Entries from January 2012
Tania Maria: Tempo
Estate Sei calda come i baci che ho perduto Sei piena di un amore che A passato Che il cuore mio vorrebbe cancellare. Brazilian pianist/singer Tania Maria is the product of warm and humid climes. Born in Sao Luis in the northwestern part of the country, she emerged into the musical intersection where the bossa of Brazil rubs up against the salsa of the Caribbean.
Date: · No Comments · Categories: Jazz CD Reviews
Side A: A New Margin
It is quite rare to hear multi-reedist Ken Vandermark record or perform with a pianist, the reason being that, back in the day (the early 1990s), his brand of new Chicago jazz was presented much like the hardcore punk scene of the previous decade–out of the back of a van. Like Henry Rollins and Black Flag, Vandermark’s life was one of constant travel, setting up and breaking down, only to move on to the next show…
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Hillmen: The Whiskey Mountain Sessions
The group name and album title might imply semblances of a bluegrass jam-session, but Hillmen’s The Whiskey Mountain Sessions is, in fact, an improvised jazz-rock set tinted with psychedelics, featuring keyboardist Gayle Ellett and guitarist Mike Murray}}, of the fabled Southern California progressive rock band Djam Karet. It’s an electro-organic schematic sans instrumental overlays or audio compression that effectively captures the live studio performance aesthetic…
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Jim Ketch: A Distant View
A Distant View delivers intelligent music performed by highly involved players across a dozen diverse selections ranging from straight-ahead hard bop, calypso, an obligatory standard and a m: Chuck Mangione -esque soft rock tidbit thrown in for dessert. Incorporating a classic m: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers quintet formula, these outstanding players share a common interest here in the total effort and each others’ offerings, and it pays off in dividends…
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Heddy Boubaker / Hernani Faustino: Domino Doubles
Saxophonist Heddy Boubaker and bassist Hernani Faustino have more in common than their love for improvised music. Both began their musical journeys playing in rock bands, before harkening to the call of free music. Boubaker was born in Marseilles in 1963 and began what he calls experimenting with music in 1977.
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Hristo Vitchev / Weber Iago: Heartmony
The choice between widening ones circle of musical partners or deepening relationships that already exist is often something with which musicians wrestle. While finding new collaborators can help in the networking department and open up new avenues of possibility in sound and style, continual exploration with a kindred spirit may help both parties in their pursuit of musical enlightenment, ultimately leading to a better artistic payoff in the end.
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Frank Herzberg Trio: Handmade
The letter “B” has played a major role in Frank Herzberg’s life. The Berlin-born bassist, who spent time honing his craft at Berklee, relocated to Brazil in 1997 and has been busy performing and recording music there ever since. While Herzberg’s career choices probably have nothing to do with adding alliterative qualities to his biography, they have everything to do with his efforts to broaden and sharpen his mind and music…
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