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Ken Burns: Ken Burns Jazz: The Story Of America
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 ...
Richard Leo Johnson: Language
by Jim Santella
Because of its location, Nashville did not become a center for jazz or blues, as did Memphis and St. Louis. Instead, the Tennessee hub has become a city known for quite a few things in general and its country-western music theme in particular. Arkansas-born guitarist Richard Leo Johnson, 44, has spent some time in Nashville and ...
Baatin: Sunday Brunch
by Jim Santella
Smooth jazz, the New Adult Contemporary music, has taken over the radio airwaves. Around the world, smooth jazz offers the listener something easy on the ears. Some improvisation enters into the picture, but the focus remains on melody. These are catchy melodies that you can hum along with and return to after several interruptions. Let your ...
Holly Cole: The Best Of Holly Cole
by Jim Santella
A sensitive, ballad project, The Best Of Holly Cole compiles selected smoky pearls from her ‘90s albums Yesterday & Today, Blame It On My Youth, Dark Dear Heart, Don’t Smoke In Bed, Temptation and It Happened One Night. Nearly half are slow, romantic numbers, while the others drive steadily with a cool detachment. Pop music sentiment ...
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, ...
Tom Wopat: The Still Of The Night
by Jim Santella
Tom Wopat sings ballads with a coolness of spirit that matches his conservative stage presence. Best known for his television and Broadway acting roles, Wopat has recorded before; this is his fifth album. Show tunes, standards and country ballads represent a fine cross-section of American popular music. Wopat presents them well. As a classically trained singer, ...
Paul Rinzler Trio: Active Listening
by Jim Santella
With detailed liner notes that explain his trio’s collective approach to each piece, Paul Rinzler describes which elements are improvised and which are composed. A straight-ahead jazz session, the trio’s program affords the listener an appreciation of how this sort of creation works in practice. The pianist and bassist may play a simple melody in unison ...
Jim Ferguson: Deep Summer Music
by Jim Santella
Which season of the year is the most romantic? Jim Ferguson sings of the romance that exists for all seasons. For his latest album he's selected a program of songs that dig deep; they tug at your heartstrings. Samples may be found at his web site . The session includes standards from Matt Dennis, Rodgers & ...
Bobby Bryant: Flowers Stolen From The Yards Of Old Folks
by Jim Santella
With a passionate alto saxophone cry, Bobby Bryant starts the session with “Summertime.” A lively rhythm section backs him up as the leader improvises with an emotional appeal. Jennifer Bowens joins him with remarkably to-the-point spoken poetry. “My language is gentle, yet tough,” she says, as the words punctuate the air. Her message is social, political, ...
Ravi Coltrane: From The Round Box
by Jim Santella
With his forward-looking quintet, Ravi Coltrane explores acoustic jazz that is rich in overtones, characterized by lush harmony and centered on lyricism. Trumpeter Ralph Alessi shares the front line position alongside Coltrane; half the numbers are their originals. Favoring a Third Stream approach over swingers or fiery emotion, the quintet mellows some in both scope and ...
