Synthesizer, human beatbox, and Fender Rhodes. These are part of the new sound of pianist Jacky Terrasson on his new album “Take This”. “I don’t want to repeat myself…I wanted to do something completely different”, says Terrasson in the liner notes. And so he opens the 11-song set with a joyous, uptempo “Kiff” including the…
A collection of nine standards is the latest album by guitarist Bobby Broom. But this is not your typical standard fare – there is a Frederick Loewe song that hasn’t been recorded very often (“The Heather On The Hill”) and all of the tracks come to life by the shining arrangements for his trio which…
Steve Tyrell, the singer with that raspy voice and a little country twang, got his start in the record business early when he had the chance to work at the famous Scepter label. Soon enough, he produced songs for Chuck Jackson or Maxine Brown and promoted the records for Dionne Warwick. It was the time…
As an avid reader of album credits, I came across the name of trumpeter Duane Eubanks (brother of guitarist Kevin and trombonist Robin) on one of the final albums for the great Phyllis Hyman, “Forever With You” from 1998, where he was featured on the title track and on “The Strength Of A Woman”. A…
Is there a special sound coming from Iceland? It seems that with their fifth album, the group ADHD prove that there is this typical melange of melancholy, sudden outbursts, and ambient Jazz Rock defining the group’s sound and maybe that of the island as well. The group has won the Icelandic Music Award with their…
This album comes right on time. Just the other day it seemed to me that you always had to go back to Dexter Gordon or Coleman Hawkins to hear some beautiful sax ballad playing. Here comes Dayna Stephens with his superb new album which has everything: eleven ballads, imaginative playing, first-class band, and top production….
The new trio of bassist Avishai Cohen went into the studio straight after a worldwide tour. Nitai Hershkovits on piano and Daniel Dor on drums complete the group for this new Razdaz Recordz release. The central piece here is the almost eight minutes long “Ballad For An Unborn” which works with a lot of stop…
After exploring Giuseppe Verdis “Otello” and Richard Wagners “Parsifal”, bassist Dieter Ilg is now turning to Ludwig van Beethoven for his latest ACT Music release. This is not one of those typical Jazz Classic cross-over projects, though, but rather an album of simply adventurous, beautiful, and innovative interpretations on 13 of Beethoven’s pieces. The bassist,…
Bassist Stephan Crump opens the new CD by guitarist Rez Abbasi, the #1 Rising Star Guitarist in the 2013 International Critics Poll by Downbeat Magazine. He introduces the Weather Report classic “Black Market” which soon unfolds into the familiar 70s fusion piece written by Joe Zawinul. And also marks the starting point to a fresh,…
It is always a pleasure at the beginning of each year to receive the consistently brilliant independent Luxury Soul compilations. I have checked in my files and found all discs going back to 2004 with great music by Leon Ware, Frank McComb, Keni Burke, Sandra St. Victor, or Ronnie McNeir. The latest 3 CD Box…