Is it glinting? Is it green? “The Surface of an Emerald” is certainly lit from within and expressed through the luminous and sensitive clarinet with just a hint of a jazz pulse from vibes. This is one of the jazzical... Continue Reading →
Guest post by Marc-Andre Seguin Jazz guitar is an odd topic. Trust me, I know: I started one of the most popular jazz guitar websites (JazzGuitarLessons.net) back in 2009. The instrument itself is a “tool of the gods” when it... Continue Reading →
Finding and recombining is what instrumentalist Nana Simopoulos does best on her new CD “Skins.” A prominent, insistent beat on the track “Merely to Know” occupies the same space as a guitar, sax and ethereal vocals. Each instrument has its... Continue Reading →
Envision a Circus Where the Lion Tamer Wields a Sax – Comparisons to the Three Rings by Jon Irabagon
Multi-sax musician Jon Irabagon riffs off the oddities and calliope-gone-awry quality of a circus in his latest CD, “Dr. Quixotic’s Traveling Exotics.” As front man for his quartet, Irabagon provides a fresh glimpse at recombining rhythms and stretching the definition... Continue Reading →
Hit right between the eyes by the opening tick-tock drum beat followed by real fat sounds from double-trouble on tenor saxes is a killer way to set the mood on the song “I Never Knew.” The piano solo from leader... Continue Reading →
Sometimes a song grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. Your breath stops and you have no choice but to be still and soak up the mood. The stunningly melancholic jazz waltz “Syrian Lullaby” is one such standout... Continue Reading →
Roberta Piket wears the Great American Songbook like it’s her second skin, but has the versatility and curiosity to pull off free jazz and something even less often heard: jazz chamber music. She’s also had the rare honor of being... Continue Reading →
If the highest compliment to a musician is to say that his or her band transports the listener, then bandleader Vince Giordano is a travel agency extraordinaire unto himself, providing a one-way ticket to a fascinating time and place. His... Continue Reading →
You may recall my July 7, 2017 post about jazz artist Sir Shadow, who appears unscheduled and unannounced throughout New York City and creates single-line art depicting musicians. As coincidence would have it, today hubby and I met with my... Continue Reading →
