Straight-Ahead / Classic - CD Reviews (1959)
Coming off of a hiatus that has lasted a decade, jazz singer Carol Fredette has returned with her latest solo album Everything In Time, produced and arranged by h…
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Bob McHugh remains one of the topnotch jazz pianists composing and performing in contemporary jazz. His techniques and mastery of original piano stylings makes him one o…
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Pianist Danny Green shows flexibility in his playing and expansive knowledge of jazz music’s artifacts as demonstrated by the compositions on his debut solo CD, With …
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Roy Assaf and Eddy Khaimovich take the customary steps for a jazz ensemble's debut record on Andarta. Re-harmonized standards? Check! Guest spin from an establishe…
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Composer and pianist William Tatge was born of American parents in Umbria, Italy. Early studies in piano and violin led him to enroll in the Music School of Fiesole. He …
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Before tending to the job of reviewing this CD, please allow this critic an indulgence. On the cover, there is a single sentence which causes rising bile in those of us …
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Reviewing his previous recording, Action: Reaction, from 2006, I referred to Steve Herberman as a "guitarist's guitarist," and cited enthusiastic endorsements from f…
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Some musicians like to keep their tracks simple and others like to garnish them in multiple layers vesseled by frilly harmonic forms. Vibraphonist Tom Beckham bolts his …
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No need to "pick yourself up". That will be taken care of by this swinging quartet and their Fields and Kern opener. The ABC's of Jazz, a lively and eclectic album, …
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An idea of what guitarist Dan Heck's passion is can be determined from the title of his newest CD. Compositionality is a great name for an album in which all th…
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Encounterpoint presents yet another example of the dependable, unassuming work coming out of the school systems today. It features the leader, guitarist and Ber…
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While comparatively uncommon in the past couple of decades, twin-tenor sax combos were a happening thing Sonny Stitt/Gene Ammons, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis/Johnny Grif…
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The Great American Songbook is alive and well in Indianapolis, Indiania. In 2008, The Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra released Where or When (Owl Studios), a da…
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Sausalito Summer. Great name for an album and as good a two word summary of what you'll hear as you're likely to get. Balmy breezes, surfers on breaking waves, …
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Dave Carter wrote the dozen tunes on this album. Most are outstanding, and the arrangements match the material. For my 2008 best-of-year jazz mix, it was difficult to de…
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Joani Taylor, In My Own Voice, a new recording that blends contemporary jazz with traditional jazz standards and makes it all come off sounding hip, fresh and vibran…
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The heralded Jazz Icons DVD series, featuring historical full-length performances of jazz legends, presents a stunning retrospective of the late pianist Bill Evans (1929-19…
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There’s no doubt about it: These are two professional jazz musicians, unique in their own ways, at the peak of their abilities. Decades of experience and constant performan…
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Marc McDonald is a solid mainstream player. He has a good sound, clean articulation and dead-on intonation. His solos are strong and confident and so are those of his ba…
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On "Crossroads," Colorado-based saxophonist Peter Sommer leads a two-tenor quintet though a program of appealing original compositions, lesser-known classics, and well-worn…
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