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Landing in Pittsburgh and Loving It Madly
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Now that his early mentor, Phil Woods as left the room, Richie Cole is arguably the most genuine acolyte of classic alto Bop tradition on the jazz scene today. With four albums released over the last four years, Cole is certainly letting it all fly. Always a player of terrific technical skills, Cole's work delivers consistent ...
Rich Willey: Down & Dirty
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Back in 2001, trumpeter/composer/educator Rich Willey released a critically acclaimed album titled Gone with the Piggies (CAP Records). As a result, a savvy audience has followed him cult-like ever since. With Down and Dirty, the former Maynard Ferguson standout delivers a bacchanalia presentation both as player and composer, surrounded by a unit of Los Angeles' finest ...
Ricardo Peixoto: scary beautiful
by Nicholas F. Mondello
A well-known chocolate confection advertises itself as “Indescribably Delicious." That phrase also aptly describes guitarist/composer Ricardo Peixoto's album, Scary Beautiful. It is a recording of rainbow textures, infectious energies and utterly superior musicianship. And, it is one that encourages devouring. Peixoto (pronounced pay-sho-to), Brazilian by birth and now residing in L.A., gives us ...
Mark Winkler: I'm With You
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Regarding tribute albums--a seemingly endless flow these days -it's a rarity when the honoree, the material and the performance mesh so perfectly. Los Angeles vocalist/songwriter/educator Mark Winkler's I'm With You fits that description to a T--in this case Bobby Troup. This effort, a hip, hip array of Troup's iconic material is a marvelously presented and performed ...
Rob Ryndak & Tom Lockwood: Gratitude
by Nicholas F. Mondello
There's poignancy about the titles of the selections on this fine album that generates reflection. Perhaps that was the intention of the two composers, Rob Ryndak and Tom Lockwood. However, the music of Gratitude—all original, highly textural—solidifies this supposition. Incorporating a crew of fine Chicago-area musicians along with guest trumpeter Brian Lynch, Ryndak ...
Elizabeth Tombulian: Love's in Need of Love Today
by Nicholas F. Mondello
By the third track on Elizabeth Tomboulian's Love's in Need of Love Today , you discover three observations: that the album is probably going to be a rainbow of diverse grooves and textures; that Tomboulian is definitely adept at all of them; and that she takes great joy in doing so. The eleven ...
Camila Meza & the Nectar Orchestra: Ámbar
by Nicholas F. Mondello
With Ámbar, the Chilean-born New York vocalist, instrumentalist and composer Camila Meza, here recording with the marvelous Nectar Orchestra, sends out a dozen tracks of intriguing, highly-textured culturally-rich music. The material, creatively superb and impeccably performed all around, not only reinforces the fact that Meza is an acknowledged Downbeat Magazine Rising Star, but also vividly demonstrates ...
Richie Cole: Cannonball
by Nicholas F. Mondello
With Cannonball, Richie Cole and his crew deliver fourteen selections, each of which is associated with the album's namesake, Julian Cannonball Adderley. Cole has admired Adderley since their meeting when Cole was a student at Berklee School of Music. The album is a terrific salute and it once more confirms Cole as a leading flamekeeper of ...
Lauren White: Life in the Modern World
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Vocalist, actress, producer.... Lauren White does it all. And, as befits a Renaissance artist, she not only excels, but also explores the unique, the compelling and the substantive. With Life in the Modern World she and her team of Los Angeles aces do precisely that, delivering 11 fine selections, most lesser-known, but each a certified gem. ...
Keith Fiala: From Maynard to the Maestro
by Nicholas F. Mondello
Keith Fiala, trumpeter, composer, producer, author, educator/clinician, video production guru, and currently personal assistant to 10-time Grammy winner, Arturo Sandoval. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa and later Austin, Texas, Fiala who also spent time starring on Maynard Ferguson's Big Bop Nouveau Band, took a few moments from his busy schedule to chat. All About ...
