There has always been a shortage of male Jazz singers even though in recent years a few more interesting artists have come along. Anthony Strong started his career in a West End musical in London and has signed to the French Naive label a couple of years ago. On his new album, he mixes old…
This is Maysa‘s 12th album and her 8th for the Shanachie label, once again partly produced by Chris “Big Dog” Davis. There is a lot of drum and synth and keyboard programming here but it is her majestic voice that shines through all the tracks. The title track comes in two different versions – there…
Passion and romance as told and described in various parts of the world – that’s basically the concept and idea behind the new album by singer Kurt Elling. The last time I saw him he didn’t make a good impression but it wasn’t his fault, but rather the strange arrangements of the leader of the…
That the words and lyrics of legendary poet Gil Scott-Heron are still valid today, not only speak for his artistry as one of the most socially conscious commentator of his time, but also show us that unfortunately, much of what he was criticizing in the late 60s and 70s, is still true today. Mark Ruffin…
Trombonist Steve Davis dedicates his new album to the great hardbop trombone giant J.J. Johnson, who not only was a master on his instrument, but wrote a lot of timeless pieces as well. Steve plays with a band he’s been playing with over the years at Manhattan’s Smoke club and in the group One For…
Pianist, composer and producer David Benoit started his career as musical director for singer Lainie Kazan in 1976. Over the years, he has worked with a lot of vocalists, like Patti Austin, Kenny Loggins, Kenny Rankin, Brian McKnight, or Connie Stevens. So when the time came to make a new album, he suggested to do…
In 1981, Leon Ware had of course already made a name for himself as one of Motown’s hit songwriters for Michael Jackson (“I Wanna Be Where You Are”), Marvin Gaye (“I Want You”), or post-Motown for Quincy Jones (“If I Ever Lose This Heaven”). He also collaborated with dozens of others and started his own…
I couldn’t wait to hear the wondrous tone of Joe Temperley on the baritone saxophone, that’s why I started to listen to this CD with the second track, “The Steadfast Titan”, on which Joe imbues his playing with a lot of dark colors and a beefy tone. It is a pure joy to listen to…
The third album by tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis explores the hip-hop period of the late 80s/early 90s when bands like A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets, or Pete Rock & CL Smooth were big. What he tries here is to emulate the style and technique of the rappers of that time and translate it…
Ever since her Grammy-winning album “I Am Shelby Lynne” (1999), I’ve been following her career right on to her latest “I Can’t Imagine” which came out last month. “But Blue Is How I Paint Myself Today” she sings in the opening track “Paper Van Gogh” and even though most of her songs actually tend to…