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Ted Nash: Still Evolved
by Jim Santella
Ted Nash's work with Lionel Hampton, Quincy Jones, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Don Ellis, the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, the Herbie Nichols Project and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra has earned the saxophonist a reputation for living in the mainstream. At 43, he’s in a position to continue shaping the landscape of straight-ahead jazz through his innovative ideas. ...
Joel Harrison: Free Country
by Jim Santella
Through his free interpretation of American folk songs and country classics, guitarist Joel Harrison explores the growth patterns that exist under today's expanding jazz umbrella. As a contemporary blues band, Harrison's ensemble slides and moans characteristically to uphold the tradition of this deep-seated music. As a backbeat-driven rock band, the guitarist's arrangements ...
Charles Davis: Blue Gardenia
by Jim Santella
Baritone saxophonist Charles Davis started out with Sun Ra in the early 1950s. Along the way, he’s paid his dues in the big bands of Clark Terry, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Illinois Jacquet and Lionel Hampton. He first played “Blue Gardenia” with Dinah Washington in the late ‘50s. As a leader, he’s only issued a few recordings: ...
Maynard Ferguson: Conquistador
by Jim Santella
Maynard Ferguson's only gold album, Conquistador split its session time between his big band in San Francisco and a contemporary studio ensemble in New York. The 1977 album's memorable themes from Star Trek and Rocky, as well as the enchanting “Mister Mellow," made use of the studio ensemble with superlative results. Bob James and George Benson ...
Jane Fuller: You
by Jim Santella
Her girl-next-door persona gives Jane Fuller a debut that's easy to like. Not one to copy, Fuller carries her singing and songwriting beyond established boundaries. Her original pieces, “Gonna Cause Trouble” and “Wolf in Sheep’s Clothes,” take contemporary aim at the jazz singing repertoire. The blues weighs heavily on her soul. Fuller, who ...
Miles Davis: The Miles Davis Story
by Jim Santella
Sony’s film biography of Miles Davis approaches its subject with a warmth of spirit that’s not always found in the narrative adventures of an artist or in the documentary of a genre such as jazz. Director Mike Dibb combines essential aural and visual elements to bring his production to life. Many of the film segments and ...
James Carter: Gardenias For Lady Day
by Jim Santella
James Carter with strings. Carter's tribute to the memory of Billie Holiday weaves lyrical melodies around his own trademark enthusiasm. His desire to build upon what our jazz ancestors laid down for us has matured. Instead of far-out creations that few could understand and that many would bicker with, the 34-year-old saxophone sensation serves ...
Various Artists: Savoy On Central Avenue
by Jim Santella
“Blip Blip” goes the swing music that strolled through the streets of Los Angeles during the Swing Era. This 2-CD compilation features poignant glimpses of what was happening on Central Avenue from 1941 to 1952. It was right after the end of World War II that L.A. experienced its big building boom and a revitalization of ...
Alan Broadbent: You And The Night And The Music
by Jim Santella
When Alan Broadbent first started out, he was playing six nights a week in Boston with a trio. The nightclub format offered him a chance to develop his ideas and test them out before a live audience. Then came stints with Woody Herman, Nelson Riddle, and other collaborations on the West Coast. Maybeck Recital Hall, Grammy ...
Dave Weckl Band: Live (And Very Plugged In)
by Jim Santella
Dave Weckl makes contemporary jazz sizzle with the heat and intensity of artists who’ve grown up with caffeine in their veins and restless anticipation on their minds. The combination of a rumbling electric bass, a gyrating set of keyboards, and a powerfully propulsive set of drums comes naturally to our generation. We’ve been shaking to their ...
