Home » Search Center » Results: Greg Simmons
Results for "Greg Simmons"
Music Matters: The Blue Note Reissue Series
by Greg Simmons
Music Matters has been reissuing classic Blue Note jazz records since 2007. It has dug deep into the catalog, remastering lesser known, infrequently heard titles, and done so with passionate attention to presenting the highest possible sound quality. Offering an analog solution in a digital age, this exceptional series is available on 45rpm vinyl records only. ...
Joseph Howell: Jazz Clarinet Now
by Greg Simmons
"Don't judge a book--or CD--by its cover" may be a cliché, but it's still good advice. Joseph Howell's Jazz Clarinet Now features a smiling picture of Howell, neatly attired in a suit and tie, a high-and-tight haircut, and thin-framed glasses. Prominently holding his clarinet, the cover screams old-timey, Benny Goodman Swing-era period piece. Of course, the ...
Francesco Turrisi: Fotographia
by Greg Simmons
Encouraging experimentation is the lifeblood of jazz. It keeps the music vital and ensures that new voices get to have their say. The minute the music becomes a museum relic, played through a fixed, orthodox interpretation, is the moment it dies an ignominious death. Thank goodness, then, for musicians like pianist Francesco Turrisi, who embraces creative ...
Sonny Rollins: Road Shows, Vol. 2
by Greg Simmons
The Beacon Theatre in New York holds 2,700 people, and--much like fans claiming to have seen the final game of the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field--there may already be 20,000 people who swear they were there for Sonny Rollins' 80th Birthday performance. At 80 years old, Rollins is still a damn good tenor saxophonist, and Roadshows ...
Kim Pensyl & Phil DeGreg: Melodious Monk
by Greg Simmons
At some point or another, it seems, every jazz musician takes up the challenge of interpreting Thelonious Monk. It must be an unbearable temptation to try to bring some perceived new angle to such a distinct set of compositions, especially when those compositions are so inextricably intertwined with Monk's odd playing style. As if responding to ...
Jeremy Noller: Music Notes
by Greg Simmons
Jeremy Noller's debut as a leader makes a broad case for his international brand of jazz. Music Notes assembles a variety of musical strains, including American jazz, West-African rhythms, and even folk music, blending them all seamlessly. With eight original compositions, Noller proves his value as a composer as well as a drummer. The ...
Daniel Rosenthal: Lines
by Greg Simmons
Lines, Daniel Rosenthal's debut as a leader, is a soft-spoken little album with an unusual instrumental mix and inventive tunes. The Boston trumpeter, a five-year veteran of the Either/Orchestra, offers stripped-down arrangements with the periodic inclusion of the banjo to spice things up. With the exception of two Thelonious Monk tunes, Rosenthal is responsible ...
Donald Harrison: This Is Jazz
by Greg Simmons
Saxophonist Donald Harrison's name is writ large on the cover of This Is Jazz, but the album is a collaborative trio in every sense. After all, playing with legendary bassist Ron Carter and drummer extraordinaire Billy Cobham could never be equated with simply hiring sidemen. Recorded live at New York's Blue Note, the six tracks on ...
Rafal Sarnecki: The Madman Rambles Again
by Greg Simmons
The Madman Rambles Again is a counterintuitive name for such a carefully constructed album. The compositions feature layered, periodically angular melodies, showing off tight arrangements and a serious dramatic flair. Far from being a madman, guitarist Rafal Sarnecki is a decidedly forward-looking leader with an intense aesthetic on this sophomore effort. Instrumental leadership is ...
Paul Lieberman: Ibeji
by Greg Simmons
Paul Lieberman attempts to blend the distinctions between American jazz and Brazilian music--two streams he regards as twins separated at birth--on Ibeji. In his explorations, the woodwind specialist, playing flutes and saxophones, wears his appreciation for both forms on his sleeve. Ibeji employs two distinct lineups: the first plays American music in the Brazilian ...
