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Various Artists: “Oscar with Love” (Two Lions self-released)
After Oscar Peterson’s death, his hand-picked Bösendorfer Imperial Grand piano remained untouched for over five years. A piano technician told his widow, Kelly, this piano should be played, and she invited 17 great jazz pianists to Peterson’s home studio to record on the Bösendorfer. The results have been issued on a 3-CD collection titled Oscar…
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Past, Present…and Future?
Twenty-five years in the music business can either make several changes to an artist’s approach, or it can leave the artist pursuing the same style that brought them original acclaim. Kellye Gray’s new double CD Rendering combines her debut disc with new versions of the same songs. Thomas Cunniffe contemplates the changes in Gray’s style,…
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Personal Tributes
Tribute albums can come in many forms. Despite its title, Jane Ira Bloom’s new CD, Early Americans actually celebrates her current trio. Roberta Piket pays homage to her mentor Marian McPartland with lovely sextet arrangements of McPartland’s compositions on One for Marian. Matt Wilson gathers the members of his various groups in a lively memorial…
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Poetic Jazz
In addition to being brilliant poets, Emily Dickinson and Carl Sandburg shared a deep appreciation for music. Dickinson was an amateur pianist and reportedly, a skilled improviser in the classical sense; Sandburg was a jazz fan, and an avid performer of American folk songs. In their latest albums, Jane ira Bloom and Matt Wilson celebrate…
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Jazz Pianists: Emerging and Established
Jazz piano covers a multitude of styles and sounds. This month, Ben Markley reviews recent albums by the intense and poetic Dan Cray, the classically-trained and Latin-influenced Ari Erev, the powerful and creative Orrin Evans, and the exuberant and passionate Arturo O’Farrill.
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Jeff Hamilton Trio: “Red Sparkle” (Capri 74114)
A few decades ago, every young drummer dreamed of having a drum set finished in red sparkle. Jeff Hamilton was lucky enough to have one, and his memories of playing that set are so vivid that he calls the musical highlights of his life “red sparkle moments”. Red Sparkle is also the name of Hamilton’s…
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Joe Locke: Interpreter and Composer
Vibraphonist Joe Locke’s fame has grown considerably over the last five years through a series of recordings on the Motéma label. However, he has been known as a “musician’s musician” since he first appeared on the New York scene in the early 1980s. Thomas Cunniffe reviews two new albums, scheduled to be released within the…
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Kate McGarry: “Girl Talk” (Palmetto 2152)
In her new album, Girl Talk, Kate McGarry refreshes an old concept (a tribute to great female jazz singers) with insightful recastings of classic songs. Thomas Cunniffe offers his reactions to the disc in this CD review.
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“Introducing Katie Thiroux” (BassKat 1001)
The number of bassist/vocalists in jazz history is rather small, and the number gets smaller when factoring in how many are women. Thomas Cunniffe introduces us to Katie Thiroux, whose abundant talents are displayed in her newly-released debut CD.
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The Return of Luciana Souza
Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza has been off the scene for the past 3 years, but she’s returning to public performance in a big way, with the simultaneous release of two very different albums, The Book of Chet and Duets III. Thomas Cunniffe reviews both CDs and notes how each illuminates Ms. Souza’s unique talents.