Jack Sohmer
Jack’s Contributions
October 2000 Albums
Ambassador Satch
Louis Armstrong
Recorded in Amsterdam, Milan, Hollywood and New York, the performances on Ambassador Satch are largely of the same order as those on Satchmo the Great, except that this collection contains no narrative interludes. Following "Royal Garden Blues," "Tin Roof...
September 2000 Albums
The Complete Capitol Recordings of Gene Krupa and Harry James
Gene Krupa/Harry James
At the height of their success as star soloists with the Benny Goodman orchestra in 1938 and 1939, respectively, drummer Gene Krupa and trumpeter Harry James left to form their own bands. Despite their obvious talents and popularity, however, neither had...
September 2000 Albums
Children of the Night
Ensemble 9
Led by trumpeter Rob Parton, this Chicago-based nonet actually employs 12 musicians. Their shifting participation in this session's eight performances serves to indicate just how potent that city's reserve of players is. The core instrumentation of the group...
September 2000 Albums
Live at the Blue Note
Chick Corea and Origin
With his veiled, silky tone and preference for the mid-to-upper reaches of his instrument, trombonist Bill Watrous achieves a timbre more reminiscent of French-hornist Julius Watkins than of any other trombonist. It is a wholly unique sound and one that...
September 2000 Albums
Blues in the Night
Woody Herman and his Thundering Herd
Although not as star-studded as many of Herman's earlier bands, the April 1971 edition heard at this Clearwater, Fla., concert is certainly deserving of attention. Of primary interest are the soloists-tenorman Sal Nistico, trumpeters Bob Agnew, Tony Klatka...
September 2000 Albums
The Sound of Kenton
Stan Kenton
The Kenton band typically places its emphasis on ambitious arrangements, but at this point in its history it lacked even a minimum core of convincing jazz soloists to sustain interest. Throughout this two-disc, 18-track set are well-crafted charts by tenorman...
September 2000 Albums
No Laughing Matter (Plays Steve Allen)
Bob McChesney Quartet
For more than 20 years, Bob McChesney has been one of the busiest trombonists on the L.A. studio scene, racking up dozens of credits with top-ranking pop and jazz singers and instrumentalists, performing on film and TV recording sessions, and holding down...
July/August 2000 Albums
In Europe
Peter Compo
Following a long career as a jazz bassist of uncommonly broad and varied experience, since 1984 Pete Compo has concentrated on his childhood instrument, the violin, and has brought the style and sound of the great Stuff Smith into the modern era. Here, accompanied...
July/August 2000 Albums
Syzygy
Jim Nolet
Far more contemporary in terms of texture, rhythms and harmonic source materials is Jim Nolet's recording, which features not only the leader's classically trained violin and viola, but also a shifting cast of guest stars over his basic quintet. Manning...
July/August 2000 Albums
Swingin' the Blues
Doc Severinsen and his Big Band
If it's difficult to avoid a sense of cynicism regarding this studioman outing, it's only because Severinsen's highly polished product is too superficial, glitzy and redolent of 1960s Las Vegas show bands to be taken seriously as a jazz recording. Without...
July/August 2000 Albums
Diminuendo, Crescendo and Blues
C-Jam All Stars
Recorded in Munich in November 1958, the C-Jam All Stars consist of Paul Gonsalves, his fellow Ellingtonians Clark Terry, playing both trumpet and flugelhorn, bassist Jimmy Woode, and drummer Sam Woodyard, and German bop pianist Carlos Diernhammer, a little...
July/August 2000 Albums
Ellingtonia Moods and Blues
Paul Gonsalves
One of tenorman Paul Gonsalves' earliest leader dates, Ellingtonia Moods & Blues was recorded in New York in February 1960. Produced by Stanley Dance for release on French RCA, it boasts a fuller sounding personnel than is heard on the earlier German LP...
July/August 2000 Albums
Tell It the Way It Is!
Paul Gonsalves
Familiar to stateside collectors are the Impulse! albums, Tell It the Way It Is! and Cleopatra-Feelin' Jazzy, which were recorded in September and May 1963, respectively. This CD compilation opens with the Tell It... session, which brings together a personnel...
June 2000 Albums
Thad Jones Legacy
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra
Thirty-three years after its first performance at the Village Vanguard under the name of the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, today's version of that inspired group continues to wield the banner of big band excellence with just as much spirit and imagination...
June 2000 Albums
A Joyful Noise: A Tribute to Duke Ellington
Don Sebesky
Using a cast of 23 top jazz soloists and sectionmen, versatile arranger Don Sebesky has put together yet one more paean to the compositions, if not the style, of Duke Ellington. The primary soloists are altoman/clarinetist Phil Woods, trumpeter/flugelhornist...
May 2000 Albums
Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall-1938: Complete
Benny Goodman
Rightly proclaimed as being the most significant concert in jazz history, the Jan. 16, 1938, appearance of the Benny Goodman orchestra at Carnegie Hall was not only an unprecedented coup for jazz and racially integrated public performance, as has so often...
E-mail
Share
RSS
Report