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328

Article: Album Review

Astrud Gilberto: Temperance

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by William Grim
November 25, 2002

Temperance is not available in the United States, which is a real shame because this is one of Astrud Gilberto's best albums in years. First of all, the album is worth its price just for the recording of "How High the Moon," which features the New York Voices providing close harmonic support. The other ...

326

Article: Album Review

Stan Kenton: Stan Kenton Conducts the Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra

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by William Grim
November 16, 2002

This album is a compilation of the best compositions from the first season of Stan Kenton's Neophonic Orchestra, an early attempt to create a jazz orchestra in residence that didn't travel the country doing one- nighters. Although the organization only lasted for three seasons, it was an artistic success and is a model now ...

334

Article: Album Review

Stan Kenton: Adventures in Blues

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by William Grim
November 16, 2002

This is one of the best albums made by the mellophonium band of Stan Kenton, which featured a complete section of mellophoniums (an instrument somewhere between a French horn and a flugelhorn), in addition to the usual components of trumpets, trombones, saxophones and rhythm. This may be the most swinging of all of Kenton's albums because ...

309

Article: Album Review

Stan Kenton: Adventures in Jazz

by William Grim
November 13, 2002

This is one of the finest albums ever recorded by the remarkable Stan Kenton Orchestra. It features two compositions by the composer/trombonist/drummer Dee Barton, "Turtle Talk" and "Waltz of the Prophets," that are among the best-known works from the Kenton library. Barton later went on to fame (like those other Kenton stalwarts, Pete Rugolo and Lennie ...

395

Article: Album Review

Stan Kenton: The Innovations Orchestra

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by William Grim
November 13, 2002

In 1950 and 1951 Stan Kenton assembled a 40-piece orchestra (his standard 19-piece big band supplemented by strings) and presented the first significant attempt at evolving the dance band into an ensemble more closely resembling the symphony orchestra. The resulting music was what later came to be known as "third stream," that is, combining the elements ...

155

Article: Album Review

The Dalton Gang: Just for Tonight

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by William Grim
November 9, 2002

For a good-time jazz album, you can't beat The Dalton Gang's Just for Tonight. The group is one of the most unique ensembles in jazz and is equally at home in Latin music and Tower of Power-style funk. Willy Dalton's original funk tune, “Pressure," is notable for its precision hornwork while the CD's opening ...

161

Article: Album Review

Dave Bernstein Quartet: C the Blues

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by William Grim
November 9, 2002

Dave Bernstein is one of the best jazz guitarists around, equally at home in both straight ahead/bop and traditional blues. This eclectic CD is a wonderful introduction to a fantastic musican who is not well known outside the San Francisco area. The range of tunes included on this CD are astonishing. Simple, traditional solo ...

184

Article: Album Review

Juan-Carlos Formell: La Calles del Paraiso

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by William Grim
November 9, 2002

If I were forced to categorize the music of Juan-Carlos Fromell I'd have to call it “Cuban-Lite." It has Spanish lyrics and the rhythms are latin-based, but it lacks the emotional intensity that we have come to expect from Cuban music. It is also overly produced, in much the same manner as so-called “smooth jazz." While ...

185

Article: Album Review

Marty Namaro: Abstractionisms

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by William Grim
November 6, 2002

This is a very interesting album by multi-instrumentalist Marty Namaro. The pieces on Abstractionisms, all originals, are much less abstract than the title of the album would seem to indicate. Many of the faster numbers have a certain latin flavor, and the ballads are particuarly interesting from a harmonic standpoint. According to the liner ...

150

Article: Album Review

Ben Sher and Tudo Bem: Please Take Me to Brazil (Me Leva Pro Brasil)

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by William Grim
November 4, 2002

This excellent album features some of the best Brazilian and American jazz musicians on the scene today. Several of the sidemen, such as pianist Kenny Barron and singer Luciana Souza, are important leaders in their own right. The group is firmly anchored by the great drummer Duduka da Fonseca, who is best known as one third ...