Home » Search Center » Results: David Rickert
Results for "David Rickert"
Stanley Jordan: Friends

by David Rickert
Stanley Jordan's breakthrough recording, Magic Touch (Blue Note, 1985), was aptly named; the guitarist's two-handed tapping technique seemed to be achieved through sorcery rather than practice. People had used tapping before, but never to the level that Jordan did--comping and soloing at the same time, and giving the illusions of two guitarists playing at once. Those ...
Gerry Mulligan / J.J. Johnson / Sarah Vaughan / Misha Mengelberg & Piet Noordijk: Live At Concertgebouw

by David Rickert
The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam was a stop for quite a few notable jazz musicians during the 1950s and '60s, and for the past few years the Dutch Jazz Archive has released a concert from their archive at the rate of one per year. Judging by what has been released, it seems that many of these musicians ...
Jimmie Lunceford: The Complete Jimmie Lunceford Decca Sessions

by David Rickert
When saxophonist Jimmie Lunceford signed to the Decca label in 1934 he was running one of the best orchestras in the US. He had signed a deal to appear at the Cotton Club (where bandleaders Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway had recently launched into stardom) and was frequently beating others in battles of the bands, all ...
Chris Dingman: Waking Dreams

by David Rickert
Judging by Waking Dreams, Chris Dingman has spent a lot of time listening to Bobby Hutcherson's classic Blue Note albums. Given that his instrument of choice is the vibes, it should come as no surprise, but it's uncanny how much Dingman's debut resembles classics like Oblique (1967) and Patterns (1968) in sound and feel. Heck, there's ...
Monty Alexander: Harlem-Kingston Express Live!

by David Rickert
Many jazz musicians have mined the music of other cultures and countries for new ideas. Many of the most successful combinations have come from importing the music of warmer climates--Afro-Cuban and bossa nova to name but two. Monty Alexander has always done the reverse: a native of Jamaica who played straight-ahead jazz in the ...
Django Reinhardt: Four Classic Albums Plus

by David Rickert
The legend of Django Reinhardt is the stuff of jazz folklore; the nomadic gypsy had limited use of the fingers on his left hand, yet still managed to create blistering solos, all while creating some of the best jazz to come out of Europe. In fact, Reinhardt spawned his own style, and like many a folk ...
Pear: Extemp'ore

by David Rickert
Most jazz albums involve at least a little bit of preparation: song selection, rehearsals, selection of sidemen and so on. Pear, on the other hand, is after something much more spontaneous and pure on its debut, Extemp'ore. The group is comprised of percussionist Rick Milne and keyboardist Nick Pierone. They enter the studio and play whatever ...
Evan Weiss: Math or Magic

by David Rickert
Combining jazz improvisation and classical composition has been an irresistible idea for many--an intellectual problem promising that, perhaps, the result will combine the best qualities of both. However, in practice, the third stream movement has largely been an indication of boring, pretentious recordings to avoid. But then a guy like Evan Weiss comes along with his ...
Charles Mingus: Blues and Roots/Mingus Three/Jazz Portraits/Jazzical Moods

by David Rickert
Charles MingusBlues and Roots/Mingus Three/Jazz Portraits/Jazzical MoodsAvid Records2011 (1954-59) If you have a fondness for a particular album by Charles Mingus, chances are you won't find another quite like it in his catalog. The bassist and composer had one of the most wide-ranging careers of anyone in ...
Jamie Ruben: Groove-O-Ly-O-Scene

by David Rickert
As a guitarist, Jamie Ruben isn't a shredder; there are more notes in a Russell Malone solo than there are on Ruben's entire debut. Rather, Ruben excels at the slow burn--a few well-chosen notes and a keen melodic sense can be much more enjoyable than an exercise in finger-busting on the fret board. But ...