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Walter Shed 5tet: Blue Plate Tectonics
by Robert Spencer
Pittsburgh's Water Shed 5tet is your standard sax-guitar-cello-bass-drums unit. Their music is a mélange adultère de tout, not only because of the original lineup, but because the players are given to sudden and unexpected moves like electric guitarist Daryl Fleming's quote of “Dixie" in the approach to a Yes-flavored crescendo in “Braque." Blue Plate Tectonics, their ...
Diane Schuur: The Best of Diane Schuur
by Robert Spencer
Big band, big sound, big brass, big voice-"All Right, OK, You Win, (I'm in Love with You)." Smaller band, but voice still big and way up front: “Try a Little Tenderness." The Best of Diane Schuur shows off the singer's large charms as first displayed on nine GRP discs. She sings beautifully up and down in ...
Gene Harris and Brother Jack McDuff: Down Home Blues
by Robert Spencer
When Niki Harris sings about how much she loves it “when Daddy plays those down home blues," she knows what she's talking about. The Daddy in her case is none other than Gene Harris, the 64-year-old blues pianist. Gene features his little girl (a long-tenured backup singer for Madonna as well as Anita Baker and Quincy ...
Chick Corea and Gary Burton: Native Sense-The New Duets
by Robert Spencer
Pianist Chick Corea and Gary Burton (vibes and marimba) have put together a new disc of duets, Native Sense, and it can be summed up in one word: lovely. This is the fifth duet recording from these two; their interaction shows the ease and comfort of a long association, even though the last release was twelve ...
Carol Sloane and Clark Terry: The Songs Ella and Louis Sang
by Robert Spencer
Carol Sloane and Clark Terry! Can they still cut it? Oh yes. In the liner notes for The Songs Ella & Louis Sang, George Simon says, “After listening to these, Carol's latest recorded sounds, I realize once more how musically and sensitively and clearly she sings -- even better than before-if that's possible! Clark Terry is ...
The Latin Jazz Party Collection: Fiesta Picante
by Robert Spencer
Fiesta Picante-The Latin Jazz Party Collection is an example of truth in advertising. It promises “red-hot tracks from Latin music greats," all hot, all danceable, and it delivers in spades. This two-disc set assembles the most sizzling tracks from Concord Picante releases by the top of the heap in Latin jazz: Tito Puente, Poncho Sanchez, Mongo ...
Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass: Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass Play the Jazz Classics
by Robert Spencer
Competent is the key word here. Rob McConnell and The Boss Brass have been at their labor of love of big band music for almost thirty years; here, as they Play the Jazz Classics, their long experience shows. The playing is lovely and loving, every detail is in place, and the record is thoroughly satisfying in ...
Stan Getz: Soul Eyes
by Robert Spencer
Stan Getz, ladies and gentlemen, Stan Getz. An improviser's improviser on the top of his game, never dropping the ball, never sweating, in total control of what he's doing at all times. I reallyought to get out more, folks. You don't have to tell me about Jelly Roll or Satchmo or Duke, but Stan Getz, well, ...
Tito Puente: Oye Como Va: The Dance Collection
by Robert Spencer
The liner notes say that Tito Puente “has truly made himself the King of Latin Music on This Planet." Until Sun Ra can convince the King of Latin Music on Saturn to pay us a visit, Tito will do just fine. Oye Como Va -- hear how it goes. From the sound of it on this ...
Mongo Santamaria: Afro Blue: The Picante Collection
by Robert Spencer
Mon Dieu! Mondo Mongo is a great place! Mongo Santamaria is the man who gave the world “Afro Blue," a song that caught the ears of John Coltrane and many others for its soaring and dignified spirituality -- a songmadefor Trane. That the composer himself, meanwhile, is no one-hit wonder is abundantly proven by this Concord ...
