After years of being a respected first-call sideman, percussionist Sammy Figueroa has become a leader. His new CD, Urban Nature features compositions by pianist Silvano Monasterios and bassist Gabriel Vivas. Janine Santana reviews the disc.
Sammy Figueroa: “Urban Nature” (Senator 1001) Read More »
In 1979, Sarah Vaughan was a newlywed. Her husband was trumpeter Waymon Reed, a competent but hardly original soloist. Vaughan insisted on featuring Reed on her recordings, including her 2-LP Duke Ellington Songbook. Concord has now reissued the set on CD with a previously unissued session conducted by Benny Carter. In his review of the CD, Thomas Cunniffe speculates that Reed may have been the catalyst for some of Vaughan’s greatest late-career performances.
When Sarah Vaughan first heard Clifford Brown in 1951, she wanted to make a record with him, even though he was unknown and had not recorded. Three years later, with Brown established as a rising trumpet star, the collaboration became a reality. In this Retro Review, Thomas Cunniffe discusses that album, rightly acknowledged as a jazz classic.
Sarah Vaughan featuring Clifford Brown (LP: EmArcy 36004; CD: EmArcy 814 641) Read More »
Satchmo at Symphony Hall has long been considered one of Louis Armstrong’s greatest concert recordings. In commemoration of the 65th anniversary of this recording, Universal Music has released the concert complete for the first time. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the new version in this Retro Review.
Louis Armstrong: “Satchmo at Symphony Hall” (Decca 16891) Read More »
Saxophonists can be a combative lot, but it’s not always necessary for them to battle to the death. This month’s instrumental CD reviews spotlight two new albums which each feature three saxophonists. However, as Thomas Cunniffe notes, the leaders David Berkman and Jerry Granelli take very different approaches in contrasting and uniting their fine saxophonists.
Saxophone Unity and Diversity Read More »
Through the generations of jazz history, the tenor saxophone has been the instrument most associated with the music. Thomas Cunniffe reviews new releases by three generations of tenor men: Benn Clatworthy, Ravi Coltrane and Brandon Wright.
Saxophonists with Style Read More »
Sheila Jordan once said, I think I may have been a bass player in a previous life. My favorite way to sing is with the bass. Jordan’s duo recordings with bass accompaniment have been some of her finest work. This month, Jordan’s biographer Ellen Johnson, offers the first part of a two-part Historical Essay on these seminal recordings.
Sheila Jordan: The Bass/Voice Duets Read More »
One of the most beloved recorded collections in jazz history features extended live performances performed by a band with no major stars except its leader. In this Historical Essay, Thomas Cunniffe reviews the recordings of Shelly Manne and His Men featuring Joe Gordon and Richie Kamuca, including the magical albums recorded over three nights at San Francisco’s Black Hawk.
Shelly Manne and His Men featuring Joe Gordon and Richie Kamuca Read More »
One of jazz’s greatest storytellers, Shirley Horn created a masterpiece for the ages with her 1992 CD, Here’s To Life. The album was her first collaboration with Johnny Mandel, and it features three of Mandel’s best songs. However, as Thomas Cunniffe writes, it is the title song–written especially for Horn–that ties this album together..
Shirley Horn: “Here’s To Life” (Verve 314 511 879) Read More »
The New Yorker’s fake Sonny Rollins interview has probably gotten more attention than it ever deserved, but the suicide of Robin Williams has brought out a new and disturbing element about the Rollins article. In this special edition of Sidetracks, Thomas Cunniffe explores the darker side of the New Yorker’s satire.
A Sick Kind of Humor Read More »
Venezuelan pianist Silvano Monasterios first album for Savant features musical portraits of those most important to him, ranging from his father to his dog! Janine Santana offers her reactions to the disc.
Silvano Monasterios: “Unconditional” (Savant 2111) Read More »
The latest CDs by pianists Jeremy Siskind and Harold Mabern feature a plethora of guest vocalists. Such loaded rosters may cause some observers to claim that the artists and record companies are trying to boost the commercial appeal of the albums. However, our reviewer Thomas Cunniffe feels that the vocalists help fulfill the artistic goals of the leaders and that the casual nature of the albums belie any accusations of commercialism.
The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz has undergone several transformations since its initial release in 1973. Thomas Cunniffe evaluates the various editions of the set as one of this month’s Retro Reviews.
The Smithsonian and “Classic Jazz” Read More »
Most jazz documentaries spend the majority of their time dwelling on the past. However, Robert Mugge’s 1986 film Saxophone Colossus caught Sonny Rollins in a particularly creative period. Mugge splits his film between an outdoor combo concert in upstate New York and the Tokyo premiere of Rollins’ original concerto for saxophone and orchestra. Through it all, the saxophonist captivates with his boundless energy and creativity, Thomas Cunniffe reviews this new home video edition of the film, which features 4K remastering and Dolby sound.
Sonny Rollins: “Saxophone Colossus” (MVD Video) Read More »