Select a month

Back to The Archives

soprano sax Archive

The Dave Liebman Group – Expansions Live – Whaling City Sound

by Audiophile Audition | Feb 13, 2017 | Jazz CD Reviews

A double dose of Dave. The Dave Liebman Group – Expansions Live [TrackList follows] – Whaling City Sound WCS 088 (2-CDs), 62:36, 60:22 [Distr. by Naxos] [10/14/16] ****: (Dave Liebman – soprano sax, C flute, co-producer; Matt Vashlishan – alto sax, clarinet, C flute, straw, co-producer, mixer; Bobby Avey – piano, keyboard; Tony Marino – acoustic and electric bass; Alex Ritz – drums, frame drum) Saxophonist Dave Liebman and his quintet bring out the dynamism on the double album, Expansions Live, which has over two hours of music, split between an acoustic side and an electric side, taped at three venues from 2014 through 2016. The personnel on these concert pieces comprises Liebman on soprano sax and flute; longtime collaborator Tony Marino on acoustic and electric bass; Matt Vashlishan on alto saxophone, clarinet and flute; Bobby Avey on piano and electric keyboards; and drummer Alex Ritz. Liebman fans will appreciate the opportunity to contrast and compare the live renditions of tunes from prior Liebman studio releases, plus a few new compositions, as well as the chance to hear the group run through jazz standards by Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis, Tadd Dameron and others. CD 1 has 62 minutes of material […]

Carol Robbins, harp – Taylor Street – Jazzcats

by Audiophile Audition | Jan 16, 2017 | Jazz CD Reviews

A welcome jazz harp with ensemble release… Carol Robbins, harp – Taylor Street – Jazzcats 109, 53:49 ****: (Carol Robbins – harp; Billy Childs – piano and Fender Rhodes; Bob Sheppard – saxophones and clarinet; Larry Koonse – guitar; Curtis Taylor – trumpet; Derek Oles – bass; Gary Novak – drums; Ben Shepherd – electric bass) There is a lushness to the jazz harp with ensemble release, Taylor Street, from harp player Carol Robbins, that will draw listeners in immediately, and demand further replays to fully appreciate its harmonic richness. Robbins studied with the pre-eminent jazz harpist, Dorothy Ashby, and she explores the harp’s strengths as a lead instrument backed by top L.A. session men on nine of her original compositions. Certainly it’s the lyrical bliss inducing aura brought on by a full size concert harp that begins the process. Billy Childs’ piano and Fender Rhodes expands the landscape with his Jazz Chamber Ensemble mates, Bob Sheppard on sax and clarinet, and guitarist, Larry Koonse. The burnished tone of trumpeter Curtis Taylor rounds out the front line, backed by bass and drums. The nine tracks are a blend of heated jazz, bluesy riffs, and a strong dose of classical motifs […]

Jane Ira Bloom – Early Americans – Outline/Sono Luminus SL Ed. – audio-only Blu-ray

by Audiophile Audition | Dec 21, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

A gorgeous Blu-ray audio from American’s soloist on soprano sax, with her trio. Jane Ira Bloom – Early Americans [TrackList follows] – Outline/Sono Luminus SL Editions – multichannel audio-only Blu-ray SLE-70005. 52:54 (Distr. by Naxos) [11/18/16] *****: (Jane Ira Bloom, soprano sax/ Mark Helias, bass/ Bobby Previte, drums) With renowned audio engineer Jim Anderson, this 13-track session consists of a dozen of her originals, the drive of Song Patrol to the spare melancholy of Mind Gray River, plus a closing solo version of the classic Bernstein West Side Story number, Somewhere. The album has a stunning photo of Bloom on the front. This is Bloom’s first trio album, and she seems to like the slightly off-balance feel of the trio, whose members she has long worked with before. It is also her 16th album as a group’s leader. One of the tracks is under two minutes (Nearly – for Kenny Wheeler) while others are over five, including the penultimate very moving one, Big Bill. The whole session is full of plenty of variety as well as exploration. It would be a real treat of all jazz albums were as good sonics and performance is this one. TrackList: Song Patrol; Dangerous […]

Sidney Bechet – The Grand Master of the Soprano Saxophone – Columbia mono/ Pure Pleasure – vinyl

by Audiophile Audition | Dec 15, 2016 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews

Mono but a fantastic album from the master of the soprano sax, Sidney Bechet. Sidney Bechet – The Grand Master of the Soprano Saxophone – Columbia CL836 mono/ Pure Pleasure Records (11/16) – vinyl *****: (Bechet, soprano sax/ Leonard Ware guitar/ Henry Turner, doublebass/ Zutty Singleton, drums/Dave Bowman, piano/ Ernie Caceres, baritpne sax) There’s a lot of Sidney Bechet out there besides the sides he did for RCA Victor and Blue Note which have been reissued frequently. This vinyl from Columbia combines three separate sessions he made between 1938 and 1947. His strong vibrato on the soprano sax is in full audition thruout this wonderful album. Six of the tracks come from a 1947 quartet with Lloyd Phillips on piano and bassist Pops Foster. Another 1947 session heard here has a sextet led by Bechet’s star pupil, Bob Wilber, along with pianist Dick Wellstood – who would grow to be a major stride interpreter. On “Kansas City Man Blues” Wilber on clarinet switches with Bechet on soprano sax. Never mind that these are just mono – the sonics and playing are terrific! TrackList: A1 Love For Sale Written-By – Cole Porter A2 I Had It, But It’s All Gone Now […]

Jane Bunnett & Maqueque – Oddara – Linus Ent.

by Audiophile Audition | Nov 17, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Jane Bunnett & Maqueque – Oddara – Linus Ent., 270244, 53:51****: Oddara is a surging, rhythmic, muscular offering. (Jane Bunnett – flutes, soprano sax, whistling; Danae Olano – piano, vocals; Celia Jimenez – bass, vocals; Magdelys Savigne – percussion ,vocals; Yissy Garcia – drums; Elizabeth Rodriguez – violin ,vocals; special guests: Melvis Santa – vocals; Dayme Arocena – vocals) Canada’s ties to Cuba go back to the 18th Century, and the Canadian Government has maintained an Embassy in the country continuously since 1945 (unlike the U.S.). Cuba has been a favourite Canadian tourist destination for many years (and also Portland Unitarians), and thus jazz musician Jane Bunnett’s fascination with the Afro-Cuban music tradition is not some Johnny-come-lately affair. Her latest foray into the genre with her all-female band Maqueque is entitled Oddara and is a surging, rhythmic, and muscular offering. Jane Bunnett’s accomplishments as a soprano saxophonist are well documented. The group of female musicians that she leads are primarily from Cuba, but spend significant amounts of time in Canada both recording and performing, when they are not on tour around the world in support of their music. In this release, the music has been penned, for the most part, […]

Jane Ira Bloom, sop. sax – Early Americans – Outline

by Audiophile Audition | Jul 25, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Soprano saxophonist finds that three is the perfect number. Jane Ira Bloom – Early Americans [TrackList follows] Outline OTL142, 52:18 [5/13/16] ****: (Jane Ira Bloom – soprano saxophone, co-producer; Mark Helias – bass; Bobby Previte – drums) Soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom does something new on her latest album, the 52-minute Early Americans. On her 16th release as a leader, she strips the proceedings down to a trio format. The result is a dozen Bloom originals (and one Broadway standard) which crackle with sustained fortitude, snap with swing and groove, and pop out from the speakers or headphones with auditory aplomb. Bloom is joined by two longtime musical friends: bassist Mark Helias (who first collaborated with Bloom in the mid-70s) and drummer Bobby Previte (who has worked with Bloom for 15 years). It’s not hard to imagine the simpatico synergy which filters through each tune, and listening confirms Bloom, Previte and Helias’ uncanny communication. There are many standouts. The CD opens with two memorable pieces. “Song Patrol” introduces a magnificent melodic theme via Bloom’s sincere soprano, while Helias and Previte contribute freely-moving rhythms. This is modern jazz but doesn’t stray into free or avant-garde territory. There’s a lithe bass/drum duet […]

Raoul Bjorkenheim/eCsTaSy – Out of the Blue – Cuneiform

by Audiophile Audition | Feb 4, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

Finnish jazz and improvisation which is unpredictable and eclectic. Raoul Bjorkenheim/eCsTaSy – Out of the Blue [TrackList follows] – Cuneiform, Rune 413, 41:23 [10/16/15] ****: (Raoul Bjorkenheim – electric guitar, producer; Pauli Lyytinen – tenor, bass and soprano saxophones, mey; Jori Huhtala – doublebass; Marrku Ounaskari – drums) There is a side to modern jazz where allogamy, or cross-fertilization, is the norm rather than the opposite. It’s where lines get blurred: jazz fusion, prog rock, postmodern material, raucous noise, and more commingle. Guitarists such as Nels Cline, Bill Frisell and Sonny Sharrock have fused those lines. Finland’s Raoul Bjorkenheim is another guitarist who tackles disparate, but somehow connected, improvisational ground. His quartet, eCsTaSy, put out a debut in 2014. In late 2015 Raoul Bjorkenheim/eCsTaSy issued a sophomore release, the eight-track, 40-minute outing, Out of the Blue. Like its predecessor, Out of the Blue is a mix of harder-edged tunes and longer pieces which have elliptical shapes. Moods can suddenly shift, textures can be intimate one moment and strident the next. The overriding process is music which is very aware of its own individuality. Several tracks showcase Bjorkenheim’s electric guitar, and are paced with tinges of rock and toughened jazz. Opener […]