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Sam Taylor: Let Go

by Edward Blanco
A very tasteful and swinging version of the Jimmy Van Heusen classic standard Here's That Rainy Day," from tenor saxophonist Sam Taylor on his third album as leader entitled Let Go featuring trumpeter Terell Stafford and an all-star rhythm section of pianist Jeb Patton, bassist Neal Miner and drummer Willie Jones III. The quintet sets out ...
Nu Deco Ensemble + Aaron Parks: Chronos

by Mike Jacobs
First appearing on Aaron Parks' joint venture with Matt Penman, Joshua Redman and Eric Harland, James Farm (Nonesuch, 2011), Miami's adventurous Nu Deco Ensemble takes AP's composition Chronos" out for an expanded spin, with the composer himself as guest performer. From the 2019 digital-only release Nu Deco Ensemble + Aaron Parks: Live From Miami.
Richard Galliano, Paolo Fresu and Jan Lundgren: The Windmills of Your Mind

by Michael Ricci
After reading the 200 Jazz Compositions Inspired By Don Quixote announcement and listening to the companion playlist I discovered the many jazz covers of Michel Legrand's Windmills of Your Mind"--which won an Oscar for best song (The Thomas Crown Affair, 1968). A haunting beauty, this version by Richard Galliano, Paolo Fresu and Jan Lundgren's appears on ...
Kevin Hays & Lionel Loueke: Feuilles-O

by Geno Thackara
One pianist with a naturally soulful touch (and a fairly rich crooning voice to boot), one guitarist with innate Afro-rhythms running through everything he does; they still make a myriad of tones for just two guys with no special effects. 2019's Hope (Edition Records) had no shortage of highlights, but their take on this sweet/sad Haitian ...
Nasir Dickerson’s Light Shines Bright!

by J. Michael Harrison
"Let It Shine" begins with a powerful poem (see below) that's beautifully sung by vocalist Danielle Nichole. It offers a warm and comforting gateway into the title selection of talented multi-instrumentalist Nasir Dickerson's album Let It Shine. For decades Nasir, his parents and siblings have been a source of inspiration, a bright light, and a tremendous ...
Jim Beard: Grace In The Bubble

by Mike Jacobs
Though he's a great enough musician to be exactly what many a recording or live situation calls for, Grace In The Bubble" is emblematic of the mixture of technical proficiency, compositional acumen and playful quirk that Jim Beard invests into his solo outings. If Beard's idiosyncratic whimsy was perhaps tucked away a bit on his stunning ...
Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass: Easy To Love

by Brian Eaton
Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass was perhaps one of the most underrated jazz big bands. This world-class band from Toronto, Canada was led by trombonist, composer, and arranger Rob McConnell and featured top-notch players including altoist Moe Koffman, guitarist Ed Bickert, flugelhornist Guido Basso, and Eugene Amaro on tenor. Released back in 1985 on their ...
Peter Epstein, Brad Shepik, Matt Kilmer: Temoin

by Mike Jacobs
The nimble Temoin" is one of the many piquant delights this unusually formatted trio (sax, guitar, frame drum) puts forth on Lingua Franca (Songlines, 2005), The absence of upright or electric bass creates a tangibly wider sonic space for their ethnically-tinged, odd-metered romps and highlights their wonderfully telepathic interplay. At times subtle, at others spicy, the ...
Don Byron: Cleo's Mood

by Ludovico Granvassu
In addition to being one of its most-forward looking voices, Don Byron has covered the whole gamut of American music--from Mickey Katz to Raymond Scott, from Duke Ellington to Lester Young and Stevie Wonder--and beyond, from Robert Schumann to Giacomo Puccini. He has done so with his signature sound, a deep understanding of those composers' traditions ...