eligible for Grammy Awards, you'll find Field 10 (Jazz), category 47, which is “Best Instrumental Solo." So the Grammy folks are telling us that out of all the jazz CDs released in a given year--thousands of discs that must contain almost uncountable solos--they've been able to isolate just ...

211

Article: Album Review

Taeko Kunishima: Space to Be...

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by Dan McClenaghan
March 16, 2006

Don't let the cover art fool you--it looks as though it would be right at home on the front of a drifty New Age set of sounds. But Space to Be... claims its spot in the mainstream jazz category, taking inspiration from a batch of influences: straight-ahead jazz, modern classical and Japanese folk songs.Pianist ...

130

Article: Album Review

Victor Prieto: Persistencia

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by Dan McClenaghan
March 9, 2006

The accordion seems to be gaining favor in the jazz world--just think of Gary Versace's beautiful playing on the title cut of Maria Schneider's masterpiece, Concert in the Garden, in an orchestral setting. Victor Prieto goes with a pared-down approach on Persistencia, placing the squeezebox out in front of bass (Carlo DeRosa) and drums (Allison Miller).

189

Article: Album Review

Johnnie Valentino: Stingy Brim

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by Dan McClenaghan
March 6, 2006

It takes a bit of nerve and some swagger, one would guess, to wear a Stingy Brim hat, one of those straw bowler types with a very limited brim overhang. But guitarist Johnnie Valentine does exactly that. It also takes a bit a nerve to bring the tuba into a jazz ensemble these days. ...

320

Article: Album Review

Dom Minasi: The Vampire's Revenge

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by Dan McClenaghan
March 3, 2006

With The Vampire's Revenge, guitarist Dom Minasi goes for it. This two-disc, 112-minute set takes its inspiration from a seemingly unlikely source--the vampire novels of Anne Rice--and results in one of the most ambitious and best free jazz outings of recent years. This huge undertaking includes some of the best avant guarde players on the scene--nineteen ...