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Jack DeJohnette & John Surman: Invisible Nature
by Jim Santella
Creative music casts many impressions. Primarily a drums and soprano saxophone session, Invisible Nature swings impressionism through a dramatic collection of scenery. Improvising cohesively, the duo creates an enjoyable album that takes jazz beyond the mainstream. The pair of veteran artists forges a concert performance spontaneously. Recorded live on tour at the Berlin Jazz Festival and ...
Dave Leslie: The Brim
by Jim Santella
The modern mainstream thrives on adventure. Whether it be dissonance, rhythmic complexity, ethnic re-creations or creative improvisation, the artist has a freedom that is rare in most forms of music. Jazz, however, lives and grows because of artists who dare to be different. Dave Leslie takes it to the edge with his hands ...
Whirled Jazz: Mukilteo
by Jim Santella
Whirled Jazz is an adventurous quartet that prefers swinging, straight-ahead sounds with a lot of space. It’s to let their consonant harmony and soulful groove sink in. Tom Bergeron wrote the music for this session, which emphasizes ensemble unity and group interplay. Trombone and alto saxophone occupy most of the solo space, while all four artists ...
Thelonious Monk: Thelonious Monk's Straight, No Chaser: Motion Picture Soundtrack
by Jim Santella
Directed by Charlotte Zwerin, the film documentary of Thelonious Monk's remarkable career features the pianist/composer in performance, along with his closest allies. The soundtrack includes his piano, his music, and his voice. It's an intimate portrait. The music for this film served to paint a musical portrait of Monk and his sidemen. We ...
Dexter Gordon: Round Midnight: Motion Picture Soundtrack
by Jim Santella
Directed by Bertrand Tavernier, Round Midnight is a fictional story that combines the careers of Bud Powell and Lester Young into one character. The soundtrack stands out as one of the greatest jazz film scores ever issued. Everything was recorded live. This reissue also features a bonus track, from Dexter Gordon's Homecoming: Live At The Village ...
Charlie Parker: Bird: Motion Picture Soundtrack
by Jim Santella
They're Bird's alto saxophone solos that we hear all through the soundtrack. Not someone else. Charles McPherson was only added to three of the songs, as a member of the ensemble. Musical director Lennie Niehaus didn't play alto sax for the film. He taught several actors to play the instrument for their roles (with the sound ...
Bobby McFerrin: Beyond Words
by Jim Santella
As the universal language, music has always had one problem: how to translate the words so that everyone will understand their meaning. French, Portuguese, English, and several African dialects are quite familiar to jazz fans. Some listen to German, Russian, Chinese, Japanese or Spanish singers often. Are we fluent in these languages? It's not necessary. Pagliacci ...
Norah Jones: Come Away With Me
by Jim Santella
Convincing in her storytellin' role, Norah Jones sings popular ballads with an emphasis on the blues. Her delicate voice sparkles gently alongside the band's twangy guitar chorus and straightforward rhythm section. She accompanies on piano. The title song, resembling a spiritual, beckons the listener to waltz away with her to a place where life will be ...
Cassandra Wilson: Belly Of The Sun
by Jim Santella
Returning to her Mississippi blues roots, singer Cassandra Wilson interprets the stories like no one else can. Her warm, contralto voice hypnotizes. Surrounded by the natural sound of her 6-piece touring band, Wilson settles in for a refreshing look at Americana. Plaintive guitar cries and hands-down percussion provide a natural landscape. Steel pans, dobro, hand drums, ...
B: Live At The Quick
by Jim Santella
Unique among contemporary music ensembles, Béla Fleck's dynamic trio works wonders in live performance. Their large audience at the Quick Center For The Arts in Fairfield, Connecticut knew they were witnessing a one-of-a-kind affair. Clapping on 2 and 4 while Victor Lemonte Wooten improvised over “Amazing Grace," they felt all the power coming from that stage. ...
