14 Feb
Down The Wire by Spyro Gyra
Saturday, 14 February 2009
Published in
Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Life is being on the wire, everything else if just waiting. ~ Karl Wallenda (of the Flying Wallendas acrobatic family) Spyro Gyra is an enduring contemporary jazz…
14 Feb
Back In The Day by Jeff Kashiwa
Saturday, 14 February 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Jeff Kashiwa has long brought exciting new hooks and loops into the musical arena. Known as the Superstar of Smooth Jazz, Kashiwa is already enjoying #1 space on Smooth Jaz…
12 Feb
Lunch Special by Matt Renzi
Thursday, 12 February 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
For over a decade, saxophonist Matt Renzi has created innovative music with a sax-bass-drums trio. No piano. This provides the musical freedom illustrated by their third al…
11 Feb
Twelve Tones Of Love by Chico Hamilton
Wednesday, 11 February 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Jazz legend Chico Hamilton, drummer, composer, leader, educator, producer and all around cultural treasure for America’s music, has a new record,Twelve Tones Of Love…
10 Feb
Small Spaces by Mike Baggetta Quartet
Tuesday, 10 February 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
A NY contemporary of guys like Ben Monder and Brad Shepik, Baggetta is a versatile, lyrical guitar player with a melancholic compositional sense that lends itself to open e…
09 Feb
Orange Not Blue by Ray Vanderby Hammond Combo
Monday, 09 February 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Orange Not Blue is the title of the new jazz CD from the Ray Vanderby Hammond Combo recorded for the Majique Music label. While technically a jazz release, Vand…
01 Feb
Color Theory by Rick Reynolds Group
Sunday, 01 February 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
The debut album by the Rick Reynolds Group, Color Theory, welds together different jazz musical styles to fabricate a richly enjoyable listening experience. Rick …
30 Jan
End Of August by George Petit
Friday, 30 January 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
End Of August is the close of one cycle and the start of a new one for guitarist-singer-songwriter George Walker Petit who express in the liner notes of the album, "Thes…
Ryan Meagher (pronounced "marr") is a young, New York City-based guitarist-composer who bridges the gap between smooth jazz and modern pop on his debut release Atroef…
29 Jan
Next Page by Yotam Silberstein
Thursday, 29 January 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Next Page is Yotam Silberstein’s debut release on Posi-Tone Records. Quite the smooth player, Silberstein’s guitar work has a creative flare relatable to Les Paul and a …
28 Jan
At Worlds Edge by Philippe Saisse
Wednesday, 28 January 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
With a particularly wide-ranging musical career to date as one of the premier multi-talented artists in contemporary jazz and popular music, Philippe Saisse has recently re…
27 Jan
Alice in Wonderland: A Jazz Musical by Ezra Weiss
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Earl Weiss is a well-known jazz pianist, highly respected for his performances and compositions. Alice in Wonderland brings to life the story of Alice and her a…
27 Jan
Sampler Vol. 1 by Los Angeles Jazz Collective
Tuesday, 27 January 2009
Published in
Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Individual jazz communities are notorious for fostering a creative environment where jazz musicians can flourish. Los Angeles-based musicians have taken this a step furt…
26 Jan
B3 by Beaty Brothers Band
Monday, 26 January 2009
Published in
Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
The Beaty Brothers Band are more than a band, they seem connected through a much more adhesive bonding. In the core of this unit are twin brothers, saxophonist John Beat…
25 Jan
Tarantella by Lars Danielsson
Sunday, 25 January 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Swedish instrumentalist Lars Danielsson, whose merits include playing the bass, cello and violin and being an admirable composer and arranger, has music running through …
24 Jan
Wishful Thinking by Nick Granville Group
Saturday, 24 January 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Guitarist Nick Granville has a lengthy history, starting out as a rock guitarist in his native New Zealand and then moving on to becoming a highly successful session mus…
22 Jan
The Black Romantic by Bradley Parker-Sparrow
Thursday, 22 January 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
The Black Romantic is one of the most unusual jazz piano solo CDs to come out of contemporary jazz within the past several years. It is surprising in its intens…
19 Jan
Soul Intent by Pieces Of A Dream
Monday, 19 January 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
The contemporary jazz group Pieces of a Dream have been delighting loyal listeners with their polished blend of smooth jazz, pop, and soul musical offerings for more tha…
17 Jan
Dave Siebels With Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band by Dave Siebels
Saturday, 17 January 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
The union of jazz organist Dave Siebels and pianist Gordon Goodwin along with the 17-piece orchestra of the Big Phat Band creates a musical feast fraught with jittering …
16 Jan
Edge Of The Mind by Sound Assembly
Friday, 16 January 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Sound Assembly’s music is part abstract and part traditional jazz making the tracks sound completely original as this 17-piece orchestra works through the twists and tur…
15 Jan
Token Tales by Mark Rapp
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Published in
Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
He studied under educator/pianist Ellis Marsalis at the University of New Orleans and moved to New York City several years ago to pursue loftier horizons. With his debut…
15 Jan
Send One Your Love by Boney James
Thursday, 15 January 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Smooth jazz has always been partially fueled by recording artists covering classic, timeless songs while putting their own style, heart and soul into the arrange…
13 Jan
Live In Italy by Seamus Blake Quartet
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Recorded live during the Seamus Blake Quartet shows in Italy, Live In Italy is a journey through various textural changes, melodic twists and harmonic happenings.…
08 Jan
Saxolollapalooza by Frank Macchia
Thursday, 08 January 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Jazz music has its eccentrics and its masterminds and sometimes the two are interchangeable like in the case of saxophonist Frank Macchia, who had the eccentric idea to …
07 Jan
Desire by Tierney Sutton
Wednesday, 07 January 2009
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Tierney Sutton and bandmates Christian Jacobs (piano), Trey Henry and Kevin Axt (bass,) and Ray Brinker (drums) give listeners an ear opening lesson on greed, materialis…
02 Jul
Hello Troll by Helge Lien Trio
Wednesday, 02 July 2008
Published in
Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Ozella Music is a Norwegian record label, an enterprise of musician, producer, and composer Dagobert Böhm. Three labels provide a base for artists with productions from the…
01 Jul
Trio Reenactment by Trio Reenactment
Tuesday, 01 July 2008
Published in
Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
A nice debut CD collection from the group, Trio Reenactment, the trio excels in a wide range of contemporary jazz approaches that makes for a lively collection of origin…
26 Jun
The Sicilian Jazz Project by Michael Occhipinti
Thursday, 26 June 2008
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Michael Occhipinti is a Canadian guitarist, band leader and composer. His roots are Italian - specifically Sicilian. He pays tribute to his heritage with The Sicilian Ja…
22 Jun
Stones World: The Rolling Stones Project II by Tim Ries
Sunday, 22 June 2008
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Tim Ries has produced a sequel to his Rolling Stones Project. Mr. Ries is a jazz musician, an educator, a saxophonist, composer, arranger and a leader. He is also a sideman…
20 Jun
Dedicated To Steve by Andrea Fascetti
Friday, 20 June 2008
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Andrea Fascetti is an Italian bassist and composer, his debut release Dedicated To Steve includes five originals and six Steve Swallow compositions. His band consist…
Azure is a talented jazz quartet from the Netherlands and their debut offering is entitled When She Smiles. I’m assuming they took their group name from the beaut…
19 Jun
A Walk in the Dark by The Hear & Now
Thursday, 19 June 2008
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
The Here & Now quintet's debut record, Break of Day, is a fine introduction to some young jazz musicians who began to build their sound during their high school y…
18 Jun
Blood And Thunder by Aaron Irwin Group
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Alto saxophonist and Illinois native Aaron Irwin displays quite a bit of range and versatility on Blood And Thunder, his second recording as a leader. Blood An…
18 Jun
View So Tender: Wonder Revisited, Volume Two by Joe Gilman Trio
Wednesday, 18 June 2008
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
I actually put off listening to this CD for a bit because I assumed it would be another collection of Stevie Wonder's trademark tunes. You know the ones - 'My Cherie Amour,…
Let me start out by saying you don't sit back in your chair and listen to The Wheel, the latest by composer and guitarist Joel Harrison, you are swept up by it!…
The Netherlands contemporary jazz ensemble, Azure have a sure-fire formula for synchronizing light and dark shades so their contrasting frames fade into each other and c…
CalArts Jazz 2008 is the 19th annual CD released by Capitol Records for the students of this high end arts school. This is a polished, professional production. Just …
From the very start - Brian Bromberg's hard-driving bass opening to Cream's familiar "Sunshine of Your Love" - this band will be right there in your room. It's not just bec…
08 Jun
From Now On by Nobuki Takamen
Sunday, 08 June 2008
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Japanese and New Jersey based guitarist Nobuki Takamen has released a new opus. "C.M.G," opens this album. This endeavour showcases Brian Beninghove on tenor sax, Hitosh…
06 Jun
Live In Japan by Christian Jacob Trio
Friday, 06 June 2008
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Pianist, Christian Jacob has produced a wonderful CD. A mix of interesting songs, featuring excellent musicianship and displaying an exciting, energetic vibe that I attribu…
05 Jun
Insight at Midnight by Baron Tymas
Thursday, 05 June 2008
Published in
Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Blues for the Tribe, released by Baron Tymas in 2006, features some of North Carolina's finest musicians playing this exciting guitarist's innovative compositions.
04 Jun
Segments by Joe Parillo Trio with Jay Hoggard
Wednesday, 04 June 2008
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Pianist/composer Joe Parillo has enjoyed a prolific career, composing for theater and film, as well as producing his own recordings. Segments finds the University …
29 May
A Walk in the Dark by Wayne Horvitz and Sweeter Than the Day
Thursday, 29 May 2008
Published in
Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Largely self-taught, pianist Wayne Horvitz was first noticed in 1980s in his native New York where he became a part of the "experimental improv" or avant-garde club and …
27 May
For Hep Cats by Linda Dachtyl
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
Published in
Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Even though it was lamented that the B-3 organ sound lost some of its prominence in the seventies and eighties, it never went away in Columbus, Ohio, where it remained an i…
26 May
Dry Bridge Road by Noah Preminger Group
Monday, 26 May 2008
Published in
Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
On one hand you’ve got the free/out-jazz posse that looks upon anything "accessible" (that is, accessible to others besides themselves and their friends and adherents) a…
26 May
Long Ago Today by Sumi Tonooka Trio
Monday, 26 May 2008
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Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Philadelphia-born and raised pianist and composer Sumi Tonooka ended a decade-long hiatus from recording with the release of her 5th recording as a leader, Long Ago Toda…
23 May
Quiet Strength by Russel Blake
Friday, 23 May 2008
Published in
Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Russel Blake is a fine jazz performer. He has a feel for jazz tempo, and he has that keen skill for interweaving various jazz motifs into bright, memorable performances.…
23 May
Quiet Strength by Russel Blake
Friday, 23 May 2008
Published in
Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Russel Blake is a fine jazz performer. He has a feel for jazz tempo, and he has that keen skill for interweaving various jazz motifs into bright, memorable performances.…
John Stetch’s bold originality, combined with his exceptional talent, presents itself more than positively on his latest release TV Trio, an exciting arran…
17 May
Second Time: Improvisations Cycle by Claude Marc Bourget
Saturday, 17 May 2008
Published in
Contemporary Jazz - CD Reviews
Pianist Claude Marc Bourget put his musical career on pause for a few years to become a published writer back in the 1980s. He returns to the music scene with this solo…