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Satoko Fujii Quartet: Zephyros
by Jim Santella
Swirling with unbridled energy, Satoko Fujii’s quartet forges ahead with creative improvised music that swings. Jazz has to grow. Here’s an ensemble of forward-looking artists who assure us that it will. Natsuki Tamura’s open trumpet provides a warm and resolute companionship to the pianist’s highly charged dynamism. Fujii moves around the grand piano’s ...
Harvie S: Texas Rumba
by Jim Santella
Bridging the gap between Afro-Cuban jazz and modern jazz, Harvie S issues ten original pieces and one classic standard in support of the argument that Latin jazz consists of equal parts Latin and jazz. The leader’s 1996 visit to Cuba offered him the opportunity to study with masters in the field. Politics aside, ...
Taxi Chain: Smarten Up!
by Jim Santella
Blues bands come in all shapes and sizes, from country roots to urban sizzle and contemporary fizz. Taxi Chain captures all that and more. Bagpipes and fifes recall early Americana and European music, more so than our idea of the blues. Taxi Chain explores the roots of Great Britain that were imported to ...
Dom Minasi: Time Will Tell
by Jim Santella
The modern mainstream is served righteously with Dom Minasi’s latest album, which features his chamber jazz quartet interpreting six originals and two integral standards. Combining elements of free jazz with straight-ahead luxury, the quartet sparkles with its melding of fresh, new ideas and familiar melodies. Minasi writes from a straight-ahead jazz experience. That’s ...
Various Artists: Ultimate Mancini
by Jim Santella
Who hasn't been touched by the familiar songs of Henry Mancini? Preferring to release interpretations that forge ahead and don't simply imitate the originals, Concord has invited several guests to make this album something special. No one can perform 'Moon River' like Stevie Wonder, for example. His appearance here, with Take 6 providing a ...
James Hollihan: The Funky Misfit
by Jim Santella
By creating his program a little bit funky and a little bit smooth, James Hollihan has laid down a tasty set of originals that lie in tune with contemporary vibrations. All music serves a purpose. We find that different needs are fulfilled with every album that finds its way to the store shelves. ...
Susan May: The Rose
by Jim Santella
Susan May is equally at home singing show tunes as she is beltin’ out blues in the fashion of early pioneers of the art form. Her strong alto voice and remarkable range are natural tools. What's surprising, however, is the accuracy of her delivery and the convincing authority with which she interprets these favorite songs.
Ben Rosenbloom: Lumina Jass
by Jim Santella
In a kind of session that can be found quite regularly on the Los Angeles free jazz scene, Ben Rosenbloom directs a powerful program of improvised fun. The pianist swings with carefree abandon, turning on those little “light bulbs” of discovery above the listener’s head with each perky statement and with each spontaneous cascade of keys. ...
Dave Douglas: Strange Liberation
by Jim Santella
With an exotic title track that reminds us where jazz is headed, Dave Douglas and his ensemble of all-stars takes the listener on a tour on this Strange Liberation. With the kids in the back seat and a self-invited brother-in-law doing the driving, the family is all nestled in the SUV for a vacation of jazz ...
Alan Baylock Jazz Orchestra: Two Seconds To Midnight
by Jim Santella
His big band arrangements provide colors and scents that are wrapped around a powerful group of soloists. When Alan Baylock lays out his master plan, all the orchestra’s voices are represented in balance. Soaring trumpets, pulsating guitar, throbbing bass, bookend trombones, conversing saxophones, and a propulsive drummer get together with delicate care and attention to detail. ...
