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Entries from April 2012

Kenny Garrett: Seeds From The Underground

Kenny Garrett is one of the most respected and frequently imitated saxophonists in the jazz world, but he might not have reached his full potential if not for those who guided him and showed him the way. While some musicians try to rewrite history when they make it big, turning their backs on the nurturing forces and influential individuals that kept them on the righteous path, Garrett doesn’t fall into that category. He gives credit where credit is due, and Seeds From The Underground is the proof…

Date: Apr 30th, 2012 · No Comments · Categories: Jazz CD Reviews

Jerome Sabbagh featuring Jozef Dumoulin: Plugged In

Plugged In is an immensely appealing record and an artistic success. The source of that success is the revelatory combination of the highly individual–and at first blush, not necessarily compatible–sounds of saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh and keyboardist Jozef Dumoulin. Sabbagh has had a string of critically-acclaimed albums, notably including North (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2005) and Pogo (Sunnyside, 2007), both of which featured guitarist m: Ben Monder

Date: Apr 30th, 2012 · No Comments · Categories: Jazz CD Reviews

Lynne Arriale: Solo

Following up on her strong quartet album Convergence (Motema, 2011), pianist Lynne Arriale returns with a solo recording–a risky venture for any artist. In an ensemble setting, a musician has collaborators with whom to work and exchange ideas before the record button is punched, and more importantly, while the session is on the move. In ensemble play, a musician’s unformed ideas or sound can be made whole by the other musicians in the ensemble; this is a big reason why group improvisation is such a glorious thing in jazz, that the whole is greater than the sum of its individual parts. Everyone brings something to the moment and it all fits together.

Date: Apr 30th, 2012 · No Comments · Categories: Jazz CD Reviews

Jazz Soul Seven: Impressions of Curtis Mayfield

While he may not be as recognized as m: Stevie Wonder or m: James Brown , m: Curtis Lee Mayfield left an indelible mark on American popular music as a pioneering instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, and R&B producer. His compositions–including the score for the iconic blaxploitation film Super Fly (1972)–are compelling, incorporating the heritage of urban soul and gospel music and providing socially conscious messages–commentaries on the Vietnam War, inner city poverty, drug abuse and the tumultuous struggles of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. His legacy is celebrated on Impressions of Curtis Mayfield by the Jazz Soul Seven, a band of ace jazz stars whose members include older and younger “groove aficionados” such guitarist m: Phil Upchurch and drummer m: Terri Lyne Carrington …

Date: Apr 30th, 2012 · No Comments · Categories: Jazz CD Reviews

MMM Quartet: Live at the Metz’ Arsenal

World-renowned improvisers align for a meeting of the minds on this live date, spawning a multidimensional stance, where on-the-fly invention rules the roost. The breadth of each artists’ scope and stylization yields a scrappy game plan, containing a succession of abstracts which move forward at a brisk pace. Electronics pioneer Alvin Curran supplies bizarre background treatments, intersecting many of the asymmetrical patterns or mimicking the group dialogues. In a sense, he offers a translucent perspective within the body of this polytonal extravaganza…

Date: Apr 29th, 2012 · No Comments · Categories: Jazz CD Reviews

Oriole: Every New Day

There’s a stark beauty to Every New Day, the third album from Oriole, that speaks of the majesty of vast open spaces. For the most part, the warmth and splendor of these spaces gives the music a positivity and optimism, but there are also times when it takes on a more downbeat and reflective quality. The combination results in a gorgeous collection of tunes, an album of genuine beauty…

Date: Apr 29th, 2012 · No Comments · Categories: Jazz CD Reviews

Eyal Vilner Big Band: Introducing The Eyal Vilner Big Band

Tel Aviv, Israel-born saxophonist, composer and bandleader Eyal Vilner moved to New York City in 2007 to continue his studies at the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. After touring Israel in the summer of 2008, he decided to establish a New York version of his all-star Israeli big band. Enlisting fourteen of the city’s finest musicians, the ensemble boasts such players as veteran saxophonist m: Dan Block , trumpeter and director of the Julliard Jazz Orchestra m: Brandon Lee , Grammy Award-winning trombonist and director of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra John Mosca, and young jazz vocal sensation m: Yaala Ballin

Date: Apr 29th, 2012 · No Comments · Categories: Jazz CD Reviews