big band Archive

Ed Neumeister & his NeuHat Ensemble – Wake Up Call – MeisteroMusic 

Ed Neumeister & his NeuHat Ensemble – Wake Up Call – MeisteroMusic 

Ed Neumeister & his NeuHat Ensemble – Wake Up Call [Tracklist and Performing Artists follow] – MeisteroMusic 0017, 67:13 [7/15/17] ****: Modern, large ensemble jazz from an under appreciated composer/conductor. Don’t use the term big band jazz when it comes to arranger/conductor and trombonist Ed Neumeister. True, he utilizes many musicians on his self-released and […]

Frank Kimbrough Trio – Solstice – Pirouet

Frank Kimbrough Trio – Solstice – Pirouet

Frank Kimbrough Trio – Solstice – Pirouet PIT3097, 56:04 (10/7/16) *****: A great piano trio CD from the pianist with the Maria Schneider Orchestra. (Frank Kimbrough; piano / Jay Anderson; bass / Jeff Hirshfield; drums) The first thing I noticed about Frank Kimbrough’s Solstice is that it represents the work of three eminent and distinctive […]

Slavic Soul Party! – Plays Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite – Ropeadope

Slavic Soul Party! – Plays Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite – Ropeadope

Ellington as you’ve never heard Ellington: let the party begin. Slavic Soul Party! – Plays Duke Ellington’s Far East Suite [TrackList follows] – Ropeadope RAD-314, 52:14 [9/16/16] ****1/2: (John Carlson, Kenny Warren – trumpet; Peter Hess – saxophone, clarinet; Peter Stan – accordion; Matt Musselman, Tim Vaughn – trombone; Ron Caswell – tuba; Chris Stromquist […]

Dinah Washington – Back to the Blues – Parlophone/ PurePleasure vinyl

Dinah Washington – Back to the Blues – Parlophone/ PurePleasure vinyl

Dinah Washington – Returning to her roots… Dinah Washington – Back to the Blues – Parlophone/ PurePleasure PPAN SR 25189 – stereo vinyl (1963/2016) ****: (Dinah Washington – vocals, Fred Norman – arranger and conductor; backed by largely unknown artists with exception of Eddie Chamblee and Illinois Jacquet on tenor sax, and Billy Butler on […]

George Robert, sax – Plays Michel Legrand – Claves

George Robert, sax – Plays Michel Legrand – Claves

George Robert, sax – Plays Michel Legrand – Claves 50-1607, 55:16 ***: (George Robert, alto saxophone/ Torben Oxbol; arrangements and orchestral parts) Michel Legrand at the movies, on sax. With the passing of George Robert (1960-2016), we have lost a very fine jazz musician and esteemed educator. He played with many of the top big […]

Audio News for August 19, 2016

Steps to Protect a Home’s Electronics – More and more homeowners are becoming aware of the need to protect their homes from lightning strikes. The number of homes struck by lightning has increased 5 to 8% and exceeds billions of dollars annually. Lightning can rip thru roofs, cause structural damage, ignite fires and cause chaos […]

Rob Clearfield – Islands – ears&eyes

Rob Clearfield – Islands – ears&eyes

Chicago trio which puts freedom to the forefront. Rob Clearfield – Islands [TrackList follows] – ears&eyes ee16-047, 57:36 [6/3/16] ****: (Rob Clearfield – piano, electric piano, organ, guitar, co-producer; Curt Bley – acoustic and electric bass; Quin Kirchner – drums) There’s a sense of self-determination on Chicago pianist Rob Clearfield’s first trio outing, the hour-long […]

Quincy Jones And His Orchestra, Live In Ludwigshafen 1961 – SWR Jazzhaus

Quincy Jones And His Orchestra, Live In Ludwigshafen 1961 – SWR Jazzhaus

Quincy Jones And His Orchestra, Live In Ludwigshafen 1961 – SWR Jazzhaus JAH-455, 75:49 ****: A treasure-trove of superb big-band playing. (Quincy Jones and His Orchestra featuring Benny Bailey; Freddie Hubbard; Melba Liston; Curtis Fuller; Ake Persson; Eric Dixon; Phil Woods; Sahib Shihab; Les Spann; Stu Martin; Carlos ‘Patato’ Valdes) Before Quincy Jones morphed into […]