|
|
|
|
08/21/20
REGINA CARTER FREEDOM BAND/Swing States Harmony in the Battleground: Chop wise, Carter is a player you can't argue with. The resume is too long to reprint when you can Google it. Politically, she's a force of nature that power's a Republican's worst nightmare. I could list the vitals but your ISP filter would probably block it for the wrong reasons. Rounding up some like minded pals that will attest that music is the universal language, this jazz via Americana date is an ear opener as well as a mind blower. With spoken segments linking unlikely musical choices played seriously and with passion, this is a much more powerful statement than all the convention bloviating on both sides could render. This is your clarion call to get out and vote.
(Tiger Turn 42144)
CHARLES McPherson/Jazz Dance Suites: The 80 year old bopping sax man veers a touch from what you would expect as he takes his ax to the church basement for a taste of civil rights era fusion when jazz and dance came tougher with free moves that went over most heads initially. The jazz is not off putting wild free blowing, just not what you'd expect from a known entity. Solid stuff throughout that's as much for the head as for the feet, this was made for you to sit back and enjoy the presentation and the production.
(Chazz Mack)
MEHMET ALI SANLIKOL & Whatsnext?/The Rise Up: The only thing you can fully expect from NEA jazz master Dave Liebman is that there's no dust on him--ever. A work specially commissioned by Liebman for him as soloist and orchestra, this three part suite focuses on middle eastern struggles. Just when you think you know where the music is going, it takes a left turn and brings you somewhere else entirely. And the moves are so unexpected, even with repeat listenings it can catch you unawares. A high water mark for the arm chair traveler feeling restless in these stay at home times when something more potent than going out for a drink is called for. Well done.
(Dunya 14)
MAFALDA MINNOZZI/Sensorial: You can so be Italian born, living in New York and have a passion for Brazilian music---especially after living and performing there for 20 years. An intimate modernized samba/bossa set, it percolates too much to fall into the cabaret bag and is a little too easy going to be put in the jazz bag even with all the name jazzbos on board. Loaded with enough freedom of spirit not to be held back at any twists and turns, enjoy it as forward thinking world beat that refuses to let you down. Sounds like Jobim left enough white space to take his stuff well into the future.
(Mama)
MATT ULERY/Pollinator: Nawlins in the 20s as a political statement? Ulery and his crew go down south for a vibe set 100 years ago when the music was celebratory in the face of prohibition, which he duly compares to now. Finding his métier in the past, this is his most joyous set out of the ten he's released and it's a real tribute to letting to good times roll. Capturing the spirit and the tenor of the times, a lot of they cats that made the sound found their way to Chicago and he's putting it on the map again. (In a good way).
(Woolgathering 10)
MIKI YAMANAKA/Human Dust Suite: A pianist with the classic quartet spirit at her finger tips, her second set goes conceptual with a centerpiece inspired by art assessing how old decrepit bones wind up. Not one to find her work at bar mitzvahs and airport hotel lounges, she's got edge and verve swinging at all times and paying tribute to the tradition while moving it forward. A straight up good time.
(Outside In 2024)
TOMOKO OMURA/Branches V. 1: There's a quality to this that answers the question about how Jean Luc Ponty would sound if he was born in Japan. Bag breaking more often than not, Omura is a forward thinker and a unique jazz voice that can always be inspired without ever being precious along the way. Whether newly roasting some chestnut or taking you down the rabbit hole, this is a hostess that knows how to treat her guests right. Well done.
(Outside In 2017)
RALPH PETERSON & the Messenger Legacy/Onward & Upward: Talk about the drummer giving everyone else some! Engine room powerhouse Peterson rounds up a slew of Jazz Messenger alumni, let's several of them contribute their own tunes and puts the daddio pedal to the metal. An homage and tribute to Art Blakey while blowing the dust off everything and looking toward the future, the only thing that's a real piece of the past is the daddio vibe. This is a jazz history lesson all by itself. Hot stuff.
(Onyx 11)
DAVE PIETRO/Hypersphere: Rounding up some downtown usual suspects, Pietro makes a statement about the state of the human condition by saying it's too damned noisy. A real blowing date where you don't know what's coming next, you really do feel the ebb and flow that he wants you to experience and reassess. Solid work throughout, this concept album is going to get you thinking as well as listening.
(Artistshare 179)
NICOLE ZURAITIS/All Wandering Hearts: The jazz vocalist/writer can make a set about life on the road without it coming across as bleeding gums music. The difference between jazz and folk? An inspiring set that is just right for anyone that misses Joni Mitchell flights of fancy when she brought the jazz and her audience wasn't ready for it. Tasty stuff throughout, contemporary jazz vocal fans have a nice, meaty date to really sink their teeth into here.
(Dot Time 9090)
KEMUEL ROIG/Genesis: A Cuban born piano man that decides to ditch his new age and Christian roots in favor of the jazz he's been turning in for the last 18 years after emigrating to Miami, you can tell it's been percolating inside him all this time. A real head's up set that swings, goes Latin and all around delivers the goods, this is an overdue jazz debut to be reckoned with. Well done.
(Life in Music)
JESSE FISCHER/Resilience: The piano man makes some thinking man's jazz/instrumental music as he investigates his own heritage as well as what's going on. A solid listening date throughout, it's well wrought and well conceived and certainly not cocktail music.
TEODROSS AVERY/Harlem Stories The Music of Thelonious Monk: It's been 30 years since Tabitha Soren asked the President who the loneliest monk was and the music of Monk is still being examined in fresh, new ways. Keeping it's Harlem roots at the core, Avery lines up two combos to dissect and reassemble important parts of the Monk canon, with sax leading the way. A hard to resist set for any Monk fan, casual or serious, these new takes and views satisfy throughout. A fine, serious evaluation that cooks as well.
(WJ3 1024)
MIKE FAHIE JAZZ ORCHESTRA/Urban(e): If the music sounds familiar but you can't put your finger on why, it's because the crew is doing a jazz orchestra program of pretty well established classical music. Giving it a full and proper treatment throughout, it takes music of all kinds from all places to make something really satisfying. This set is artistically satisfying at all levels and a real ear opener to boot. Well done.
(Greenleaf 1077)
Volume 44/Number 298
August 21, 2020
MIDWEST RECORD
830 W. Route 22 #144
Lake Zurich, IL., 60047
CHRIS SPECTOR, Editor and Publisher
Copyright 2020 Midwest Record
Did you know we dig you linking to us? Go ahead. It's fun and easy. Want to make sure your link opens to your review? See those dates on the side of the page? Click on the one that relates to the page you want. That page's permalink will open in the browser window. Just cut and paste from there and we're off to the races.
Tossing a doubloon, shilling or sheckle in the Paypal tip jar is not only very appreciated but helps keep this site happy and well fed.
FTC Blogger Disclosure: Hold on, we're working on something that doesn't sound lame.
Did you know we dig you linking to us? Go ahead. It's fun and easy. Want to make sure your link opens to your review? See those dates on the side of the page? Click on the one that relates to the page you want. That page's permalink will open in the browser window. Just cut and paste from there and we're off to the races.
Tossing a doubloon, shilling or sheckle in the Paypal tip jar is not only very appreciated but helps keep this site happy and well fed.
FTC Blogger Disclosure: Hold on, we're working on something that doesn't sound lame.
|
08/13/22
08/12/22
08/06/22
08/06/22
08/05/22
08/03/22
|
|
