Former lacrosse player and husband make music: ‘This is what we were born to do’ Former lacrosse player Jean Baylor and her husband Marcus released their album in February. by Evan Easterling, Temple News Former lacrosse player Jean Baylor and her husband Marcus make music together. COURTESY DENEKA PENISTON Jean Baylor graduated from Temple in … Read More
Andrew Gilbert, The Mercury News With the music industry in disarray and record labels unable or unwilling to nurture new artists, young singers need to stick together these days. San Jose-raised Jackie Gage and Novato-reared Lilan Kane met at the Sound Room in Oakland three years ago during an event presented by Jazz Search West … Read More
George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly Jeff “Siege” Siegel uses his drums and percussion to team up with Erica Lindsay/ts, Francesca Tanksley/p, Rich Syracuse/b, Feya Faku/fh and Fred Berryhill/pec for a collection of originals that mix African exoticism and folk sounds with vintage modal jazz. Clicking tongues and tribal percussion bookend the remaining 11 songs, which … Read More
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly Rachel Therrien plays trumpet and composes most of the material here for a collection of Latin passions, dances and serenades. Along with 5, count ‘em, 5 percussionists, you get Ramon Berrocal/dr, Javier Pinto/b, Carlos Peralta/g, Holman Alvarez/p, Jacobo Velez/sax, Mauro Castillo/tb and Santiago Jimenez/tres sharing in creating a mood … Read More
by Mike Joyce, Jazz Times To find three Berklee alumni recording together isn’t unusual, but not when the gathering constitutes a cross-generational family affair. Such is the case here, as veteran guitarist Mark Whitfield brilliantly collaborates with his sons Davis, on piano and keyboards, and Mark Jr. on drums. Augmenting the Whitfield Family Band is … Read More
by Paul Medrano, Archaic Pop Afrika! Afrika! is a beautiful piece that not only massage your brain – as jazz does – but also touch you deep inside in your heart. The way Akua Dixon is playing is simply incredible. It is both delicate and strong, as a silent scream. Akua apparently composed ‘Afrika! Afrika!’ … Read More
by Mike Greenblatt, Acquarian Weekly In the grand tradition of a trio—sax, bass, drums—with no chords, just the way the legendary Sonny Rollins pioneered it, comesMike Casey’s selfreleased The Sound Of Surprise: Live At The Side Door, seven first-takes of Casey alternating between his alto and tenor saxophones in his native Connecticut with bassistMatt Dwonszyk … Read More
by Shannon J. Effinger, Downbeat Jazz harpist Brandee Younger is shining a much-needed light on her long-overlooked instrument. In the process, she’s illuminating a world of jazz harp history. A graduate of The Hartt School of Music, in Hartford, Connecticut, this native New Yorker has become a fixture in the current jazz scene, working with … Read More
by George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly Named after the husband and wife team of vocalist Jean Baylor and drummer Marcus Baylor, TBP is a rotating collaboration that takes jazz and all of its roots tributaries on this thrilling musical journey. Hymns, spirituals, standards and originals all take a part on this musical collection of sounds … Read More
by DanMichael Reyes, Revive If you’ve ever caught The Baylor Project at one of their bi-monthly shows at Smoke then you’re already familiar with the light effervescent quality of their music mixed with the stank-face-inducing grooves that husband and wife duo Jean and Marcus Baylor are able to produce. The band has come a long … Read More
