By Jack Bowers, All About Jazz As on its debut album, I Remember Bu, drummer / educator Ralph Peterson‘s Gen-Next Big Band, composed for the most part of students at Boston’s Berklee College of Music, pays tribute on Listen Up! to one of Peterson’s mentors, the late great Art Blakey, known far and wide as … Read More
By Ralph A. Miriello, Notes On Jazz Being associated with a generous and talented mentor can be a powerful impetus to your own creative development and musical maturity. Bassist Richie Goods’ latest album My left hand man, is a tribute to Goods’ mentor, the late great pianist Mulgrew Miller, who Goods recorded and toured with for nine … Read More
By Drama Queen NYC Cabaret legend Billy Stritch has teamed with jazz singer Clint Holmes for an act at the Birdland Theater entitled “Straighten Up and Fly Right” which pays tribute to the great Nat “King” Cole. Given this combination of performers, it’s not a surprise that the show is jazzy as heck. Pianist / … Read More
By Stephen Mosher, Broadway World That’s what they say, isn’t it? It’s all in the timing? Well, Hannah Jane Peterson could not have timed her latest show in the Birdland Theater more perfectly. Her new act coinciding with the recent release of the children’s picture book A IS FOR AUDRA (which probably populates more childless … Read More
By Fred Grand, Jazz Journal Despite Ulery being based in Chicago, the music of Delicate Charms recalls that very composerly strand of New York jazz from the 1990s which was exemplified by Dave Douglas (New & Used) and Mark Feldman (The Chromatic Persuaders). He borrows liberally from folk and classical musics, and the complementary arts … Read More
By John Shand, The Sydney Morning Herald A LIFE BETWEEN (Soundsabound) ★★★★ Perhaps it was inevitable that Chase Baird would be a jazz saxophonist, with his first name referencing a Coltrane tune (among others) and his second containing “bird”. But making this second album was not easy, with a little serendipity required before his pieces could … Read More
By George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly Pianist Matt Herskowitz brings melodicism and a modern classical approach to a wide variety of lyrical songs. The melding of jazz and classical works well, with a rich and stately read of “My One And Only Love” and a wondrous “Ballade” as a strong dynamic range is heard on … Read More
By John White, Jazz Journal An accomplished hard bop trumpeter and a prolific composer, Brian Lynch is not yet a jazz household name in the UK. Born in Urbana, Illinois, he grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and studied at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. He also sat in with local jazz musicians, including pianist Buddy … Read More
By Preston Frazier, Something Else Say Yes is the latest release by versatile singer La Tonya Hall. She recorded this first new work since 2009’s It’s About Time in between dates as backup singer for Steely Dan. The results on Say Yes are what you would expect from such an acclaimed vocalist. Working with Andy … Read More
By Mike Greenlatt, The Aquarian A Night At The Deer Head Inn Someday (Deer Head Records), by father-son team Skip and Dan Wilkins, is a love letter of sorts to the hallowed environs of Pennsylvania’s legendary Deer Head Inn. Built in the eighteen-forties, it’s been operating as a jazz club since the nineteen-fifties. That makes it … Read More
