If there is any singer which is able to sing the Great American Songbook without any hint of boredom or nuisance, it is Jane Monheit. She sings the Ella Fitzgerald songbook on her new Songbook Sessions album (hopefully there are more to come in this series) and loosely collected songs Ella sang (and then didn’t…
Singer Eleanore Mills unfortunately released only one album, the 1974 LP “This Is Eleanore Mills!”, which is now available as a re-mastered edition. The album came out on Astroscope, which was a subsidiary label of All Platinum Records, the lable of impresario Sylvia Robinson and was produced by Harry Ray and Al Goodman (The Moments,…
Hot on the heels of the soundtrack to the Don Cheadle Miles Davis biopic where Robert Glasper played a vital role, here comes Robert’s tribute album to the meister who would have been 90 this year. And thank heaven this is not a trumpet album. Not that I don’t dig the trumpet, but a Miles…
I am a big Brad Mehldau fan. Ever since his very first album and ever since I first saw him in Montreux in the early 90s. His playing is flawless, groovy, aesthetically perfect and has some Keith Jarrett moments even. But in terms of repertoire and surrounding cast, isn’t it time for some changes? Just…
Film noir, that special genre that was defining the 40s and 50s mystery and crime movies, gets a new twist with singer Lauren White‘s new album that was produced by Mark Winkler and features a great cast of musicians, among them Mitchel Forman, Trey Henry, and Abe Lagrimas,Jr. as the rhythm section plus arrangements by Kathryn…
It seems that everything Terri Lyne Carrington touches these days turn to gold. She has produced the latest record by harmonica player Grégoire Maret called “Wanted” and can be heard singing vocals on the opening cut, “2Beats”, which also features rapper Kokayi on a smoothly floating tune that elegantly fades in and wins over with…
This is Leyla McCalla‘s sophomore album after her praised debut “Vari-Colored Songs”. Leyla again plays cello, tenor banjo, and guitar and sings in English, French, and her native Haitian Creole (both her parents were born in Haiti). There is a charming naturalness and simplicity in her songs, whether they are originals or covers of traditional…
We’re happy to annouce that Gina is back from a much needed break and in the meantime, a lot of great new releases flooded our offices. And it is always a big difference reviewing a new album after just one listen or after living with it for a while. And after listening to Gregory Porter‘s new…
Saxophonist Marcus Strickland has come with a brilliant set on Revive/Blue Note called “Nihil Novi”, produced by Meshell Ndegeocello. The album features a few tracks with the wonderful Jean Baylor and also has trumpet maestro Keyon Herrold on tap. The album runs from smooth grooves to warm interludes, free-fall playing to some exceptionally well-executed vocal…
South African trumpeter Darren English has released “Imagine Nation”, his 10-track debut that features four of his original compositions, five standards, and a Dizzy Gillespie piece. His tempo, harmony and structure on the title track, a self-written romp through modern jazz heaven, immediately show his skills and characteristics not only as a top-notch trumpet player,…