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Ayako Shirasaki: Some Other Time
by Jeff Winbush
There is a certain sublime pleasure in the simplicity of the trio playing piano, bass and drums. The Ayako Shirasaki trio's approach is straightforward and straight ahead jazz at it's best. Blending both traditional and original compositions, Shirasaki is a nimble and facile pianist who knows how to swing like Bud Powell, one of her musical ...
Rob Hart Trio: 3000 Realms of 10 Worlds
by Jeff Winbush
Drummers come in as many different flavors as ice cream and each and every one brings something different to the party: some are technicians; some are powerhouses; some are timekeepers; some are virtuosos; and some are innovators.Then there are drummers like Rob Hart, who is comfortable in multiple categories and adds the title of ...
Dave Koz and Friends: Summer Horns
by Jeff Winbush
The idea of a quartet of top smooth jazz saxophonists gathering for a super-session must have seemed like a great idea to Dave Koz. Why not invite Gerald Albright, Mindi Abair and Richard Elliot to join him for a sax summit? Hang out, play some together, have some laughs. It'll be fun. What could possibly go ...
Brian Simpson: Just What You Need
by Jeff Winbush
The raison d'être behind Brian Simpson's Just What You Need is not as audacious as to reshape jazz as we know it, but to provide some easy listening while we're waiting. The ambitions here are a bit more modest as Simpson, who is best known as Dave Koz's bandleader, brings together an accomplished crew of studio ...
Paul Hardcastle: VII
by Jeff Winbush
Paul Hardcastle's greatest strength? Consistency. Paul Hardcastle's greatest weakness? Also consistency. Before you applaud or boo Hardcastle you must admit this: the man knows what he does best and he is not about to stop doing it based on what critics say when his global audience tells him that's exactly the way they like it.
Boney James: The Beat
by Jeff Winbush
In the crowded field of 50,000 smooth jazz saxophones, only a handful are blessed with a distinctive sound of their own and if Boney James isn't first in his class he should be high on the list. James can play with both raw power and gentle, soulful restraint. There's more restraint than power on The Beat, ...
Hiromi: Move
by Jeff Winbush
In a world where the path to commercial success is to play it safe and keep faith in formula, it is only within jazz where being unpredictable is not only a virtue, but an expectation. Hiromi marks her first decade of music-making on her terrific ninth album, Move featuring her Trio Project with bassist Anthony Jackson ...
Fourplay: Esprit De Four
by Jeff Winbush
FourplayEsprit De FourHeads Up International2012Bands don't last over two decades with minimal turnover in personnel and continued success if they're composed of egotists, prima donnas, drama queens or people that just don't play nice together. Fourplay has endured and thrived because it is an egalitarian coalition of seasoned ...
Julian Vaughn: Breakthough
by Jeff Winbush
Within the first 30 seconds of the stomping “On Your Feet," the lead-off track on Breakthrough, it's hard not to think, “Darned if this guy doesn't sound just like Wayman Tisdale." Hopefully Julian Vaughn will take the comparison as a compliment because his “lead bass" playing style is eerily reminiscent of Tisdale, who passed away in ...
Randy Crawford and Joe Sample: Live
by Jeff Winbush
It's a slight exaggeration to say that keyboardist Joe Sample rescued Randy Crawford from pop music limbo, but it's not too far from the truth. Crawford is among the most distinct vocalists working, but her discography is riddled with over-arranged and over-produced disappointments. One of her finest moments remains when The Crusaders dropped all 11 minutes ...
