By: Selwyn Harris, JazzWise Pianist Hays duets with the young Italian singer Chiara Izzi on a repertoire of standards and originals that’s on the more acceptable side of pop-jazz, with a band that includes a few guest spots, the most stellar being Chris Potter. Jando Music
By: Michael Bourne, WBGO It’s been too many years since Vanessa Rubin came on Singers Unlimited with a new album, and her newest is one of her best. The Dream Is You: Vanessa Rubin Sings Tadd Dameron celebrates the great composer and arranger of the ’40s and ’50s. Dameron, like Vanessa herself, was born in … Read More
Michael Jewett, WEMU Drummer Ralph Peterson Brings his Art Blakey tribute to the Blue Llama Jazz Club in Ann Arbor this weekend. He joins 89.1 WEMU’s Michael Jewett for music and conversation. LISTEN HERE!
Marcus Baylor’s coalescence of various American music styles into his playing has already secured him a spot in the history of post-modern jazz drummers. In the book, The Jazz Book: From Ragtime to the 21st Century (Chicago Review Press, 2009), authors Joachim-Ernst Berendt and Günther Huesmann cite Baylor as one of an exclusive list of drummers that … Read More
Howard Dukes, SoulTracks “I Can’t Breathe,” the absolutely stunning lead single from Vivian Sessom’s upcoming album Life II, references the final words said by Eric Garner in 2014 when he was placed in a fatal choke hold while being arrested by police for illegally selling cigarettes. However, the mixture of blues and gospel does not tell the … Read More
Click on image to enlarge: Stuart Nicholson, Jazzwise Recorded live in the Nashville venue 3rd & Lindsley, the legacy of Miles Davis still provides musicians old enough to know better with the kind of inspiration that lifts this recording from ‘Good’ to ‘Very Good’. Liebman was, of course, on the original Davis recording of On … Read More
By George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly If you’ve never heard any albums by Hard Bop’s progenitor Art Blakey, this two disc live session with drummer/leader Ralph Peterson is an excellent place to begin. He gives a tribute to the famed drummer’s sound and songbook with alumni including Bill Pierce/ts, Bobby Watson/as, Brian Lynch/tp, Geoffrey Keezer/p … Read More
Israeli-born keyboardist, producer and composer Kenner is thrilled to release his debut album 8Ball City TODAY! The album was recorded at Riro Muzik and Black Lodge Studio in Brooklyn, NY and at Gil Feldman’s Studio in Israel. 8Ball City features an array of international musicians including drummers David Frazier Jr., Noam Israeli and Diego Joaquin … Read More
Scott Bernstein, JamBase Trombonist/vocalist Natalie Cressman and guitarist/vocalist Ian Faquini played a gorgeous set of music focused on material from the recently released studio album Setting Rays Of Summer at New York City’s Rockwood Music Hall on Monday night. Cressman and Faquini showed off their versatility and masterful musicianship throughout the performance. Natalie and Faquini played music in various Brazilian styles … Read More
By: Jerome Wilson, All About Jazz At a time when women are gaining more prominence in every field, it’s no surprise there are more and more all-female jazz groups popping up. This particular octet, led by pianist Ellen Rowe, takes that a step farther with a CD that delves into women’s history. They have recorded … Read More
