Briefs
January/February 2005 By Harvey Siders
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...
January/February 2005 By Harvey Siders
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...
July/August 2000 By Patricia Myers
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...
July/August 2000 By Miles Jordan
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...
July/August 2000 By Jim Ferguson
Open Strings
Acoustic Disc
While this German guitarist hardly plays jazz, he is an extraordinary fingerstylist who does have his jazzy moments-witnessed by the bossa nova-like episode of "101 South." One of the more creative and adventurous members of the alternative tunings school...
July/August 2000 By Sunsh Stein
Covering the Basses
UFO-Bass
Bassmen, as composers, highlight this release by West Coast bassist Richard Simon. He and his bandmates show smooth ensemble playing on Ray Brown's "Ray's Idea," while Buddy Collette's sumptuous alto and Art Hillery's funky organ give Bob Haggart's melancholic...
July/August 2000 By Jim Ferguson
Blues on the Corner
Reservoir
Backed by the likes of saxophonist Bobby Watson, pianist Renee Rosnes, and drummer Billy Hart, Canada's premier bebop guitarist reaffirms his title and demonstrates that he has some other dimensions on this, his latest album. The bluesy slide guitar work...
June 2000 By Geraldine Wyckoff
Round Trip
Bembe Records
Rebeca Mauleon, known for her work with the likes of Tito Puente and the Machete Ensemble, impresses as pianist, composer and arranger on an album of mostly original material. Mauleon surrounds herself with a large ensemble that includes notables such as...
June 2000 By David Zych
Jazzaphrenia
LJM
Pianist-vocalist Marcus fronts a trio that plays jazz in a way that can be best described as infectious. Joining in with members Peter Ingram on drums and John Brown on bass (bassist Robbie Link sits in on four of the cuts) are major guests Sonny Fortune...
June 2000 By Sean Daly
The Swing Club
Aero Space
Sure, Ray Anthony's music may be of the "elevator swing" variety, but the elder statesman sure has a helluva good time entertaining the tradition-loving masses. Plus, he certainly scores points with me for including a picture of Hugh Hefner dancing with...
