Robbie Gerson Archive
Robert Kennedy – Closer To Home
B3 jazz at its best! Robert Kennedy – Closer To Home – Self-Produced, 63:01 ***1/2 (Robert Kennedy – Hammond B-3; Terence Brewer – guitar; Ben Torres – tenor saxophone (tracks 1,3,4,5,6,8,10); Cody Rhodes – drums) As a Hammond B3 purveyor, Robert Kennedy has forged a unique legacy in the San Francisco/Bay Area music scene. In 1988, he played piano in the Stanford University Jazz Band and studied with renowned educator, Bill Bell. He was involved with local bands, including Hip Pocket Jazz Quintet and Double Funk Crunch. Inspired by the likes of Jack McDuff, Billy Childs, Larry Goldings, Tony Monaco and Herbie Hancock, Kennedy has immersed himself in the genre-bending B3 world of jazz, incorporating hard bop, bop, blues and soul chops. In 2015 he released the debut, Big Shoes. Comprised of all original compositions, this trio recording received critical recognition. Kennedy’s second album, Closer to Home contains 10 tracks of originals and covers. For good measure, he has added a tenor saxophone (Ben Torres/Pacific Mambo Orchestra) to expand the guitar (Terence Brewer) and drums (Cody Rhodes/Geographer). Opening the set is a traditional jazz number titled “Wild Bill” (a tribute to composer Bill Bell’s father). The tenor provides a muscular […]
Best of the year Discs for 2017 — Jazz Selections I
A few of the noteworthy Jazz releases from this past year, selected by our reviewers… Delfeayo Marsalis: An Evening with Delfeayo Marsalis – Troubadour Jass Records TJR 093017 Like father, like son… Review Link Eddie Daniels & Roger Kellaway – Just Friends Live @ The Village Vanguard – Resonance Records HCD2028 Another sharp arrow in Resonance Records’ quiver… Review Link Sherman Irby & Momentum – Cerulean Canvas- Black Warriors Records BWR 1006 Flat out great…! Review Link Sean Jones – Live from Jazz at the Bistro – Mack Avenue Records MAC 1111 Sean Jones heats up The Jazz Bistro… Review Link Art Pepper & Bill Watrous- West Coast Sounds, vol. 4- (reissue)- Omnivore Records OVCD 225 (1979) Alto and trombone, a mellow blend… Review Link Steve Davis – Think Ahead – Smoke Sessions Records SSR 1704 Steve Davis comes through again on Think Ahead… Review Link Thelonious Monk – Les Liaisons Dangeureuses (1960) Sam Records/SAGA (2 LP) Monk’s only recorded movie soundtrack – from original session tapes, now in remastered sound… Review Link Organissimo – B3tles: A Soulful Tribute to the Fab 4 – Big O 2424 B-3 trio plus […]
Best of the year Discs for 2017 — Jazz Selections
A few of the noteworthy Jazz releases from this past year, selected by our reviewers… Wadada Leo Smith (solo trumpet) – Solo: Reflections and Meditations on Monk Putting Monk in a new light… Review Link Wadada Leo Smith – America’s National Parks[2-CD] A tribute to America’s shared legacies. Review Link Cuong Vu 4Tet – Ballet (The Music of Michael Gibbs) A masterful tribute to a top-notch composer and arranger. Review Link Gaudi – Magnetic A voyage into modern neo-dub. Review Link The Ed Palermo Big Band – The Great Un-American Songbook: Volumes I & II [2-CD] Who can mix prog-rock, British pop music, Miles Davis, Jeff Beck and West Side Story? It could only be the one and only Ed Palermo. Review Link Club d’Elf – Live at Club Helsinki[2-CD] A jazz, Middle Eastern, jam band exhibition. Review Link Procol Harum – Salty Dog – Mobile Fidelity UDSACD2192 (SACD) This is a stunning re-mastering of classic Procol Harum! Review Link Bill Evans – Another Time – Resonance HCD-2031 (CD) Nearly four decades after his death, Bill Evans is making news. Review Link […]
Jean-Michel Bernard Plays Lalo Schifrin – Varese Saraband
Jean-Michel Bernard Plays Lalo Schifrin – Varese Saraband 303 067 523 8, 63:42 ****1/2: Lalo Schifrin’s career in music began as a classical progeny. When he met iconic trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie in his native Argentina durang the 1950’s. Schifrin joined Gillespie’s band and this unique merger of classical and jazz structures occurred. Although versed in jazz, Schifrin became renowned for his film (Bullitt, Dirty Harry, The Cincinnati Kid) and television (Mannix, Mission Impossible) scores. Music lovers who are unfamiliar with his name are aware of his memorable compositions. Jean-Michel Bernard is an accomplished musician and composer. His film scores include Hugo, The Science Of Sleep and Be Kind, Rewind. Like Schifrin, he has collaborated with both classical and jazz musicians. It appeared to be a natural phenomenon for Bernard to assemble a talented group of players and release a tribute to a musical icon. Recorded in France and the U.S., Jean-Michel Bernard Plays Lalo Schifrin is a breath of fresh air. With elegant and dynamic flourishes, the Schifrin catalogue comes to life. The opening theme from Mannix is sprightly with a “60’s/70’s” jazz rock score, featuring a muted trumpet (Eric Giausserand) and Bernard’s stylish piano handling the leads. The television […]
Easy Rider Soundtrack – Dunhill Records
Easy Rider Soundtrack – Dunhill Records DSX 50063 (1969)/MVD Audio MVD8151LP (2017) – stereo vinyl, 37:38 ****: (Featuring the music of Steppenwolf; Smith; The Birds; The Holy Modal Rounders; Fraternity Of Man; The Jimi Hendrix Experience; The Electric Prunes; and Roger McGuinn) As the 1960’s cinema evolved, the anti-hero dominated the narratives. Movies like Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid, Bonnie And Clyde, Hud, and Midnight Cowboy examined the social mores (of the absence) of the counterculture. But it took a long time to shed a light on the peculiar “Hippie” movement. Mike Nichols’ The Graduate was a shrewd glimpse into the angst of suburban disaffection. But in 1969, Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda tackled the complex, idyllic world of sex drugs and rock and roll in Easy Rider. With a meager budget (allegedly around $60,000) , the saga of two dope dealers (Fonda and Hopper) cruising across America on motorcycles became a smash hit. It elevated Jack Nicholson (a late replacement for Rip Torn) to stardom. The crossover appeal was a boom for independent films and more importantly, rock music in films. The soundtrack for Easy Rider was also trend-setting. The various songs represented a visceral connection to the […]
Fenemor’s Kiwi Blue – Blues Jam
Fenemor’s Kiwi Blue – Blues Jam Self-Produced, 48:57 ****: (Adrienne Fenemor – B3 organ, vocals; Marvin Horne – guitar; Brian Floody – drums) B3 player adds vocals to her repertoire. The influence of American jazz is global. One of the purely American instrumental genres is the Hammond B3 organ. On the other side of the world, New Zealand native Adrienne Fenemor became a devotee of B3 music. According to her bio, she may be the first B3 player in her country. Studying the recordings of Jimmy Smith, Groove Holmes, Joey DeFrancesco and Jack McDuff, Fenemor began performing at festivals in New Zealand and Australia. Inevitably, she moved to the States, and paid her dues playing through the Midwest. Now relocated to New York, she is a regular on the city jazz scene. Her instrumental album, “Mo Puddin’” has steadily climbed the jazz charts. On Fenemor’s latest release Blues Jam, she has added a new dimension to her impressive B3 licks, vocals. Fronting a classic B3 trio format (Marvin Horne/guitar; Brian Floody/drums), the change in direction is stellar. With a dynamic jazzy agility, a nine-track assortment of covers (and one original composition) showcases the next step in her career trajectory. The […]
Ron Carter – All Blues – CTI 6037 (1974)/ Pure Pleasure (2016) – vinyl
Ron Carter – All Blues – CTI 6037 (1974)/Pure Pleasure (2016) stereo vinyl, 36:01, ****1/2: An audiophile vinyl re-mastering of a jazz legend sounds great! Ron Carter – doublebass, piccolo bass; Joe Henderson – tenor saxophone; Roland Hanna – piano; Richard Tee – electric piano on “117 Special”; Billy Cobham – drums, percussion) There aren’t many jazz bassists who are regarded as jazz icons. Ron Carter is certainly at the head of this group. As a sideman, he played with Eric Dolphy, Cannonball Adderly, Herbie Hancock, Thelonious Monk and was part of the second Miles Davis Quintet. Carter has scored many films, and taught jazz composition. His approach to interval jazz composition has drawn comparison to Duke Ellington. More importantly, he has been recording for over fifty years, enhancing his substantial influence in the jazz community. Among the many contributions was All Blues, released on the CTI label in 1974. Recorded over one session in late 1973, this album is widely considered to be among the greatest of all time. Pure Pleasure Records has released a 180-gram vinyl re-mastering of All Blues. With a quartet featuring Carter (double bass), Joe Henderson (tenor saxophone), Roland Hanna (piano) and Billy Cobham (drums/percussion), […]
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
