Straight-Ahead / Classic - CD Reviews (1959)
Bebop is the order of the day for Urbaniak and his crack rhythm team on ASK ME NOW. While he had originally intended for this set to be comprised of Charlie Parker tunes ex…
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The "European Sessions" CD was recorded in Germany during the spring of 1998. James Morrison is the renowned Australian multi-instrumentalist featured in a couple of my rec…
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Jaz Sawyer and Irvin Mayfield (both leaders still in their twenties) delivers a distinctive set of standards that is associated with the established masters of trumpet and …
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Gene Harris was a bop pianist firmly rooted in gospel and the blues who incorporated a lot of soul into his playing. While he could play most any style of jazz, his uncanny…
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The duo of Gilbert Isbin (Guitar) and Geert Verbeke (various percussion) bring to the listener an adventurous exploration into the various possibilities between these two i…
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Multi stylist guitarist Antonio Forcione showcases his extraordinary talents on this interesting recording. He is a master when it comes to exploring the various nuances an…
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A native of the Ann Arbor, Michigan area, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Paul VornHagen has been active for many years on both the East and West Coasts. Honored by the …
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Since his graduation from the Berklee College of Music in 1994, vibist Matthias Lupri has been part of the vital jazz scene in Boston that includes such names as George Gar…
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This young artist is presented by "Generations in Jazz," a James Morrison Scholarship. The bassist is featured performing five of his own compositions within a sextet forma…
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It's hard to find the right words to describe this very special recording. I guess poignant, simple, lyrical and all so musical would be an appropriate description. This du…
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The possibilities of the vibe are all too often neglected or overlooked. In proper hands it is a powerful and beautiful instrument; however, when we hear it in music today …
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Raised in Huntsville, Alabama, brothers Ken and Harry Watters grew up playing music together. After attending college at North Texas State University they went their separa…
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This is a somewhat unusual compilation on a 2 CD set and will be advertised shortly on TV. Thirty three tracks occupy the set and run the gamut from Glen Miller to Dinah Wa…
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It sounds silly at first: "Get this - everyone in the band is a Jones!" You laugh, but not long -- this is some serious jam. The rhythm lays an easy groove; the horns (some…
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The cover offers a hint: a silhouette of Bobby Timmons in all colors, but just a pinch of blue. No one can explain it, but the music Timmons wrote has always been more famo…
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We really don't have many living jazz legends walking around these days, but fortunately we're lucky enough to still have Horace Silver going strong (just check out his new…
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Many of Sonny's later albums are gentle breezes, a spot of happy singing without the tense surge of his earlier work. NO PROBLEM is a good example of this: Sonny had made p…
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My introduction to guitarist Lou Mecca occurred in the early 1950s when I was in my teenage years. I had obtained a Gil Melle 10" LP featuring Lou's fine work. My closest f…
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The last two years I was here were perhaps the happiest years of my life. This was Bill Evans, talking about Southeastern Louisiana College, where he graduated in 1950. You…
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This album is the result of joint work of very interesting musicians, each of whom rates among the best Russian jazz players. The idea of this recording was suggested by Mo…
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