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Jazz Legacy Productions: Sprucing up the Old School
by J Hunter
At a time when most entrepreneurs blanche at even a mention of the economy, bassist John Lee has damned the torpedoes and gone full speed ahead with his new label, Jazz Legacy Productions. Structured as an artists-for-artists'-sake venture, JLP gives established, non-"flavor of the month" players a place to be heard again. What's more, for every ...
The (Modern) Big Band Era: Dave Rivello, James Carney, Joris Teepe
by J Hunter
In an economic climate where jazz quartets are reviving the time-honored “Everybody in one Winnebago" tour strategy, it's amazing that big bands even exist, let alone put out the dynamic, challenging music that's come from Maria Schneider, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the assorted large units associated with maintaining bassist Charles Mingus' legacy. What's more, the ...
Posi-Tone Records: More Home Runs with Mike DiRubbo, Ralph Bowen, Sean Nowell
by J Hunter
If Posi-Tone Records was a major league baseball team, it would be at the top of its division. So far in 2009, the label has had big wins with Sam Yahel's piano trio debut Hometown and guitarist Yotam Silberstein's overall debut Next Page, not to mention former Ray Charles sideman, trumpeter Jim Rotondi's heartfelt tribute to ...
David Binney: Third Occasion
by J Hunter
The cool thing about liner notes is they contain clues about other places to look for great music. For example, cast members of Joel Harrison's flame-throwing Urban Myths (HighNote, 2009) have their own fish to fry: keyboardist Daniel Kelly gave the piano trio format a good swift kick with Emerge (Brooklyn Jazz Underground, 2009), and now ...
Towner Galaher: Courageous Hearts
by J Hunter
Thanks to a weapons-grade lineup and original compositions that recall the salad days of The Brecker Brothers, Towner Galaher's Courageous Hearts has more than its share of awesome moments. However, Courageous also begs a question about the drummer that was asked about Mike Tyson back in the day: Can he do more than just hit really ...
Andrew Green: Narrow Margin
by J Hunter
Film noir used to be what the Internet is nowadays: something to blame for why the world is going south in a sidecar. Noir films were black and white, but the story lines weren't. The good guys weren't all good, the bad guys weren't always that bad, and the girls with hearts of gold only had ...
Sam Yahel: Hometown
by J Hunter
Sam Yahel has made the grade. His signature Hammond B3 sound--appearing on both his own work and on recordings by Joshua Redman, Bill Frisell, and Norah Jones--has identified him as one of the players that will take Jimmy Smith's favorite instrument deep into the 21st century. So what does Yahel do on Hometown, his fifth disc ...
Brooklyn Jazz Underground: Revolution on the F Train
by J Hunter
Some of 2009's jazz is being made far from Manhattan Island, home to a number of the genre's biggest labels. However, the revolution is also happening on the other side of the East River, where the artist collective Brooklyn Jazz Underground is making its own breaks and its own discs. BJU just released their second brace ...
Fresh Sound New Talent: Truth in Advertising
by J Hunter
Operating in an era dominated by contradictory product names (i.e. Jumbo Shrimp, Clear Skies Initiative), Fresh Sound New Talent delivers exactly what it advertises--the CD equivalent of showcase gigs for up and coming musicians--and leaves a the future in the hands of the players and the free market. With that in mind, here are four FSNT ...
E.J. Strickland: In This Day
by J Hunter
Thanks to his work with Ravi Coltrane, E.J. Strickland is well-established as a talented young percussionist. Coltrane plays producer on In This Day, Strickland's debut as a leader. His compositions display an encouraging focus, and his backup band gives the project a heavyweight punch. The disc's problems come on musical and conceptual detours that hinder the ...
