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John Pizzarelli: P.S. Mr. Cole
by John Sharpe
Much of guitarist John Pizzarelli’s work has been modeled after the drummerless trio of Nat King Cole. In 1994 John paid tribute to his idol with his recording, Dear Mr. Cole. P.S. Mr. Cole is, obviously, a sequel to that effort. Tutored by his legendary father, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, John is a fine rhythm player and ...
Brad Mehldau: Art Of The Trio 4: Back At The Vanguard
by John Sharpe
In the liner notes for this fourth installment of Mehldau's Art Of The Trio series, Brad takes issue with the fact that many critics have compared his trio with that of Bill Evans. Well, critics are always looking for stylistic references to hang their hats on and I happened to agree with reviewers when they made ...
Charlie Haden: The Art Of The Song
by John Sharpe
In the early-’60s bassist Charlie Haden worked with avant-garde jazz pioneers Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. In 1969 he founded The Liberation Music Orchestra, an aggregation committed to performing complex, politically charged music. When Haden formed Quartet West in 1986, listeners quickly noted that this group represented a 180 degree shift in his focus. Where the ...
Harry Edison & The Golden Horns: Live At The Iridium
by John Sharpe
Live At The Iridium proves once again that if musicians can avoid/survive such occupational hazards as drugs, booze and jealous spouses, they can create great jazz for a lifetime. Recorded in 1997, Live At The Iridium features Harry “Sweets” Edison (81), Clark Terry (76), Frank Wess (75) and Junior Mance (68). While the participants may lack ...
Eric Dolphy: The Illinois Concert
by John Sharpe
Eric Dolphy is now recognized as an innovative genius, but in the ’60s he was ignored by the public and derided by critics and many of his peers. Originally influenced by Charlie Parker, Dolphy was a master alto saxophonist/flautist and was one of a handful of musicians who utilized the bass clarinet in a jazz setting. ...
Tony Bennett: Tony Bennett Sings Ellington Hot and Cool
by John Sharpe
Although I’ve lost count of the number of CDs released this year that have paid tribute to Duke Ellington on his 100th anniversary, I find this one to be especially noteworthy. Tony Bennett is not a “jazz singer” by definition, but there is no question that throughout his career he has been heavily influenced by the ...
James Hurt: Dark Grooves-Mystical Rhythms
by John Sharpe
First of all, ignore the spacey, futuristic cover photo and zodiac-theme song titles. They are nothing more than marketing mumbo-jumbo and bear little relation to the musical content. What we have here is a pianist who has done some nice work as a sideman with Antonio Hart (Here I Stand) and Sherman Irby (Full Circle), but ...
Barbara Dennerlein: Outhipped
by John Sharpe
Outhipped is a splendid follow-up to Barbara Dennerlein’s first two releases for Verve -- Take Off! (1995) and Junkanoo (1997). Again, she takes full advantage of the rich, deep tones of the Hammond B3 to produce a heady mix of funky, soulful jazz. Mitch Watkins (guitar) and Don Alias (percussion), holdovers from the earlier CDs, are ...
Carmen McRae: Ballad Essentials
by John Sharpe
Carmen McRae has always been one of my favourite singers. Technically, she couldn’t match the vocal gymnastics of Ella Fitzgerald or Sarah Vaughan, but her timing and delivery were impeccable. Ballad Essentials is a fine compilation drawn from four albums Carmen recorded for Concord in the 80s -- Fine And Mellow - Live At Birdland West, ...
Ted Nash: Rhyme & Reason
by John Sharpe
At a time when the marketplace seems to be dominated by the sounds of “smooth jazz," it's encouraging to know that recordings such as these are still being produced. Saxophonist Ted Nash, who grew up in a very musical family, composed and arranged the entire CD and it's an ambitious, challenging piece of work. With the ...
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