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Sakesho: Carribean Jazz Hits D.C.
by Franz A. Matzner
Blue's Alley April 8, 2004 You never know what to expect when you head out for a night of jazz, and to me that’s the best part of the jazz world. The music has become so diverse, so multi-cultural, and so stylistically varied that on any given evening even the most seasoned listener is ...
John Pizzarelli: Bossa Nova
by Franz A. Matzner
Warm and gentle, John Pizzarelli’s latest release, Bossa Nova , takes you on an affectionate, musically articulate, and eventually exasperatingly quaint tour of bossa nova’s Brazilian heritage. Not surprisingly, Bossa Nova features several Antonio Carlos Jobim compositions, including a gracefully mature rendition of “The Girl From Ipanema,” the cleverly arranged “So Danço Samba,” ...
Saxophonist John O'Gallagher and Modern Jazz Composition
by Franz A. Matzner
Following his well-received debut album Axiom with the equally intricate, experimental, and explorative Arabesque release Abacus , alto saxophonist and composer John O’Gallagher is rapidly establishing himself as not only a deft soloist, but also a formidable composer striving to expand the boundaries of jazz form. It was my distinct pleasure to speak ...
Mark Stanley Quartet: Humans
by Franz A. Matzner
Rusting, abandoned cars. Empty urban streets. Dilapidated piers. Dusty, broken-windowed factories and small bars populated by regulars with their shirts-rolled up. Beer, not cocktails. If there is such a thing as garage jazz, the Mark Stanley Quartet’s latest release, Humans , would fit nicely into the category. Working off of nine original compositions, ...
Sally Stark: Sally Stark Sings Maxine Sullivan
by Franz A. Matzner
This intimate look at the recordings of Maxine Sullivan by vocalist Sally Stark is an unusual retrospective in its directness and simplicity. Many projects of similar intent suffer from either an overly sentimental approach or the opposite, a cynically “retro" feel that leaves the material polished into glib sterility. Refreshingly, Stark presents the album’s ten tunes ...
Monty Alexander: Rocksteady
by Franz A. Matzner
Monty Alexander’s totally idiosyncratic current release, Rocksteady , a conceptually confounding cross-breed of Jamaican ska, bluesy jazz, and the film scores of classic American Westerns, might have resulted in nothing more than a campy romp if Alexander and guest guitarist Ernest Ranglin weren’t the devilishly talented musicians they once again prove themselves to be.
Andy Narell: The Passage
by Franz A. Matzner
Spotlighting the internationality of jazz by offering a wide range of music from all over the world—including such diverse releases as the recent Africa Straight Ahead ; Word of Mouth, a Jaco Pastorius tribute album; and The Caribbean Jazz Project —the only common denominator at Telarc’s Heads Up imprint is outstanding recording quality and the unexpected. ...
Power Twins Unite: Francois and Louis Moutin
by Franz A. Matzner
Twin brothers, bassist Francois Moutin and drummer Louis Moutin came to jazz early. Born to jazz enthusiast parents in Paris, the two began playing together as young children, forming the deep musical bond that has led them to their present day international recognition, both as individual players and a team. Though Francois currently ...
Wynton Marsalis: The Magic Hour
by Franz A. Matzner
Those with an interest in polemics will interpret the title of the first tune on The Magic Hour, “Feeling of Jazz," to be another example in Wynton Marsalis' campaign to define just what is and is not jazz. Given that the lyrics performed by Dianne Reeves read like a dictionary entry for jazz circa 1935 (or ...
Wynton Marsalis Speaks Out
by Franz A. Matzner
Trumpeter, composer, educator--Wynton Marsalis requires no introduction. Since beginning his career, he has received an almost endless stream of accolades, his share of criticisms, and an ever-growing level of recognition from within and without the jazz community. The first jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for music, Mr. Marsalis has also garnered ...
