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Jazz Weekly

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Creative Music and other forms of Avant Garde

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****RINGER OF THE WEEK****THIS IS JAZZ VOCALS…Ella Fitzgerald: Live at Falkoner Theatre, Copenhagen 6th February 1966

Once in awhile, you remember why you first liked jazz. This is one of those records. Back in the late 1960s, Ella Fitzgerald toured around with Duke Ellington’s orchestra, the result being a one lp in 1967, and later a 7cd collection from concerts at the Cote D’Zur. If it were possible, I would have...

ReviewsRinger of the Week

Dan Siegel: Resolution

Pianist and composer Dan Siegel is a throwback to the Old School of jazzers, playing melodic and accessible uptown sounds that hit the ears just right. He’s teamed with the veteran Brian Bromberg/b and Jay Belierose/dr-per in trio format, and supplemented at times by some soothing horns and guitarists Matt Hormbeck-Allen Hinds-Dean Parks. The horns...

Satko Fujii Orchestra Kobe: After The Storm

Legendary Composer and pianist Satoko Fujii brings forth her ideas in orchestral form on this latest album. The four part suite “After The Storm” is most cogent and bopping on the concluding “$” while the horns squeak and squawk on a gurgling “3”. The hues are dark with Keishiro Saito’s bass on the wild ride...

TWO SIDES OF MIGUEL ZENON: , Miguel Zenon: Miguel Zenon & Luis Perdomo: El Arte Del Bolero, Expressions,-Concerto for Alto Sax and Orchestra

After showing how his working band can perform through his last album, a live one, alto saxist Miguel Zenon shows two more sides of his creative skills on a pair of new releases. Miguel Zenon duos up with longtime piano partner Luis Perdomo on a rich and intimated collection of romantic boleros. The two tap...

THE ORIGINAL CROONER…Bing Crosby: Kraft Music Hall Time Vol 3

Before Bing Crosby, there was no jazz singing, as he and Louis Armstrong essentially invented it. Armstrong was the pulse, and Crosby was the tone, as his mellifluous voice could calm a tornado. Culled from his famed Music Hall radio broadcast from the 30s and 40s, Bing is his insouciant self, sounding avuncularly relaxed o...

BLUES ROCKING…Katie Knipp: Live at Theater 5150, Brad “Guitar” Wilson: Boundless

There's good rockin' tonight... Playing guitar, harmonica and piano, singer Katie Knapp growls out a set at Theater 5150 with Pancho Tomasell/b, Steve Utstein/key, Neil Campisano/dr and Quinn Hedges/g on this mix of originals and covers. She’s dramatic and urgent of a read of Bruce Springsteen’s “State Trooper” and Spartan stark on the traditional “John...

Gretchen Parlato: The Wise Ones

I’m consistently amazed that vocalist Gretchen Parlato never disappoints; all of her albums are unique, clever and strong. This latest with Gerald Clayton/p, Mark Guiliana/dr, Alan Hampton/b and Robert Glasper/key with a handful of guests makes for a new and more soul/CTI-flavored sound, and it works well. Teamed with Hampton, the Parlato hints at folksy...

Mark Guiliana: Beat Music 2.0

Drummer Mark Guiliana teams with Nicholas Semrad/key, Stu Brooks-Tim Lefebvre/b, Gretchen Parlato/voc to create an album that essentially sounds like sounds from your local pinball or video game. You get Nintendo funk on “B.ANG”, pong pulses on “P.LAY”, a bass line and PAC MAN effects on “M.OVE” and “J.OHN”. How do I win an extra...

Cory Weeds: Hip To Be Square-Plays Huey Lewis & The News

Tenor saxist Cory Weeds comes up with a great idea on this kinda split personality album with Chris Hazelton/org, David Rourke/g and Rudy Petschauer/dr. For the first half, he brilliantly decides to select tunes from the Huey Lewis and the News songbook, but with a twist of treating the material like a post bopping Larry...

Danny Green: Let The Music Happen

Danny Green has released albums in trio format, strings and various small group combos. This album is the next logical step, as he goes solo on an album of originals and standards, both ways showing his strengths. His own “Blue Musings” reflects his inner saloon man, resonant and relaxed, while “Gray Day In May” oozes...

HRISTJIAN RISTESKI: THE DANCE OF MACEDONIAN WATERS

Macedonia, once the home of home of both Byzantine and Ottoman cultures, still brings fresh ideas to Western minds. Clarinetist/saxist Hristjian Risttski, born in Ohrid (also known as "The Jerusalem of Europe") brings a fresh sound to jazz, melding in ancient orthodox tones and harmonies with modern sensibilities, bringing in a fresh Aegian breeze of...

InterviewsReviews

Fumi Tomita: Yokai-Songs of the Japanese Supernatural

Bassist and composer Fumi Tomita richly mixes jazz ideologies with his own Japanese tradition of harmonies and folklore on this album that explores dreams and visions both spiritual and musical. He’s joined by Carl Clements/fl-sax, Jason Ennis/g and Gary Fieldman/dr, as they say, every musical picture tells a story. Tomita’s rich bass has that same...