As an alumnus of stints with organist Jack McDuff and tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, guitarist Dave Stryker knows how to please hardcore jazz heads as … Read More “Dave Stryker: Eight Track II (Strikezone)”
Joey the Aggressor has emerged with this album. With new guitarist Dan Wilson and new drummer Jason Brown, the organist’s trio harkens back to-as liner-note … Read More “Joey DeFrancesco: Trip Mode”
Something Personal is a typical offering from veteran tenor saxophonist Houston Person: warm ballads, an R&B cooker, a couple of standards with a bossa-nova beat … Read More “Houston Person: Something Personal”
Working with Paul Sikivie on bass and brother Phil Stewart on drums throughout TRIO, tenor saxophonist Grant Stewart exhibits a big, direct tone and, in … Read More “Grant Stewart: Trio”
The bluesy, soulful guitarist Dave Stryker played in tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine’s band from 1986 through 1995. On Messin’ With Mr. T, he invites 10 … Read More “Dave Stryker: Messin’ With Mr. T”
The most unusual feature of the septet Afro Bop Alliance is the presence of steel pans in the frontline alongside trumpet and alto and tenor … Read More “Afro Bop Alliance: Angel Eyes”
Not to discount the work of Tom Harrell’s frontline partners from his previous albums, but the tonal match and improvisational rapport between the trumpeter-flugelhornist and … Read More “Tom Harrell: Trip”
Frank Kimbrough’s piano playing is unpredictable. Not in terms of quality-he’s always “on”-but in terms of content, direction and execution. He’s a genuinely spontaneous player. … Read More “Frank Kimbrough: Quartet”
Here’s what this album suggests at various times: the soundtrack to a dark, slow-moving suspense film; an orchestra tuning up; six musicians practicing simultaneously in … Read More “Saxophone Summit: Visitation”
Here’s what this album suggests at various times: the soundtrack to a dark, slow-moving suspense film; an orchestra tuning up; six musicians practicing simultaneously in … Read More “Saxophone Summit: Visitation”
Mike LeDonne’s Groover Quartet has a talent for finding the jazz groove in pop tunes as well as for striking up a righteous groove on … Read More “Mike LeDonne: I Love Music”
With Standard Deviation, tenor saxophonist Ralph Bowen, pianist Bill O’Connell, bassist Kenny Davis and drummer Donald Edwards deliver a program of standard tunes revised in … Read More “Ralph Bowen: Standard Deviation”
Jazz and Afro-Caribbean rhythms are a natural connection, one attractively celebrated in the work of Latin percussionist Ray Mantilla, who was born in the South … Read More “Ray Mantilla: The Connection”
“She just reaches out and grabs and holds me. … This gal sings from the heart. She never lets me get away from her once.” … Read More “Art Hodes: I Remember Bessie”
Recorded in 1972 at the Montreux Jazz Festival, this sold-separately CD and DVD release captures Getz in aggressive form as he digs into newer repertoire … Read More “Stan Getz Quartet: Live at Montreux 1972”
Houston Person has called his style “good old bootin’ tenor sax playing.” With parts of this album, he might also refer to boudoir footwear, especially … Read More “Houston Person: Nice ‘N’ Easy”
“Rudy” is, of course, legendary recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder, for whom Joey DeFrancesco feels a certain affinity. The organist recorded his second album at … Read More “Joey DeFrancesco: One for Rudy”
Here we have a typically swinging set by tenorman Scott Hamilton, the majority of which features songs recorded by singer Billie Holiday before World War … Read More “Scott Hamilton: Remembering Billie”
Former Count Basie Band saxophonist Frank Wess, 89 at the time of this 2011 recording, is in classic form throughout. Accompanied by pianist Kenny Barron, … Read More “Frank Wess: Magic 101”
Eric Alexander, on the scene since the early 1990s, is from the masculine school of tenor saxophone rhapsody. Throughout Touching, an album of ballads, he … Read More “Eric Alexander: Touching”
This two-CD set is a considerable emotional distance from the definitive and introspective Bill Evans Trio heard on the revered Sunday at the Village Vanguard … Read More “Bill Evans: Momentum”