The promotional material for the latest albums by John Hébert and Mike Holober state that, despite the presence of vocalists on all of the CD’s tracks, the disc are not actually vocal albums. In his reviews of the discs, Thomas Cunniffe wonders which categories that these albums fall, especially since vocalists Jen Shyu and Kate McGarry have primary roles in these recordings.
The Singer Within the Band Read More »
The Great American Songbook has been—and will likely remain—a prime source of material for jazz singers. Yet many vocalists strive to find fresh repertoire that works within a jazz context. In this month’s vocal CD reviews, Thomas Cunniffe introduces us to Hilary Gardner, Julie Kelly and Júlia Karosi, whose new discs all feature a wide range of songs.
Singing a New Song Read More »
Bulee Slim Gaillard was a man of many gifts–songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist–but his greatest gift may have been as a linguist of both real and invented languages. Gaillard’s recordings for JATP, MGM, Mercury, Clef and Norgran have been collected in a new Verve collection, Groove Juice and Thomas Cunniffe provides his input on how Gaillard’s music and humor have traveled through the years.
Slim Gaillard: “Groove Juice:The Norman Granz Recordings & More” (Verve 27591) Read More »
Over the years, there have been plenty of albums featuring Brazilian music and the music of Duke Ellington, but few have transformed the material as well as Catina DeLuna and Nancy Harms. In this CD review, Thomas Cunniffe discusses how each vocalist has developed this well-worn repertoire through fresh approaches and brilliant arrangements.
All of the singers featured in this month’s vocal CD reviews have been spotlighted in these pages before. The newest releases from Theo Bleckmann, and the groups Double Bass Double Voice (with Emily Braden and Nancy Harms) and Duchess (with Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner and Melissa Stylianou) offer a wide variety of songs and styles. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the discs.
Songs for Any Taste Read More »
Standards are part of every jazz vocalist’s repertoire, and the three women featured in this month’s vocal CD reviews all share deep love and knowledge of the standard repertoire. Thomas Cunniffe discusses an autobiographical CD by Cat Conner, a soulful recital with B3 organ by Nancy Kelly, and a direct-to-2-track recording by Melissa Stylianou.
Sophisticated Ladies Read More »
One of the reasons that jazz remains a lively art is that its traditions are both strong and flexible. In this month’s instrumental CD reviews, Thomas Cunniffe explores three artists who have adapted standard album formulas in their own ways without sacrificing either their own integrity or the spirit of the originals.
The Spirit of Discovery Read More »
In this month’s vocal CD reviews, Thomas Cunniffe discusses new albums by three supremely gifted young singers. Rose Ellis offers one of the most impressive debut CDs in recent memory with Like Songs, Like Moons, Alllegra Levy presents a light-hearted approach to relationship issues in Cities Between Us, and Rozina Patkai sings a stunning collection of songs in four languages on Paraiso na Terra.
Spreading Their Wings Read More »
While most vocal albums include a mix of standard and original compositions, this month’s CD reviews focus on how singers Peter Eldridge, Sara Gazarek and Clare Teal, found creative ways to enhance both types of songs. Thomas Cunniffe provides the commentary.
Balancing Standards and Originals Read More »
As 2018 comes to a close, Jazz History Online recognizes the best new and reissued CDs, DVDs and books that have appeared in our pages over the past 12 months. We also pay tribute to the great musicians and historians who left us in 2018.
The bright costumes and wild improvisations of Sun Ra and his Arkestra made them a natural for film. Although several documentaries (and one very strange feature film) were made of the group, no filmmaker found the essence of Ra and his sidemen as well as Robert Mugge in his documentary A Joyful Noise. Thomas Cunniffe reviews a beautifully restored DVD edition of the film in this month’s DVD review.
Sun Ra: A Joyful Noise (MVD Visual) Read More »
Few singers could discover the inner meaning of a lyric like Susannah McCorkle. A self-described hopeless romantic, she thoroughly researched the songs she performed, and sometimes added long-forgotten lyrics to her arrangements. McCorkle committed suicide in 2001, but her memory lives on through a newly-released live recording from Berlin. Thomas Cunniffe, who once interviewed McCorkle, discusses her life and artistry in this Sidetracks article.
Remembering Susannah Read More »
As they approach their 50th anniversary, the Swingle Singers are at the top of the a cappella world. Thomas Cunniffe offers this interactive history of the group with embedded video and audio performances and a gallery of group photos.
The Swingle Singers: Making the Music Dance Part 2 Read More »
As they approach their 50th anniversary, the Swingle Singers are at the top of the a cappella world. Thomas Cunniffe offers this interactive history of the group with embedded video and audio performances and a gallery of group photos.
Swingle Singers Gallery Read More »