trumpet improvisational Archive

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 […]