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Wayne Coniglio / Scott Whitfield: Fast Friends
by Jack Bowers
Clever title, this. Trombonists Wayne Coniglio and Scott Whitfield. Friends? For almost two decades. Fast? Listen to a few bars of Les Demoiselles de Rocheforte," Fried Pickles" or Bernie's Tune" and decide for yourself. The opinion here is what they do on trombone (tenor and bass) is fast indeed. Having said that, however, it should be ...
Kris Berg - The Metroplexity Big Band: Time Management
by Nicholas F. Mondello
In his liner notes, Dallas-based composer, arranger and bassist Kris Berg takes a good-natured poke at his less-than-stellar skills of the titled kind. While that may or may not be an accurate depiction, this superb recording certainly demonstrates that he and his Metroplexity Jazz Orchestra possess enormous and very admirable musical attributes. With ...
The Pete McGuinness Jazz Orchestra: Strength in Numbers
by Jack Bowers
For the second album as leader of his jazz orchestra, New York-based Pete McGuinness says he has returned to [his] roots," fashioning a series of dapper themes that embody his forward-looking point of view while swinging in the grand tradition of such legendary ensembles as Basie, Herman, Thad Jones and others. When someone like Bill Holman ...
Art Lillard's Heavenly Band: Reasons to Be Thankful
by Jack Bowers
Although drummer Art Lillard's Heavenly Band makes its home about as far from heaven as one could plausibly roam--New York City, to be precise--the music it produces on Reasons to Be Thankful (recorded in 2000 and released six years later) evokes at times an empyrean vibe, thanks in part to blissful arrangements by Lillard and guitarist ...
Watters / Felts Project: Watters / Felts Project
by Jack Bowers
On The Watters / Felts Project, Ken Watters, a fine trumpeter, and his quintet are confined for the most part to escorting singer Ingrid Felts as she wends her way through five present-day compositions, Billie Holiday's Fine and Mellow" and the standard I'll Be Seeing You." Is it a good idea? That depends in part on ...
Rebecca DuMaine & The Dave Miller Trio: Better Than Anything
by Dan Bilawsky
Better Than Anything is about past and present, songs and singers, influences and memories, and father-and-daughter chemistry. It's the second album, following Deed I Do (Summit Records, 2012), that finds vocalist Rebecca DuMaine joining forces with her father, pianist Dave Miller. DuMaine and Miller share more than genetic code, as they both seem ...
Daniel Smith: Smokin' Hot Bassoon Blues
by Hrayr Attarian
It is rare that a jazz album comes with laugh out loud moments but bassoonist Daniel Smith's Smokin' Hot Bassoon Blues is full of them. Unfortunately these do not appear to be intentional humorous attempts merely risibly poor performances. This is a shame as Smith is both an accomplished musician and a jazz connoisseur ...
Rebecca DuMaine & The Dave Miller Trio: Better Than Anything
by C. Michael Bailey
Smart. Simple. Confident. Competent. These are just four descriptors that apply to Rebecca DuMaine's recital with the Dave Miller Trio entitled Better Than Anything. DuMaine and Miller assemble a recital of fifteen standards and near standards that nominally orbit the specters of Bob Haymes, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Leonard Bernstein, who each provide two songs to ...
Stan Kenton Alumni Band: Road Scholars
by Jack Bowers
Road Scholars? A clever title indeed, but these gentlemen (and three ladies) are more akin to road maestros," an appraisal that is abundantly clear from A to Z on this latest recording by trumpeter Mike Vax's turbo-charged Stan Kenton Alumni Band, taped at various concerts during the band's 2013 spring tour, a two-week, three-thousand-mile odyssey that ...
Daniel Smith: Smokin' Hot Bassoon Blues
by Jack Bowers
All those who can resist reviewing--or reading a review about--a jazz / blues quartet led by a bassoonist, please raise your hands. No one? Very well, then, let us proceed. The bassoonist in question is Daniel Smith, and while his name may be unassuming, it would be good to report that there is nothing ordinary about ...



