10 Sep
Four for Three by Larry Nozero
Tuesday, 10 September 2002
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
Detroiter Larry Nozero and a stellar group of locally lauded musicians offer one of the most exciting discs of the past year in this outstanding tribute to Eddie Russ. This…
30 Aug
Toot Sweet by Lee Konitz / Michel Petrucciani
Friday, 30 August 2002
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
Lee Konitz has always been one of the most truly versatile (alto) saxophonists in the history of jazz: he solos on the superb new Elvis Costello album North, he’s he…
15 Aug
Pacific Standard Time by Sam Most and Al Viola
Thursday, 15 August 2002
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
The formal title of this wonderful disc is Richard Simon Presents Sam Most and Al Viola. Bassist Simon has shared the stage with an impressive group of musicians in his tim…
This DVD reproduces Dave Brubeck's appearance on Ralph Gleason's Jazz Casual show in 1961. The performance is in black and white capturing conversations with Brubeck in bet…
15 Jul
Ear Shot - The Music of Mel Graves by Mel Graves
Monday, 15 July 2002
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
Mel Graves is a California bassist and composer who past affiliations have included Mose Allison, Jerry Hahn (whose Jerry Hahn Brotherhood was an early fusion band, circa 1…
05 Jul
The Mastersounds by Buddy & Monk Montgomery/Ritchie Crabtree/Benny Bar The Mastersounds
Friday, 05 July 2002
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
Although The Mastersounds name is not synonymous with jazz giants like a Davis, Coltrane or Monk, they inevitably made their mark on the history of music just as all…
05 May
Songs From The Stone by G. David Falkenstein
Sunday, 05 May 2002
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
When I first received the release Songs from the Stone from pan-flute and quasi-trumpet artist G. Davis Falkenstein, I was expecting to hear music of the nature of k…
04 May
The Definitive Chet Baker by Chet Baker
Saturday, 04 May 2002
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
Much has already been written re: Chet Baker’s fast/scary life and mysterious death - as with many such iconic characters, the Legend casts a big shadow over Accomplishment…
Composer and Pianist Paul Serrato has been working out in the New York Music Scene since the 1960s. His latest CD, "More Than Red" is released on Graffiti Productions, Serr…
14 Mar
Live at the Balzac by Harry Smallenburg Quartet
Thursday, 14 March 2002
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
This 7-song program was recorded live at an outdoor café in Azusa, California, at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains. It features the leader’s vibes, augmented by sympat…
Cool jazz with fusion, contemporary jazz, and other blends make this collection an unusual outing for fans of alto saxophonist Chris Bowden in his latest release, SLIGHTLY …
15 Feb
Barney Kessel’s Swingin’ Party At Contemporary by Barney Kessel
Friday, 15 February 2002
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
In the liner notes of this remastered 1960 album by Barney Kessel, Kessel talks about the musical process that his band went through while this live recording was in progre…
18 Jan
The Sound Of A Dry Martini - Remembering Paul Desmond by Brent Jensen
Friday, 18 January 2002
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
The title of this CD paraphrases what the late saxophonist Paul Desmond said he wanted to sound like. Idaho based Brent Jensen creates not so much a tribute album (which se…
Once upon a time, record companies released what might be termed "easy listening" albums, albums that would serve as music for post-toil relaxation or "mood enhancement." (…
07 Aug
Two Hands, One Heart by Weber Iago
Tuesday, 07 August 2001
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
You always remember the first time. Where you were,what you were wearing, who it was. My first time was with Eric Dolphy. On the day I first heard him play, music was trans…
John Alexander has penned all original tunes on this album. The arrangements are tight and the music ranges from the boppish "You Need Dis" to the richness of "Trina's Chee…
06 Jun
Secondo Tempo by Giovanni Tommaso Quintet
Wednesday, 06 June 2001
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
Prior to reviewing this CD- I knew nothing of Giovanni Tommaso, and I must say that within a couple of minutes into the first track I quickly became a big fan. The quintet …
02 Jun
Castles in the Air by Claire Ritter
Saturday, 02 June 2001
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
Castles in the Air, is one of two CDs recently released by pianist and composer Claire Ritter.While the other, "River of Joy," is largely a solo affair, this CD is an en…
What would George Winston sound like if he took a stack of Monk recordings into the woodshed with him for a couple of years? Maybe Claire Ritter. Charlotte, NC-based Ritter…
13 May
The Mose Chronicles - Live In London, Volume 2 by Mose Allison
Sunday, 13 May 2001
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
Pianist/singer/composer Mose Allison deserves his own chapter in the Eternal Catalogue of Cool, what with his wise, laconic, wry lyrics, his oft-parodied laid-back vocal st…
01 Apr
The Stars of Jazz Vol. 1 by Various Artists
Sunday, 01 April 2001
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
Most compilation albums are like flotsam, disconnected pieces floating along without any musical continuity or theme, Most are shipwrecks. Arkadia's "The Stars of Jazz" …
Cool jazz altoist Lee Konitz has another strong effort with his Chesky Records debut, Parallels. Backed by a group of gifted musicians, he explores both classic and new com…
Cool jazz altoist Lee Konitz has another strong effort with his Chesky Records debut, Parallels. Backed by a group of gifted musicians, he explores both classic and new com…
In recent years there has been a welcome resurgence in the form of the classic jazz organ trio. Adam Levy has assembled a delightful trio here. The title track, "Buttermilk…
Eddie Duran indeed rides again in this solo guitar outing. Having established himself decades ago with such luminaries as Charlie Parker, Stan Getz, Vince Guaraldi, and Cal…
06 Apr
David X. Youngs Jazz Loft by Zoot Sims Bob Brookmeyer et.al.
Thursday, 06 April 2000
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
Matisse once wrote that "both harmonies and dissonances of color can produce very pleasurable effects." He might have referred to modern music as well as modern art. There …
Lennie Tristano's musical approach, developed in the forties, provided an alternative to bop and was a harbinger of free jazz. It wasn't for everyone, but then what music i…
Alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, the reigning king of saxophone cool, is one of the few cats of his generation that has never really stood still. Without bowing/bending to tren…
Danger Zone is the first cut of a premiere Jazz CD that has all the elements to make it a classic. The sultry intense rhythms build and leave your satisfied that you've def…
26 Aug
So Low They Cant Hear Me by Mike Markaverich
Wednesday, 26 August 1998
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
World recognized jazz pianist with over 20 years of professional experience in a variety of venues, Mike has a vast repertoire from Broadway to blues, from boogie-woogie to…
31 Dec
Soundtrack: Dingo by Miles Davis and Michel Legrand
Monday, 31 December 1990
Published in
Cool Jazz - CD Reviews
At times, a reviewer comes across a recording that is so unusual it is hard to define it completely because it is uniquely different, and such is the case with this soundtr…
Refreshing as a splash of water on your face on a hot summer's day is exactly what Solade brings musically to the soul. On this CD, she hasn’t allowed herself to be boxe…