Dean Brown – Here Bill Evans – Soul Insider Randy Brecker – Hangin’ In The City(ESC – 2001) by Sidney Bechet-Mandela

Whoever said jazz fusion was dead, obviously has no knowledge of Joachim Becker, the man behind ESC Records and the Executive Producer of these three releases. Each one is star studded with guest stars from the golden age of 70′s fusion music. Trumpeter Randy Brecker himself qualifies as one of those heroes, while Brown and Evans are more associated more as back-ups from the 80′s groups of Billy Cobham and Miles Davis respectively. Brown’s cd is clearly the winner… Continue reading →

of 1997 Top Brazilian Album of 1997 Manfredo Fest - Amazonas - Concord Top Jazz Soundtrack Album of 1997 The Last Time I Committed Suicide – Blue Note Top Re-Issue of 1997 Tab Smith – Top N Bottom – Delmark Top Reggae Album of 1997 Steel Pulse – Rage N Fury – Mesa Top Pop Album of 1997 Bridgette McWilliams – Too Much Woman – Virgin

Ron Carter Dear Miles(Blue Note – 2007) by Paula Edelstein As the “ANCHOR” of Miles Davis’ classic 1960s quintet, bassist Ron Carter has enjoyed a prolific and fertile career of his own since he left the iconic trumpeter’s employ in 1968. With DEAR MILES, he pays tribute to Davis with a 10-track collection that features several compositions closely associated with Davis’ repertoires of the 50s and 60s in addition to two Carter originals and a couple of loosely related Davis tunes. By the late 1960s, Miles Davis had developed a ballad style like no other trumpet player. By placing… Continue reading →

Nick ColionneJazz Guitar Chicago Style by Baldwin “Smitty” Smith Joining us is a fantastic guitarist and vocalist who’s got a great new CD out called Just Come On In. I’m talking about Three Keys recording artist, Mr. Nick Colionne. What’s up Nick? NickC: Nothing’s happening with me…just stayin’ in the groove! Smitty: Yes, well you’re staying in the groove because you’ve got a hot new cd out and your hot singles are hitting the charts, you’re really doing some wonderful things out there with your music, and you’ve got to be happy about that. NickC: Well yes, I’m really… Continue reading →

Jeff Alkire One Summer in Winters (2007) by Donald N. Eichelberger The first song, “At This Moment”, begins with a brief, floating intro by the entire ensemble, then the flute, trumpet and alto sax blend together in a tight, tantalizing delivery of the melody: a crisp, charming theme. The drummer uses brushes to paint accents and splashes of tasty rhythm/pulse – flashes, splashes, and flourishes that emphasize and highlight the best parts of each soloist’s offering. Each of the front-line players takes a solo, each making an engaging statement. The acoustic bass weaves supple and supportive lines, binding the group… Continue reading →

PDXJAZZ 2006 Portland Jazz Festival Staff

Each year the Portland Jazz Festival has grown and gotten a little bit bigger, a little bit better. This 4th year of the affair is no different, featuring an allstar cast that includes renowned saxophonist, Branford Marsalis , clarinetist and saxophonist Don Byron’s Music of Junior Walker and The All-Stars project, sax man Trygve Seim; pianist Geri Allen with her trio; trumpeter Dave Douglas , Kurt Elling & Patricia Barber for a West Coast “Evening at the Green Mill”, and saxophone legend Charles Lloyd on a double bill with Tomasz Stanko, Roy… Continue reading →

McCoy TynerPlays John Coltrane – Live at The Village Vanguard(Verve – 2001)   by Phyllis A. Lodge

Plays Coltrane… is fantastic — clean, inventive with a well-knit camaraderie among the musicians. McCoy has always held drummer Al Foster in high regard, and he has been praising bassist George Mraz very enthusiastically for some time now. The three of them performed together recently at a Coltrane tribute in California, and the music they produce on Plays Coltrane is colossal. These men have got it. Their musical rapport is easy and highly compatible. Naima opens the set, surpassing that… Continue reading →

Ragabop TrioRagabop Trio Abstract Logix – 2010Sounds of Timeless Jazz

Drummer Steve Smith, saxophonist George Brooks and guitarist Prasanna are the Ragabop Trio. Their self-titled debut recording for Abstract Logix is comprised of original songs written by its members who express their visions with a focus on groove, atmosphere and harmonic adventures.  With jazz as their foundation, the highly talented trio moves through 9 great tracks with prolific and diverse rhythms, riffs and melodies.  

The set opens with Prasanna’s up-tempo jazz-inspired composition titled “Tug of War.” The song defines the sound of the Raga… Continue reading →

Jazz Loses Two Great ArtistsBy Antoine Marx

Two jazz musicians, who both found themselves in the middle of revolutions within the genre, past away due to cardiac arrest almost within a week of each other. The ironies and similarities abound in both the lives and deaths of master drummer Tony Williams and guitarist Zachary Breaux. Williams, of course, was the most well known of the two. His heart failed as he was recuperating from a gall bladder operation in a Daly City, California hospital on February 21st. He was 51. The great drummer was born in Chicago, but grew up… Continue reading →

Ken Franckling and McDonald Wright Visual Jazz by S. H. Watkins, Sr.

The works of two Rhode Island-based photographers will be in the spotlight in January and February with a gallery exhibition called “Visual Jazz.” The presenters were kind enough to provide us with four samples of the fine photography for inclusion with this article. The month-long exhibition begins January 16, 2001 at the CapitolArts Gallery, Suite #49 in the historic Arcade building in downtown Providence and will focus on works documenting jazz and blues genres. Photographers Ken Franckling and McDonald Wright specialize in capturing the spirit and “moments… Continue reading →