Being a jazz journalist who started in the 1970s has afforded Scott Yanow some priceless opportunities and serendipitous encounters. Yanow is an oft-quoted jazz reviewer who plies his trade in magazines, program guides, liner notes and just about anywhere else that a readable font can fit. An 11-time author and the creator of a jazz... Continue Reading →
The Doggy Cats want to tell you straight up that jazz doesn’t need to be complicated and over-thought. Their first CD “Diakon Pizza” is a work of open-hearted joie de vivre. Leader and pianist Tetsuro Hoshii who hails from Japan and is now a permanent fixture in Brooklyn has other talents interrelated with this theme... Continue Reading →
Pianist/composer Ingi Bjarni has a delicate affinity for nuance which is layered with beautiful precision in his quintet’s new CD “Tenging.” Translated into English as “connection,” the tracks fit together with smooth edges and strong unity while celebrating each musician’s individuality. The title track “Tenging” is the ultimate mood painting: an ethereal beginning as the... Continue Reading →
Reverberating poetry opens the title track of bassist Yuriy Galkin’s latest CD, “For Its Beauty Alone,” which trails off to allow a sax’s thoughtful musings, light but supportive percussion and an aptly colorful and sweet piano accompaniment. Galkin is a Russian-born composer and musician, now living in and embracing the NYC music scene. He presents... Continue Reading →
In a solo acoustic album you have to carry it all: melody, harmony, funk, soul and heart. Guitarist Mimi Fox’s new album “This Bird Still Flies” takes us to the sun and back, embroidering the journey with masterful intuition. You can hear her flamenco roots coming through the joy-filled cover of “Blue Bossa.” “Textures of... Continue Reading →
The full and engaging sound of an iconic musical skyscraper like the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (once the Thad Jones & Mel Lewis Orchestra) is alive and well, winning new fans to the genre while reminding audiences everywhere how timelessly hip this music is. In its 2014 CD titled “OverTime: The Music of Bob Brookmeyer,” the... Continue Reading →
Debbie Burke - jazz author 
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