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353

Article: Album Review

Horace Silver: Jazz Has A Sense Of Humor

Read "Jazz Has A Sense Of Humor" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe

Listening to any new release by Horace Silver is a lot like hearing your favourite comedian tell a joke for the umpteenth time—you know the punch line, but you laugh anyway! Since he left Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1956, Silver has written and produced a number of classic tunes that have become jazz standards. Over ...

255

Article: Album Review

Tom Harrell: Time's Mirror

Read "Time's Mirror" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe

Time's Mirror is Tom Harrell's third recording for RCA and his first big band outing. Although Harrell is best-known for his small group work with Phil Woods and Horace Silver, he is no stranger to the big band idiom having worked with Stan Kenton and Woody Herman. It's interesting to note that most of Harrell's charts ...

193

Article: Album Review

Joey DeFrancesco: Goodfellas

Read "Goodfellas" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe

Joey DeFrancesco, who was heavily influenced by organ maestro Jimmy Smith, is one of the most energetic and expressive Hammond B-3 players on the scene today. His sound combines huge slabs of swirling block chords with nimble, fleet-fingered keyboard runs. While the concept behind Goodfellas may seem a bit obvious and kitschy -- three Italian-Americans working ...

116

Article: Album Review

Pat LaBarbera: Deep In A Dream

Read "Deep In A Dream" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe

Last September tenor/soprano saxophonist Pat LaBarbera appeared at the Forest City Jazz Festival with the same rhythm section featured on this CD. At the time, he alluded to the fact that he had always wanted to record an all-ballads album. Thanks to Bill King and Greg Sutherland of RadioLand Jazz, Pat's dream has become a reality. ...

208

Article: Album Review

Javon Jackson: Pleasant Valley

Read "Pleasant Valley" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe

Having been tutored in Art Blakey's school of hard bop, it comes as no surprise that Javon Jackson's first albums as a leader were steeped in that idiom. Pleasant Valley, his fifth effort for Blue Note, departs slightly from the hard bop genre and heads into “grooveland." Working with guitarist Dave Stryker, organist Larry Goldings and ...

80

Article: Album Review

James Darren: This One's From The Heart

Read "This One's From The Heart" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe

File this one under “Sinatra-lite"-- very lite! For readers too young to remember, former teen heart-throb James Darren starred in Gidgit in the late-50s and scored a Top-10 hit in 1961 with Goodbye Cruel World. His career was rejuvenated recently with his portrayal of swingin' lounge singer Vic Fontaine on the TV series, Star Trek: Deep ...

145

Article: Album Review

Kenny Burrell: 12*15*78

Read "12*15*78" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe

A glance at Kenny Burrell's discography reveals that he has recorded at least a half- dozen “live" albums at The Village Vanguard. Obviously, Kenny and his sidemen enjoy the warmth, comfort and intimacy of this fabled New York nightspot. The title of this 2-CD set refers to the date when Burrell originally recorded Live At The ...

157

Article: Album Review

Eric Alexander: Man With A Horn

Read "Man With A Horn" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe

Consider this fact. In 1991, Eric Alexander finished second to Joshua Redman at the Thelonious Monk Institute's saxophone competition. Joshua is now one of jazz's reigning hot-shot young lions while Eric remains a virtual unknown. Who said life is fair? If there is any justice, Man With A Horn should correct this problem. Working hand in ...

247

Article: Album Review

Joe Zawinul: The Rise And Fall Of The Third Stream

Read "The Rise And Fall Of The Third Stream" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe

Originally released in 1967 on the obscure Vortex label, this CD finds Joe Zawinul at the tail end of his nine year association with Cannonball Adderley. Although Zawinul began his jazz career as a mainstream, hard bop pianist, he would evolve into a noted composer and a pioneer in the use of electronics, exotic sounds and ...

192

Article: Album Review

Stanley Turrentine: Do You Have Any Sugar?

Read "Do You Have Any Sugar?" reviewed by John Sharpe

by John Sharpe

Sixty-five-year-old tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine has always been among the leaders in the soul-jazz genre. His readily identifiable sound graced some fine sessions for Blue Note during the 60s and a series of albums for the CTI label in the 70s had strong crossover appeal. Do You Have Any Sugar? contains some fine bluesy grooves (Keep ...


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