Straight-Ahead / Classic - CD Reviews (1959)
This recording is pretty much what you might expect, but rather than a condemnation, this is intended as high praise. Once a performer has reached the level of jazz master …
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Lest we show lack of appreciation, let’s be mindful that much of the jazz in America is being conducted, so to speak, on college campuses. Often, many of the country’s more…
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Laurence Hobgood’s name appears as the primary one in the jacket design for When the Heart Sings, but there’s no doubt that the album is a joint enterprise, the resu…
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If Little Richard sang jazz, he would sound exactly like the Philippines jazzman Mon David. David’s vocal expressions have Richard’s unbridled verve and over the top hoo…
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New York City-based alto saxophonist Mike DiRubbo is a busy session artist, recording for the Criss Cross and Fresh Sounds record labels. He’s also performed and recorde…
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When Laurence Hobgood tickles the ivories, it transports the listener to a desirable place. It cleanses the mind of any worries, and places the listener in a world where…
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Swing jazz vocalist Mark Lambert fuses his love of Brazilian, Arabian and Indian music with the gentle fluidity of classic jazz in his new record, Under My Skin f…
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Kurt Elling sings the music of John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman for his latest release, Dedicated To You, performed live at Lincoln Center in New York City for the conce…
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Covering classics with her mellifluous voice, Anne Walsh shows her love of music, conveying feelings of love, joy, pain, heartbreak and blessing while honoring composers of…
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This 3-CD collection of the greatness that was saxophonist Art Pepper is sure to become a favorite among his fans and those who treasure great jazz performances. The thr…
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Two of my favorite, or should I say, desert island discs as a teenager, are Gary Burton’s 1976 ECM Records outing Dreams So Real and the 1977 release Passengers
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Pianist Rick Germanson steps out with his third hit, Off The Cuff, after several years as sideman to many jazz elites. Bringing with him bassist, Gerald Cannon and…
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Leading a band to the realization of one's ideas is its own challenge. Having side players versed in leading themselves can only add to the process. Seattle-born, New Yo…
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At first glance, trumpeter Dominick Farinacci seems to have sprung fully formed onto the jazz scene, but that's only if you don't live in Japan. His U.S. debut, Love…
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This is a solid, straight-ahead session with a mix of younger and older players. Jimmy Cobb, over 50 years ago a member of the most successful Miles Davis group ever, is…
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Swingin'! The second album from pianist Markley (get it? Second Intro?) has a playful forward propulsion that is impossible to deny. Go ahead. Try it. Did you succee…
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In 2003, guitarist Ilya Lushtak founded Lineage Records in order to record surviving jazz masters as an inspiration for younger players. Lineage's first studio date feature…
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Bill Carter serves as pastor and head of staff at First Presbyterian Church of Clark's Summit, Pennsylvania. An Owego, New York native, Carter received his Bachelor of A…
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There is no mistaking the fact, Wynton Marsalis may very well, heck, he is, the greatest jazz composer following the era of Duke Ellington. Marsalis has an ear for construc…
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Trombones ring loud and clear during this hybrid, live-studio date. Leading a large ensemble, top-flight bone-man Tom Brantley launches a vibrant modern mainstream gala,…
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