Scott Albin
Scott’s Contributions
07/04/12 Albums
A Better Fate-- Eric Erhardt
Erhardt's debut CD has been a long time coming, but it was worth the wait. The veteran saxophonist, clarinetist, and flutist has played with many small ensembles and big bands during his over 20-year career, as well as backing theatrical productions and...
07/01/12 Albums
Fresh Heat-- The Jens Wendelboe Big Band
There continues to be a slow but steady stream of new releases by big bands, although the few that are actual working bands are lucky to land anything better than once a week or once a month gigs, or a rare concert date. The talented arranger, composer...
06/24/12 Albums
Room for Two-- April Hall
Those who heard April Hall's impressive 2008 Fun Out of Life CD may have wondered why such a fine singer was not better known outside of her Boston-area base. With the release of her new Room for Two CD, it's time to wonder once again. The Berklee College...
06/17/12 Albums
Centennial-- Ryan Truesdell's Gil Evans Project
This will no doubt be considered one of the most significant jazz releases of 2012, the year Gil Evans would have celebrated his 100th birthday (May 13). Ryan Truesdell is a composer, copyist, the co-producer of Maria Schneider's acclaimed Sky Blue CD, and...
06/10/12 Albums
Uptown-- David Basse
Basse has been a prominent vocalist and jazz advocate in Kansas City for three decades. He co-founded the City Light Orchestra in 1982, has been a producer and host on local jazz radio, and is a member of the Kansas Arts Commission. Yet the first three tracks...
05/28/12 Albums
New Street-- Ben Powell
Powell's second CD is in part a tribute to Stéphane Grappelli, but also showcases the 25 year-old violinist's ability to play in more modern jazz styles. The wonderful "Stéphane Grappelli Tribute Trio," consisting of Powell, vibraphonist Gary Burton, and...
05/20/12 Albums
Acoustic-- Spero
Spero is Greg Spero, the versatile Chicago-based pianist who has played with Cory Wilkes, Maurice Brown, Robert Irving III, and Marlene Rosenberg. He has been a member of GMG, a group described as mixing "experimental jazz" with "funk-rock." In addition...
05/13/12 Albums
Celebration-- Tony Monaco
After touring (and recording) with Pat Martino for two years, organist Tony Monaco has released his first studio CD since East to West in 2006. Celebration includes a second bonus disc comprised of selections from Monaco's previous CDs for Summit Records...
05/06/12 Albums
Down Here Below-- Ran Blake & Christine Correa
This CD represents volume one in a tribute to Abbey Lincoln by pianist Ran Blake and singer Christine Correa, done as a series of duets or solos. Blake first heard Lincoln's music while a student at Bard College, but was later exposed to Lincoln's vocal...
04/29/12 Albums
Dirigo Rataplan-- Devin Gray Quartet
Credit must go to the Baltimore connection for the tight cohesiveness displayed by drummer Devin Gray's quartet on his debut release as a leader. Gray met bassist Michael Formanek while studying at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, where Formanek teaches...
04/22/12 Albums
Boy's Night Out
The Michael Treni Big Band
Michael Treni was a promising young trombonist in New York when in 1978 he lost out at the last minute to Curtis Fuller for a chance to tour Europe with Art Blakey. He decided at that point to focus on writing and arranging, and in 1985 started his own successful...
04/15/12 Albums
Celebrando-- Hendrik Meurkens & Gabriel Espinosa
For Zoho Music's 100th recording, the world music label brought together two of its artists for a celebration of Brazilian jazz. Joining Meurkens on harmonica and Espinosa on bass and vocals are Anat Cohen on clarinet and tenor (four tracks), Jim Seeley...
03/25/12 Albums
The Lost Sessions 1974-- Peter Appleyard and the Jazz Giants
The phrase "better late than never" certainly applies to the wonderful music on this CD, recorded in 1974 but only just now released in 2012. All but one of the musicians heard here--Peter Appleyard, Zoot Sims, Bobby Hackett, Urbie Green, Hank Jones, Slam...
03/11/12 Albums
After Carnival-- New World Beat
Leader Richard Sprince describes this CD by his Miami-based group New World Beat as follows: "I like to imagine the project as the adoptive love child of Pat [Metheny], Milton [Nascimento], and Airto [Moreira], maybe getting a little love from Return to...
03/04/12 Albums
Into the Open-- Sarah Elgeti Quintet
The year is still young, but Sarah Elgeti's Into the Open CD will likely be considered one of the best debut jazz releases of 2012 by those who hear it. Elgeti has a commanding presence, and an individual conception and sound on saxophones and flute, not...
E-mail
Share
RSS
ReportAbout Scott Albin
Scott Albin has been a contributing writer to Jazz Times and jazz.com, and has also written for Down Beat as well as such long-forgotten publications as Changes, Zygote, and The Herald. He was an active member of the old New York City promotional organization Jazz Interactions, and worked for many years in publishing in New York, where he haunted the many jazz clubs and lofts. Now he resides in South Florida, where opportunities to hear live jazz are to be cherished, not yawned at.