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Helen Merrill: Jelena Ana Milcetic aka Helen Merrill
by Mathew Bahl
There has never been a jazz vocal record quite like Jelena Ana Milcetic a.k.a. Helen Merrill. It is obvious from the very first track as the Lado Folk Dance and Music Ensemble of Croatia intone a movement from the liturgical cantata “Telo Kristusevo" against the backdrop of Terry Clarke's thundering drums. It is a prayer sung ...
Jimmy Smith: Root Down
by Derek Taylor
Sharing a fate similar to many musical innovators who weather the test of time Jimmy Smith eventually became a prisoner of the very style he pioneered. Cookie-cutter sessions that paled in comparison to his early, genre-defining work have become the norm in the organist’s later years. Root Down, recently reissued as part of ‘Verve By Request’ ...
Danilo Perez: Motherland
by David Adler
Motherland is Danilo Perez's most conceptually ambitious project to date, throwing today's definition of “jazz" even further up for grabs. With the support of a large cast of guest musicians, Perez embarks on a celebration of his native Panama. More a world music album than a jazz album, Motherland features Latin rhythms and instruments, African response ...
John McLaughlin: The Heart of Things - Live in Paris
by Scott Andrews
On the self-titled 1997 studio record from his electric fusion bandThe Heart of Things, John McLaughlin's songwriting ranged from pensive ebb to wild clamor, played with melody and passion by the five piece band, while McLaughlin assumed the background role of a mentor. Some McLaughlin fans maligned the music as sterile and dry, lacking the spark ...
Tal Farlow Trio: The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow
by Mike Neely
The Swinging Guitar of Tal Farlow not only presents Farlow at his swinging best but also features the brilliant pianist Eddie Costa in one of his too few recordings. In many ways this is a duet recording with Farlow and Costa playing off of each other above a traditional bass accompaniment. In this case “play" is ...
Roy Hargrove: Moment To Moment
by Mark Corroto
A public figure or celebrity has “made it" when his face appears on the cover of TIME magazine or perhaps when a parade in her honor is held in New York. For a jazz artist, 'making it' means recording with an orchestra. Charlie Parker With Strings may have been the first in a long line of ...
Claudia Acuna: Wind from the South
by David Adler
Chilean-born singer Claudia Acuña burst onto the New York jazz scene in the late 90s. Her debut CD is nothing short of marvelous. Supported by a stellar cast of young, cutting-edge musicians — Jason Lindner on piano, Avishai Cohen on bass, and Jeff Ballard on drums, as well as special guests — Acuña casts a spell ...
Roy Haynes: The Roy Haynes Trio
by John Sharpe
Considering that Roy Haynes’ illustrious career spans over 50 years, it would be easier to list the musicians he hasn’t worked with, as opposed to those he has! While the legendary drummer, who is now over 70- years-old, has kept steady time for the greatest names in jazz, his recordings as a leader are rare. This ...
Lester Young/Roy Eldridge/Harry Edison: Laughin' to Keep from Cryin'
by David Adler
This 1958 all-star date documents Pres on his last legs, about a year away from death. His tone is faltering and his energy level is low — especially on the clarinet, which he plays on “Salute to Benny" and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me." But still, on “Gypsy In My Soul" and “Please Don’t ...
Roy Haynes/ Danilo Perez/ John Patitucci: Trio
by Mark Corroto
I must confess the new trio disc by Roy Haynes had me from side one, song one, ten seconds into Bud Powell's “Wail." Ignoring the fact that CDs don't have two sides, Haynes, a contemporary and band mate of Powell, instantly transports us back to the mid-fifties. Bebop ruled the day, and Haynes' modern choice of ...
