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New Guitar Summit: Live at the Stoneham Theatre
by Jim Santella
New Guitar Summit Live at the Stoneham Theatre Stony Plain Records 2004 Swing is the thing with this concert featuring Jay Geils, Duke Robillard and Gerry Beaudoin on stage, seated in a row, interacting and soloing on their hollow body amplified guitars. With acoustic bass and drums providing ...
John Pizzarelli: Dear Mr. Sinatra
by Jim Santella
With the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra interpreting swinging big band arrangements, John Pizzarelli captures the spirit of Frank Sinatra's memorable years with the bands of Tommy Dorsey, Harry James, Count Basie and others. His aim here is not to emulate Sinatra, but to honor him with the songs that he sang so effectively. How can we ever ...
The Chris Walden Big Band: No Bounds
by Jim Santella
For his sophomore release, trumpeter Chris Walden has written big band arrangements for several old chestnuts, several fresh originals and a few rare gems. His program sparkles with an accessible ambience. The combination of several vocal selections, a balance of orchestral instruments and big band sounds, and stellar soloing from this lineup of Los Angeles all-stars ...
Louis Armstrong
by Jim Santella
Louis Armstrong's New Orleans Thomas Brothers Hardcover; 386 pages ISBN: 0393061094 W.W. Norton & Co., Inc. 2006 Much has already been written about the life of Louis Armstrong. We've got a clear picture of the New Orleans marching bands and the performance hall music that influenced ...
Gary Urwin Jazz Orchestra: Kindred Spirits
by Jim Santella
With special guests Bill Watrous and Pete Christlieb on board, this big band session really smokes. Gary Urwin's third CD recording puts both guests in the spotlight alongside the band's capable roster of Los Angeles all-stars. The frequent musical conversations between Watrous and Christlieb (trading fours) gives Kindred Spirits a beautiful luster. Their sleek, ...
Joe Chambers: The Outlaw
by Jim Santella
Combining hip-hop gestures with straight-ahead trends, Joe Chambers pushes the modern mainstream envelope toward broader acceptance. Logan Richardson's alto saxophone and Chambers' vibraphone share most of the lyrical duties on The Outlaw, where Chambers establishes a comfortable groove and never lets go. At times mesmerizing and at times refreshingly pure, the session relies on a powerful, ...
Dr. Lonnie Smith: Jungle Soul
by Jim Santella
Reaching down deep inside and interpreting ten pieces with moving feeling, Dr. Lonnie Smith leads his trio through a program filled with soulful emotion on Jungle Soul. Jungle Soul lets the good doctor turn it loose. He's subtle, and yet he's got a groove going on. Organ, guitar drums and percussion lead the way ...
RC & The Groovediggers: Right Now!
by Jim Santella
With his smooth jazz quartet and invited guests, guitarist Royce Campbell tackles the sweet genre with this program of his own compositions. Melodies float around the room, leisure-time rhythms provide a comfortable setting, and the session's harmony remains consistently pure. Campbell's smooth jazz isn't the kind that puts you to sleep, though. He splits the selections ...
Beston Barnett Quartet: Curious Melodies from the Lost Travel Diaries of Sir Albus Manchild
by Jim Santella
The lost travel diaries of Sir Albus Manchild had been tucked away in an old trunk in Beston Barnett's grandmother's attic for many years, and their discovery led to this worthwhile project: an attempt to interpret these unfinished snippets logically. According to the story, Sir Albus Manchild (1842-1914) was a composer who traveled to ...
Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane: The Complete 1957 Riverside Recordings
by Jim Santella
After last year's discovery and Blue Note release of a live recording featuring Thelonious Monk with John Coltrane, At Carnegie Hall, the Concord Music Group has released this two-CD set of Monk and Coltrane session recordings from earlier the same year. The collection includes false starts, alternate takes, previously unissued takes and final (reissued) copy. It's ...
