You’ve never heard “Bohemian Rhapsody” like this: A quick and bouncy work that elicits instant smiles thanks to the spirit of Django and those who followed in his footsteps (release date: July 14), now re-envisioned by the “gypsy jazz/swing superband” Hot Pants de France from southern California. Formed by Sam Kaufmann (former session guitarist for... Continue Reading →
The voice that can bring it all in the flirty “Candy” from her CD Classic can also belt out in love and gratitude in “Praise the Lord” and then tell her heart’s desire in the classic “More” and “I Took a Trip on a Train,” both from the 2018 album Never Let Me Go. What... Continue Reading →
The gratification of a hook-drenched melody will never leave you high and dry. That is what you’ll find in Atlantic Groove Society’s newest venture (Feb. 2022), “Past and Present.” The album creates a warm, expansive feeling in ten memorable tracks. While the horn (from leader Alexander Hartgers) soars and sings, guitar, drums, keys, bass and... Continue Reading →
A steady beat by piano and darkly colored dissonances collide with an ethereal voice, twinned by cello and grounded by luscious bass. This is the title track of Jacopo Ferrazza’s new CD Fantasia, where the music takes off like a bird in flight with a sudden fugue of horns, piano and notes too high to... Continue Reading →
There's nothing like wailing out on your sax or hitting those highs on your trumpet when you have a gorgeous showpiece as well; something that's individual to you and expresses who you are. Robert Majzik (a Hungarian craftsman now residing in Tokyo) has been engraving for over 35 years. He's working on a (secret) new... Continue Reading →
With grunts and growls and poppin’ those harmonics, alto/tenor sax player Adam Nolan from Ireland waxes poetic on his new CD called “Prim and Primal” with his trio, comprised of Derek Whyte on bass and Dominic Mullan on drums. “The Magic Carpet” turns arpeggios inside out while the bass stays strong and true; drums stir,... Continue Reading →
A guy with a thing for the blues and CSNY finds himself immersed in jazz and turns into a lifelong student. Guitarist James Robert Murphy has worked those etudes and now his breakout as a jazz musician in the new CD “Park North, the 2920 Sessions” shows he has the passion, the material and the... Continue Reading →
Self-taught with no formal music training, former DJ and now producer, composer and musician Terence Thompson has come out with beautiful proof of his talents. His new CD “If I Only Had a Band” features eight tracks that are sweet and salty, with rhythms locked down tight and great grooves. “It’s Not Over” has a... Continue Reading →
It’s the kind of voice you don’t expect, the kind you’re blown away by, when you pull back and say, “What just happened?” Kale Johnson’s voice comes out of the blue and is simultaneously two things: powerful and self-possessed. His new single “Be Still My Heart” shows he has the chops to be an icon... Continue Reading →
Debbie Burke - jazz author 
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