Author name: Thomas Cunniffe

Kurt Elling and the Swingles at the Soiled Dove, Denver (December 5, 2017)

Concert Reviews /

On a chilly night in Denver, Kurt Elling and the Swingles heated up the stage of the Soiled Dove with an eclectic repertoire of jazz, pop, folk, blues and holiday favorites. Thomas Cunniffe was in attendance, and he writes about the spectacular performances by Elling and the Swingles, Elling’s outstanding new band, and of a quickly-devised encore that involved all of the singers.

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Duke Ellington: The Complete “Ellington Indigos” (Jazz Beat 527)

Retro Reviews /

Neglected among Duke Ellington’s classic albums of the late 1950s, Ellington Indigos contains definitive versions of standards by Ellington and his contemporaries. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe offers a fresh interpretation of this album and sorts out its various releases.

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The Complete 1932-1940 Brunswick, Columbia & Master Recordings of Duke Ellington & his Famous Orchestra (Mosaic 248)

Retro Reviews /

While Duke Ellington was one of Columbia Records’ signature artists, the company (now owned by Sony) has not always been an ideal custodian of Duke’s recordings. As a whole, Ellington’s 1932-1940 Columbia, Brunswick and Master big band sides have been out-of-print for years, with Columbia providing two outstanding collections in the 1960s, and little else since then. Mosaic Records has again stepped up to correct this problem, and in his Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe notes the wide variety of Ellington treasures in this 11-CD box set.

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Embracing the Unexpected

CD Reviews /

Theoretically, surprise should be part of every jazz performance, but this month’s instrumental CDs offer plenty. Thomas Cunniffe and Ben Markley offer reviews of a Harry Allen/Scott Hamilton tenor duets that eschews the fever pitch of other such efforts, a rhythmically rich album by Joe Lovano’s Us Five and an understated interactive album by Ron Miles, Bill Frisell and Brian Blade.

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Eric Dolphy: “Out To Lunch” (Blue Note 84163/HD Tracks FLAC remaster)

Retro Reviews /

From its iconic cover to the groundbreaking music within its grooves, Eric Dolphy’s Out To Lunch is one of the classic free jazz albums of the 1960s. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe examines this complex masterpiece.

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Erroll Garner: “Ready, Take One” (Columbia/Legacy 36331)/ Shirley Horn: “Live at the Four Queens” (Resonance 2015)

Retro Reviews /

The names Erroll Garner and Shirley Horn do not usually appear side-by-side in jazz histories. Yet in a vintage interview, Horn said that Garner was her first jazz influence. Both Garner and Horn created unique styles that were difficult for others to copy, specifically Garner’s idiosyncratic approach to rhythm and Horn’s intimate way with ballads. Thomas Cunniffe reviews newly released recordings by Garner and Horn in this month’s Retro Review.

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Erroll Garner: “No One Can Hear You Read” (First Run Features)

DVD Reviews /

In the 1950s, Erroll Garner was ubiquitous: his recordings (on several different labels) were everywhere, and he frequently appeared in concerts and on television. But Garner’s style didn’t fit easily into accepted jazz genres and hardly any pianists played exclusively in his style. Atticus Brady’s new documentary No One Can Hear You Read attempts to revitalize the legacy of this self-taught wonder. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the DVD.

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The Essence of Billie

Sidetracks /

For many jazz fans and historians, there are two categories of jazz singers: Billie Holiday and everyone else. Thomas Cunniffe has a similar rating system for Billie Holiday tribute albums: there’s Carmen McRae’s and everyone else’s. However, two new Holiday tributes by José James and Cassandra Wilson stand up well to comparisons with McRae’s classic LP. The similarities and differences are discussed in this month’s Sidetracks.

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Expanding the Repertoire

CD Reviews /

Discovering new repertoire is an ongoing challenge for jazz musicians, whether they are vocalists or instrumentalists. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the latest albums by vocalists Claudia Acuña, Kellye Gray, Gretchen Parlato and Janis Siegel where they explore music that lays outside of the standard repertoire.

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Finding Common Ground

CD Reviews /

It has been said that the music of the future will be a combination of different styles, rather than a new form of an established genre. In this month’s vocal CD reviews, Thomas Cunniffe discusses albums by Dena DeRose, Camila Meza, and Sofia Ribeiro which blend elements of seemingly disparate styles.

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For Our Jazz Heroes

CD Reviews /

This month’s instrumental CD reviews are all (in one form or another) tributes to jazz giants. Thomas Cunniffe reviews Marc Cary’s salute to his former boss, Abbey Lincoln, Eli Yamin and Evan Christopher’s homage to a wealth of jazz heroes, Eddie Daniels and Roger Kellaway’s live performances of Ellington and Hush Point’s debut CD which examines the continuum between cool and free jazz.

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Four Jazz Masters

CD Reviews /

It’s been about six years since pianist Renee Rosnes and saxophonist Lew Tabackin released albums under their own names, but each of them has a new disc out, and as Thomas Cunniffe notes in his reviews, both albums were worth the wait. Also reviewed is a collection of 2005 duets by trumpeter Kenny Wheeler and pianist John Taylor. The album was originally issued as a memorial to Wheeler, but by the time of its release, Taylor had also passed away.

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Francisco Mela: “Tree of Life”

CD Reviews /

On his new CD, Tree of Life, drummer/composer Francisco Mela creates a multicultured musical journey with his band, Cuban Safari, and guest vocalist Esperanza Spalding. The recorded results are explored by our Latin jazz expert, Janine Santana.

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Frank Sinatra on the Radio

Retro Reviews /

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Frank Sinatra’s birth, Sony Music and the Smithsonian Institute have released a total of 5 CDs featuring radio performances spanning the first two decades of the legendary vocalist’s career. In this month’s Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe reviews both the Sony 4-CD set and the Smithsonian single disc package, noting that the recordings offer a rare opportunity to hear Sinatra performing songs he never officially recorded.

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