Straight-Ahead / Classic - CD Reviews (1959)
Although certainly not as well known as Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, Cal Tjader, Gary Burton, or Stefan Harris, Eldad Tarmu is destined to make a name for himself in the j…
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Art Farmer and his inventive, mellow performances on the flugelhorn highlight the new 2-CD release from Concord titled ARTISTRY. This set is a release of two previous Art F…
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The 2-CD release, BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN, is vibraphonist Cal Tjader at his finest, both as the Latin jazz pioneer he is and as the classic, straight-ahead jazz artist he a…
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Reval is an old name for Estonia. Estonia is probably not the first place in the world one thinks of as a great jazz hub. But, as the old song goes, "One never knows, does …
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A great pitcher in baseball seldom relies on only one pitch. Even if he has a devastating fastball, a smart pitcher will change speeds and vary his location to set batters …
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Duke was international. It's only fitting that one of the better small group recordings of his music would be made by players with roots in the Netherlands, Australia, Germ…
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Pianist/composer John Harrison's career took a detour from jazz following his 1973 Berklee graduation. He toured the world with Herb Reed and the Platters and with Tavares …
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Ken Watters just gets better & better & better with everything he composes and performs. The jazz audience is in for some fine musical expressions on the newly released Ken…
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PF Flyer is a fine new CD by some renowned Washington, DC musicians. Pete BarenBregge and Frank Russo both come from a US military background. Pete was the former mu…
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New Orleans born hornman, Nicholas Payton recently issued a rather unique tribute to the late Satchmo and titled "Dear Louis." The new offering on Verve showcases Payton wi…
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Though anathema to Serious Collectors and Strict Scholars, who still probably think anyone who doesn’t have the 78s or 10" albums of an old master is a dilettante, the conc…
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I just raved about a George Shearing reissue (Out Of This World, Koch Jazz) in a review last week, so I’m not going to repeat the usual history lesson, he’s one of the last…
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When I was a callow teen getting into jazz in the 70s, I was into Miles’ electric stuff, Don Cherry, McCoy Tyner, Frank Zappa’s instrumental stuff, Gato Barbieri et. al. I …
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Dave Brubeck has always been something like the Rubik’s Cube of the jazz world - immediately accessible, deceptively intricate, and massively popular. The clues to under…
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Bradley Sowash is a jazz pianist who knows how to make the jazz come to life in hymns and spirituals for solo jazz piano performance! WE GATHER TOGETHER showcases the many …
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This new Terence Blanchard release should just be showing up on the shelves as you read this. Sony Classical has literally reached for the Stars in assembling this album ce…
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Why Cry is an elegant mix of standards & originals capably performed by a somewhat unconventional trio. The combination of flute, bass and vibraphone results in musi…
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Bill Anschell returns with his debut CD on the Summit label and is still reeling from the great success of his 1998 release titled "A Different Note All Together." The note…
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Ron Surace is one of the finest pianists in contemporary jazz, and his work on this CD accompanied by his fellow musicians Tatsu Aoki on bass and Dave Pavkovic on drums mak…
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At age 82, Chicago-born pianist Bob Acri has released a 14 selection CD of his original compositions with the title of Timeless: The Music Of Bob Acri and it is one …
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