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Ken & Harry Watters: Brothers II
by Jim Santella
Two brothers, who grew up with similar interests and engaged in the same activities, studied trumpet and trombone. Ken & Harry Watters, who are only two years apart, attended North Texas State University at the same time and then accepted performance careers. Trumpeter Ken moved to New York City and worked the hard bop circuit, while ...
Tin Hat Trio: Helium
by Jim Santella
The talented San Francisco bay area Tin Hat Trio folds a considerable segment of American ethnic music into their acoustic, chamber jazz setting. European history has provided the jazz world with a specific reference for harmony and instrumentation as well as a comprehensive library of folk and classical music. The trio’s original compositions draw upon these ...
David Friesen & Denny Zeitlin: In Concert
by Jim Santella
Two creative artists working as a duo in a live setting serve as a clear example of what the modern mainstream is all about. Bassist David Friesen, always in tune and favoring a lyrical style, adds double stops and slapped percussive sounds to enhance the pair’s output. Pianist Denny Zeitlin, fluid and seamless, swings with a ...
Steve Wilson: Passages
by Jim Santella
With a straight-ahead ensemble playing mostly his own compositions, Steve Wilson moves between straight-ahead jazz and the more involved modern mainstream in groups of two, three, four and five. There’s something special added to each arrangement to make it unique. On “Eye of the Beholder," for instance, Wilson weaves in and out of modal harmonic situations ...
Brian Blade Fellowship: Perceptual
by Jim Santella
Fellowship lead instrumentalists Kurt Rosenwinkel, Jon Cowherd and Brian Blade work the modern mainstream of jazz through creative impressionism and expressive jams. Saxophonists Melvin Butler and Myron Walden work alongside bass and pedal steel guitar to produce a distinctive set of timbres. They're thrilling from start to finish; and yet, Fellowship is driven by a drummer ...
Jimmy Bruno & Joe Beck: Polarity
by Jim Santella
Veteran guitarists Joe Beck and Jimmy Bruno work well together and share an appreciation of beautiful sound as applied to jazz's mainstream. Most of the feature work is from Bruno, 46, who plays a seven-string guitar. Beck, 54, plays an instrument of his own creation. His alto guitar is tuned down a fifth and offers the ...
Bruno R: Presence
by Jim Santella
The title track from bassist Bruno Råberg’s latest album lays down a melody upon which the trio improvises collectively. Thus, the composer’s theme maintains only a mere presence while the three artists “converse" on a common topic. Two other tracks place the trio in a free group improvisation mode, one is a traditional Swedish folk tune, ...
Mark Gross: Riddle Of The Sphinx
by Jim Santella
What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon, and three legs at night? Man. Cue the drummer’s rim shot followed by a bass drum thud. Then give the philosophical riddle a thought or two about how we begin our lives by moving cautiously, move into the fast lane for awhile, and ...
Hong Kong Dragon Club: Take Out
by Jim Santella
What was music like 4000 years ago? Singing with native instrumental accompaniment? Folk songs that told interesting stories? Communicating in the native language while incorporating some form of melody, harmony and rhythm? The music was probably quite different in Asia than in Europe, Africa, or India. Different civilizations developed widely separate tonal foundations and characteristically unique ...
Denise Jannah: The Madness Of Our Love
by Jim Santella
An eclectic singer with three previous jazz albums, Denise Jannah has performed with such widely disparate organizations as the Willem Breuker Collective, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, the Dutch Metropole Orchestra and starred in major productions of A Night At The Cotton Club and Ain’t Misbehavin’. Her attractive voice and crystal-clear delivery bring standards into instant ...
