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Steven Kirby Quartet: Point of Balance
by Joel Roberts
When you listen to a lot of recordings by younger jazz musicians, you're not surprised to hear great chops. The music schools and conservatories are steadily turning out highly polished, technically accomplished performers who can mimic the full gamut of jazz styles. What you seldom hear, though, is an original voice. That's why the new album ...
Dmitri Matheny: Starlight Cafe
by Joel Roberts
Already tabbed a “Talent Deserving Wider Recognition" in the 1998 Down Beat Critics' Poll, flugelhornist Dmitri Matheny seems on the verge of establishing himself as a major new jazz star. His third release on San Francisco's Monarch label may just put him over the top. Conceived as a “collection of nocturnes," Starlight Cafe is a quiet, ...
Daria: Just the Beginning
by Joel Roberts
Just the Beginning is the first recording from the West Coast vocalist who goes by the single name of Daria. An expressive singer with a clear, crisp voice and excellent range, Daria is at her best when she keeps things simple, as on a stripped down version of Ellington and Strayhorn's “Daydream," with the vocals backed ...
Anton Schwartz: When Music Calls
by Joel Roberts
Tenor saxophonist Anton Schwartz makes a strong first impression as both a player and composer on his debut recording. Schwartz has a smooth, full-bodied tenor sound and a straight-ahead, gimmick-free style that emphasizes melody over improvisational fireworks. His patient, solidly swinging approach suggests the influence of players like Ben Webster and Stanley Turrentine. It ...
John Allred: Focused
by Joel Roberts
On his first album for AppleJazz Records, trombonist John Allred serves notice that an important new jazz artist has arrived. The Florida-born musician has complete mastery of his instrument and chops that can compete with most any trombonist on the jazz scene today. He plays with a fluidity and finesse you don't normally hear on the ...
Robin Eubanks Sextet: 4: JJ/Slide/Curtis and Al
by Joel Roberts
The title, if you couldn't figure it out, refers to the trombone legends J.J. Johnson, Slide Hampton, Curtis Fuller and Al Grey. Eubanks proves himself a more than capable heir to their legacy on this highly satisfying album of bop and post-bop. He and a fine band (Mike Cain on piano, Lonnie Plaxico on bass, Gene ...
Ryan Kisor: The Usual Suspects
by Joel Roberts
The youngest of the “young lion" trumpet phenoms, 25-year-old Ryan Kisor can certainly hold his own with such higher profile peers as Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, Wallace Roney, and that Marsalis guy you hear so much about. After making two albums for Columbia in the early 1990s while still a teenager, Kisor has recorded infrequently. He ...
Diane Hubka: Haven't We Met?
by Joel Roberts
New York vocalist Diane Hubka makes an impressive debut with this new release on the Dutch A-Records label. Hubka is an intelligent, self-assured singer with a light, gentle, (dare I say) sweet voice that strongly recalls the great Helen Merrill. She delivers a quiet, unhurried set of jazz for grown-ups here--mostly ballads and standards with some ...
Charles Mingus: The Complete 1959 Columbia Recordings
by Joel Roberts
Charles Mingus was by all accounts an ornery and demanding man who frequently made life hell for those around him, including his fellow musicians. But there's no denying that he also made some of the most joyful and soulful music in jazz history. Some of the best of that music is captured in this three-disc set ...
Doug Lawrence: Soul Carnival
by Joel Roberts
Tenor saxophonist Lawrence has traveled an interesting road to his debut release as a leader. He was about to join Elvis Presley's backup band in Las Vegas in 1977 when the King died. He ended up joining the jazz band at West Point instead. He then served a long apprenticeship with, among others, the Count Basie ...
