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Monica Mancini: The Dreams Of Johnny Mercer
by Jim Santella
Her first album was a tribute to her father. Monica Mancini’ssecondalbum is a tribute to the music of another legend. Johnny Mercer left a strong impression on the singer as she was growing up in a musical family. Mancini’s parents met when they were both working with the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Mom was a singer and ...
Ivo Perelman: The Eye Listens
by Jim Santella
Impressionism carries Ivo Perelman along roads near and far. Most avenues on The Eye Listens carry his free, improvising trio through intense spasms of outward emotion. Consider our natural world. From the quiet sovereignty of a pink, summer rose to the horrifying power of a wintry tornado; Mother Nature has made room for it all. The ...
Mose Allison: The Mose Chronicles: Live In London, Volume 1
by Jim Santella
Recorded last January at The Pizza Express in London, The Mose Chronicles represents the kind of performance Mose Allison offers in locations around the globe. Volume one and its to-be-released companion album concentrate on Allison’s older material; songs that his audience remembers. Performing over 125 gigs a year at the age of 73, Allison stands as ...
Rufus Harley: The Pied Piper Of Jazz
by Jim Santella
A 50-50 mixture of straight-ahead jazz and ethnic Scotch music makes for something rare and unusual. Rufus Harley was already clearly accomplished as a jazz tenor saxophonist in the early 1960s. Growing up in Philadelphia can do that to you. His tenor and flute work on The Pied Piper Of Jazz leave a favorable impression. The ...
Ken Burns: Ken Burns Jazz: The Story Of America's Music
by Jim Santella
Controversial? Come on. How can this be controversial? Y2K was controversial. The November 7th U.S. Presidential election was controversial. But Ken Burns doing a service for the millions of PBS television viewers who know jazz only as a four-letter word? How can that be controversial? A five-CD boxed set, The Story Of America's Music is arranged ...
Ken Burns: The Best Of Ken Burns JAZZ
by Jim Santella
A subset of the five-CD package, Ken Burns' single-CD volume wraps it all up in 75 minutes. This 20-song compilation serves to introduce jazz, from early vocal and trumpet work by Louis Armstrong to the Lincoln Center's recent Ellington tributes. Every selection is a teaching point that serves to introduce significant milestones along the way. Sure, ...
Joe Williams: A Man Ain
by Jim Santella
Sorely missed since his passing last year, Joe Williams set a mark for high standards that few are willing to follow. Only a handful of male jazz singers hang on to that valuable tradition today. Known for his definitive performance of the blues, Williams captured the hearts and minds of a broad audience. As a big ...
Paul Jackson: Black Octopus
by Jim Santella
Singer/bassist Paul Jackson likes variety in what he does. Like the inference in his opening track’s title, “Many Directions,” this project moves in many directions all at once. It’s fusion. A strong bassist and enjoyable singer, Jackson employs a fusion of R&B, funk, disco, electronic “outer space” music and a little avant-garde jazz. Originally issued in ...
Crystal Lewis: Holiday!
by Jim Santella
Ride cymbal, walking bass and a comping jazz piano set the mood for this holiday surprise. Singer Crystal Lewis, a Christian recording artist with a lengthy discography, has opted to make her first Christmas album a straight-ahead jazz volume. A trio of LA’s finest accompanies Lewis on her tour of Christmas carols: pianist Alan Pasqua, bassist ...
Various Artists: Jam Miami: A Celebration Of Latin Jazz
by Jim Santella
From a live appearance in May, Jam Miami is a fiery Latin jazz performance with big band, starring Arturo Sandoval, Chick Corea, Poncho Sanchez and Pete Escovedo. Sandoval lets loose in front of a home audience and sets the standard by which the entire cast judges itself. Naturally, everyone rises to the occasion. Dave Samuels emulates ...
