Briefs

Louisville Louis Smith Quintet

January/February 2005  •  By Harvey Siders

Louis Smith Quintet
Louisville
SteepleChase

Louis Smith's Louisville (Steeplechase) is a no-frills, straightahead exercise in postbop. Smith and altoist Jon Gordon provide an excellent front line, with tight playing on heads, backed effectively by pianist Michael Cochrane, bassist Calvin Hill and...

Venus Perplexed Steve Lampert

January/February 2005  •  By Harvey Siders

Steve Lampert
Venus Perplexed
SteepleChase

Going back to Guido D'Arezzo (quite a stretch), ca. 950, a hexachord comprised six notes on the diatonic scale, such as C to A. Its modern equivalent can be half a 12-tone row. Having said that, let's focus on a perplexing release by trumpeter Steve Lampert...

Now Is the Time Barbara Adamson

July/August 2000  •  By Patricia Myers

Barbara Adamson
Now Is the Time
Stet

The debut recording of San Francisco singer Barbara Adamson conveys the passionate intensity of long-experienced vocalists. Backed by pianist Marshall Otwell, bassist Stan Poplin and drummer Steve Robertson, plus guest horn players, she opens with brief...

Blue to the Bone II Dave Stryker

July/August 2000  •  By Miles Jordan

Dave Stryker
Blue to the Bone II
SteepleChase

Guitarist Stryker's vision of the blues encompasses the low-down, late-night blues typified here by "Sittin on Top of the World" and the jazzier sort that makes up much of the rest of this disc. Backed by some of the players who made 1996's Blue to the Bone...

More Briefs

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July/August 2000

Open Strings
Peter Finger

While this German guitarist hardly plays jazz, he is an extraordinary...

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July/August 2000

Covering the Basses
Richard Simon

Bassmen, as composers, highlight this release by West Coast bassist...

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July/August 2000

Blues on the Corner
Peter Leitch

Backed by the likes of saxophonist Bobby Watson, pianist Renee...

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June 2000

Round Trip
Rebeca Mauleon

Rebeca Mauleon, known for her work with the likes of Tito Puente...

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June 2000

Jazzaphrenia
Lenny Marcus Trio

Pianist-vocalist Marcus fronts a trio that plays jazz in a way...

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June 2000

The Swing Club
Ray Anthony and His Big Swing Band

Sure, Ray Anthony's music may be of the "elevator swing" variety...

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June 2000

Lose Control
Nanette Natal

Vocal chameleon Nanette Natal displays a kittenish quality reminiscent...

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June 2000

Structures
Susanna Lindeborg/Ove Johansson

Tenor saxophonist Ove Johansson and pianist Susanna Lindeborg...

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June 2000

Recontres du Cloitre, Volume 1
Shirley Scott

Fans of Philadelphia native Shirley Scott who know her as a Hammond...

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May 2000

Eye on the Future
Ed Summerlin

Tenorman-composer-arranger Ed Summerlin created and worked at...

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May 2000

Bitches and Fairy Tales
Eric Vloeimans

Dutch trumpeter Eric Vloeimans is a warm-toned modernist whose...

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May 2000

Someone to Sing To
Emme Kemp

Pianist/vocalist Emme Kemp's theatrical background is definitely...