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Daniel Bennett Group: The Hills of Beijing
by Scott Lichtman
Daniel Bennett has carved out a unique jazz sound, recognized via numerous reviews and awards for the Daniel Bennett Group. Compositions change keys and meter quickly, sometimes from bar-to-bar-to-bar, yet the melody and improvisations follow a smooth, logical path. The arrangements are compact, with instrumentations that can hint at folk or soundtrack music. Bennett's tone across ...
Başak Yavuz: Promised Lands
by Scott Lichtman
Vocalist and composer Başak Yavuz is intense. The lyrics of “Promised Lands" state that “someone told me to release the animal," which is exactly she and her band do. Drums and electric bass propel a free jazz-like feel with tinges of James Brown, while the guitar and voice open by harmonizing a tight, descending harmony that ...
World Saxophone Quartet: Take The 'A' Train
by Scott Lichtman
The World Saxophone Quartet has always created a buzz... literally. Pioneers in jazz woodwinds, WSO combined instrumental prowess with sophisticated orchestrations and a wide repertoire encompassing jazz standards, free jazz, blues, world rhythms, and politicized songs. The original group from the '70s and '80s featured Julius Hemphill and Oliver Lake on alto and soprano saxophones, David ...
Säje: I Can't Help It
by Scott Lichtman
It is rare to encounter, an all-female, professional jazz vocal ensemble. The quartet säje (pronounced like “beige") not only has established itself in this genre with a Grammy nomination, but they raise the bar for all vocal groups. The singers--Sara Gazarek, Amanda Taylor, Erin Bentlage and Johnaye Kendrick--are practically telepathic in synchronizing their phrasing. Any big ...
Steps Ahead: Trains
by Scott Lichtman
"Trains" by Steps Ahead, represents an apex of a certain era of jazz-rock fusion. The band was a supergroup, featuring Michael Brecker on saxophone, Mike Mainieri on vibraphone and rotating top names filling out guitar, drums, bass and keys. By the mid-'80s, the band had evolved from an acoustic sound to one based more on synthesized ...
Junius Paul: Asé
by Scott Lichtman
Bass lovers unite! For those who adore the dexterity, the groove, the sheer “plunk" of a crisply-recorded upright bass, check out “Asé" by Junius Paul. The piece opens with an anthemic motif that quickly transforms into a beehive of motion. Paul continues this jaw-dropping flurry of sound until he shifts into a modal groove that welcomes ...
Cyrille Aimée And Mathis Picard At The Emelin Theatre
by Scott Lichtman
Cyrille Aimée The Emelin Theatre Mamaroneck, NYApril 18, 2024 Renowned vocalist Cyrille Aimée and pianist extraordinaire Mathis Picard performed a magnetic set at the intimate Emelin Theatre. The duo's musical sensitivity, song selection and chemistry engaged the audience from the opening notes. Pianist Mathis may be lesser known but ...
Wonderful now
by Scott Lichtman
What do you get when you combine the high-velocity beats of electronica with the virtuosic proficiency of fusion, the pristine sound quality of an ECM label record and the “goes down easy" catchiness of smooth jazz? When composed and performed at the highest level, it sounds like Anatole Muster's album, Wonderful now. This album gets better ...
Cyrille Aimée: Music Flows From Within
by Scott Lichtman
Renowned vocalist Cyrille Aimée possesses a wholly unique sound. Certainly, it is based on her voice timbre but also reflects her approach to music. She is equally adept at jazz standards and pop-jazz. She can swing and scat on cue, then shift to high tech sound loops. Songs in English, French and Spanish are delivered with ...
Stefano Di Battista: La Vita è Bella
by Scott Lichtman
"La vita è bella" ("life is beautiful" in Italian) is one tune whose title truly captures its essence. Alto saxophonist Stefano Di Battista leads his quintet through this peppy, hummable bebop piece, a remake of the movie theme of the same name. As the drummer's brushwork flies by at 160bpm, Di Battista and trumpeter Matteo Cutello ...
