Intimate singing may seem like a lost art, but the three vocalists featured in this review can communicate a wide range of emotions without raising their voices. Thomas Cunniffe reviews new albums by Libby York, Jane Irving, and Mary Foster Conklin.
More
While he hasn’t always taken the best care of his voice, at 89, Tony Bennett is still at the top of his game. His remarkable new Jerome Kern tribute disc, The Silver Lining (co-led with pianist Bill Charlap) is a virtual master class of fine interpretation and vocal finesse. In this feature review, Thomas Cunniffe describes the many wonders located on this disc.
More
The rich tonal colors and great flexibility of the big band format continues to inspire composers to this day. In this month’s instrumental CD reviews, Thomas Cunniffe examines four bands located all over the world. Indiana’s Buselli/Wallarab Orchestra pays tribute to Gennett Records, Chuck Owen collaborates with the WDR Jazz Band of Cologne, Germany, Bobby Sanabria features three exceptional vocalists, and emerging composers Erica Seguine and Shon Baker present deeply personal originals on their debut CD.
More
One of the stated goals of all tribute albums is to enlighten listeners about a classic artist through the prism of a younger artist’s interpretation. In this CD review essay, Thomas Cunniffe examines four new tribute albums with a special focus on repertoire. Included in the survey are Cecilia Smith’s homage to Mary Lou Williams, Craig Davis’ salute to Dodo Marmarosa, Ann Hampton Callaway’s celebration of Peggy Lee, and Janiece Jaffe’s posthumous tribute to Joni Mitchell.
More
Female musicians continue to make inroads in the jazz world, and this collection of capsule reviews celebrate five new albums led by prominent jazz women. The supergroup Artemis presents their second album, violinist Sara Caswell offers a long-awaited CD of her music, Champian Fulton shines in a new live recording, Jo Lawry collaborates with Linda May Han Oh and Allison Miller for a daring recital, and Gretchen Parlato and Lionel Loueke celebrate 20 years of music-making with a splendid duet album. Thomas Cunniffe offers his evaluations.
More
At the end of every year, Thomas Cunniffe attempts to review all of the noteworthy discs remaining on his review stack. Laura Anglade, Camille Bertault, Roberta Donnay, Aubrey Johnson, Manhattan Transfer, Paul Marinaro, Luciana Souza, and Nancy Harms are the featured vocalists in this collection of CD Reviews (see elsewhere on The Front Page for a collection of instrumental CD reviews).
More
At the end of every year, Thomas Cunniffe attempts to review all of the noteworthy discs remaining on his review stack. Franco Ambrosetti, Jane Ira Bloom, Terri Lyne Carrington, Al Foster, Tom Harrell, Enrico Rava and Fred Hersch, and Jason Yeager are the featured leaders in this collection of CD Reviews (see elsewhere on The Front Page for a collection of vocal CD reviews).
More
The word “Dedication” is a synonym for commitment, as well as the act of honoring others. The double meaning applies to the recordings, as many of the honorees are lauded for their sense of commitment. Thomas Cunniffe reviews four new CDs by Lynne Arriale, Eli Degibri, Fred Hersch, and Martin Wind.
More
The word “reflection” has two distinct meanings: the image seen in a mirror, and the act of remembering. This set of Vocal CD Reviews includes instances of both definitions. Thomas Cunniffe reviews the albums of Alex Baird, Dawn Derow, Carol Sloane, Melissa Stylianou, Tierney Sutton and Mark Winkler.
More
The tribute albums featured in this issue’s CD Reviews were created by artists living far away from the cultural centers of New York and Los Angeles. Jackie Allen and Hans Sturm salute musicians born in the Cornhusker State in “The Nebraska Project”, Anat Cohen and Marcello Goncalves explore the MPB songbook on “Reconvexo”, Cyrille Aimee, Adonis Rose and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra join forces to examine the cultural connections between New Orleans and France, and David Sanford’s big band pays homage to Dizzy Gillespie and Lester Bowie on “Prayer for Lester Bowie”. Thomas Cunniffe offers his reactions to these superb albums.
More
The concept album has been around since 1939, but the artists featured in this month’s vocal CD reviews have adapted the concept to fit their own needs. Thomas Cunniffe reviews albums by Patricia Barber, Stacey Kent, Kate McGarry and Roseanna Vitro.
More
This month’s instrumental jazz reviews focus on the two most popular instruments in jazz. Eliane Elias plays duets with Chick Corea and Chucho Valdés on “Mirror Mirror”; Joel Frahm interacts with his trio on “The Bright Side”; Renee Rosnes and Chris Potter are reunited on “Kinds of Love” and Helen Sung pays tribute to great female jazz composers on “Quartet Plus”. Thomas Cunniffe discusses these four outstanding albums.
More
By a happy and well-timed coincidence, the JHO mailbox has been filled with new discs by outstanding vocalists, all of whom have been previously featured on the site. With our 10th anniversary coming up this July, here are Thomas Cunniffe’s reviews of new CDs by Roseanna Vitro, Jane Monheit, Gretchen Parlato, Alyssa Allgood and Veronica Swift.
More
In what we hope will be the final installment of this series, Thomas Cunniffe reviews 5 new discs released during the pandemic. Included are Franco Ambrosetti’s “Lost Within You”, Jane Ira Bloom & Mark Helias’ “Some Kind of Tomorrow”, Noah Haidu’s “Slowly: Song for Keith Jarrett”, Jon-Erik Kellso’s “Sweet Fruits, Salty Roots” and Chris Pattishall’s “Zodiac”.
More