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New Orleans: New Orleans Mardi Gras
by Jim Santella
Ravaged by storms and sharing a tragic fate with neighboring communities last year, New Orleans doesn't have much to celebrate as Mardi Gras approaches. It hurts to think about the lives lost and the traditions that have been broken. Keepsake treasures have disappeared; a huge void has been left behind. However, we all know ...
The Omer Avital Group: Asking No Permission
by Jim Santella
In a live 1996 session at Smalls in New York, Omer Avital leads this stellar sextet through a program of six originals and one standard. Nothing is standard, however, about the way this double bassist interprets modern jazz. A “young lion on the New York jazz scene, Avital was born in Israel. He studied ...
The Mary Lou Williams Collective: Zodiac Suite: Revisited
by Jim Santella
The Mary Lou Williams Collective, an arm of the Mary Lou Williams Foundation, Inc., is devoted to the recording and performance of the music of the pianist and composer. Williams dedicated her Zodiac Suite to figures she respected, including Billie Holiday, Ben Webster, Duke Ellington, Ellis Larkins, Vic Dickenson, Leonard Feather, Dizzy Gillespie, Art Tatum, Bud ...
Carlos Barbosa-Lima: Carioca
by Jim Santella
As guitarist Carlos Barbosa-Lima interprets the songs of Central and South American composers both classic and contemporary, he creates a lovely album of soft, tropical harmony. Ethereal in its mood and graceful in its dancing rhythms, Carioca represents a casual panorama of Rio de Janeiro. In Barbosa-Lima's hands, the acoustic guitar carries a wide-ranging ...
Jack Sheldon & Jack Marshall: Freaky Friday: The Jazz Opera
by Jim Santella
Humor and jazz from the early 1960s give this short opera plenty of sex appeal. The music that Jack Sheldon created, and the dialogue that he wrote with Jack Marshall, comes from an era when beach movies were popular and Elvis was giving the big-screen heartthrob performances that would last forever.Howard Roberts' guitar, Sheldon's ...
Lionel Hampton: Jazz Legend
by Jim Santella
Lionel Hampton Lionel Hampton: Jazz Legend King of the Vibes Hudson Music 2006 Unlike some musical biographies, this one places the music above the commentary. Vibraphonist Mike Mainieri and drummer Steve Smith share a narration that discusses the career of Lionel Hampton, and they allow plenty ...
Jack Sheldon Quintet: Sunday Afternoons at The Lighthouse Cafe
by Jim Santella
Jack Sheldon Quintet Sunday Afternoons at The Lighthouse Cafe Woofy Productions 2006 Father's Day at the Lighthouse brought families together for this warm afternoon performance by the venerable Jack Sheldon and his musical partners. The weather in Hermosa Beach is pleasant all year round, and the jazz this ...
Tom Hunter: Here I Go Again
by Jim Santella
Using his big, booming baritone voice, Tom Hunter sings jazz and blues with a convincing delivery. Much of the program on Here I Go Again, his third album, recalls the traditional spirit of Dr. John and like-minded artists from the Big Easy. Coincidentally, he also plays organ and piano, making those keys sparkle alongside each vocal ...
Dennis Chambers / Jeff Berlin / Dave Fiuczynski / T Lavitz: Boston T Party
by Jim Santella
These four jazz fusion artists give Boston T Party something to crow about. Ten tracks mean ten instrumental conversations; the quartet's original compositions are based in the blues, driven like fiery hard rock, and built upon the spontaneity of jazz. Dave Fiuczynski breathes with expressive fire. The action of his electric guitar adds a ...
Jennifer Leitham & Jimmy Bruno: Two For the Road
by Jim Santella
Recorded in 1999, Two for the Road features two of the most effective string jazz artists on the planet. As they remind us here, Jennifer Leitham and Jimmy Bruno share a love for the powerful release of expression through music. The blues comes through it. And yet both demonstrate superior technical proficiency on their instruments.
