by Joe Ross, Roots Music Report “Clearly, the band had fun bringing his compositions to life, as the juxtaposition of notes and rhythms create a unique experience of melody and groove. And beyond its groove, their creative music has become something even larger with its own forward momentum.” Read the full review here.
By Joe Ross, Root Music Report Pianist/composer Michael Eckroth and company create imaginative jazz by keeping their eyes, ears and hearts open to new ideas. Eckroth vision is for his music to be “lyrical, modern, and true to its Afro-Latin roots, but never purist in its approach.” Plena, a reference to the folkloric music of … Read More
By Joe Ross, Roots Music Review This album’s backstory began in 2016 when tenor saxophonist and composer Berta Moreno was invited by an organization called “Bilingual Birdies” to the Kawangware region of Kenya to work with kids at the Little Ray of Hope School. While volunteering in a poor, disadvantaged neighborhood fraught with poverty hunger … Read More
By Joe Ross, Roots Music Report Papo Vázquez’s tenth album is a serendipitous and celebratory affair of Latin jazz that came together during the 2020 pandemic. Seasoned musicians are adaptable, the Mighty Pirates Troubadours knew how to react quickly under pressure when a window opened that allowed them to gather and record. The band’s name … Read More
By Joe Ross, Roots Music Report Everybody Knows is a jazz-flavored soul album that also makes a beautiful thematic statement that the world needs more hope, compassion and care. Brianna Thomas’ powerful style of vocalizing is characterized by confident, articulate and intricate jazz phrasing. Read more here.
by Joe Ross, Roots Music Report “Based in New York, Mariel Bildsten demonstrates a proficient technical mastery of her tricky instrument, the trombone. Backbone makes a solid debut statement for the young lady who schooled at Manhattan School of Music and has held the lead trombonist chair in Arturo O’Farrill Afro-Jazz Orchestra.” Read the full review … Read More
By Joe Ross, Roots Music Report Italian singer Mafalda Minnozzi’s alluring voice has a beautiful, pleasant tone as she digs into the Portuguese lyrics from a repertoire that emphasizes works of Antonio Carlos Jobim. Read this review here.
By Joe Ross, Roots Music Report Kiki Valera opens his debut album with “Mi Son,” a tribute to Son Cubano, the music that originated in eastern Cuba in the late 1800s by black and mulatto musicians, and then incorporated both African and Spanish elements as it gained universal appeal. We learn that the music comes … Read More
