Ruf Records recently released a live two-disc CD/DVD set by the late bluesman Luther Allison that, in all regards, absolutely smokes. Recorded onstage at the 1997 Montreal Jazz Festival — just four days before Allison was diagnosed with the terminal cancer that took his life one month later — Songs [...]
Read more >>Independent Culture
Reviews
Leonard Cohen in 1970
Wednesday, October 21st, 2009On October 20, Columbia Legacy released a two-disc DVD+CD package titled Leonard Cohen: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970. Cohen is many things – among them, a poet, novelist, songwriter, guitarist and singer – but what he’s assuredly not is a jazz musician. That said, even for a diehard [...]
Read more >>Classic Vince Guaraldi
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009Most people outside of the jazz world – and even many people within it – know exactly one song by pianist/composer Vince Guaraldi song. And that song, of course, is “Stairway to Heaven.
Just kidding.
Guaraldi is the composer of “Charlie Brown Theme,” which truly is a great tune. But he’s also [...]
Reissued Rankin
Sunday, September 20th, 2009On September 1, Sly Dog Records, an imprint of the Mack Avenue label, made Kenny Rankin’s first seven albums digitally available online (iTunes, Rhapsody, eMusic, etc.). Physical reissues of those albums on compact disc will be released on November 3. Rankin, a fine tenor vocalist and gifted guitarist who handled [...]
Read more >>Lester Young’s Centennial
Friday, August 14th, 2009Were Lester Young still alive today, he would be a couple weeks short of his 100th birthday. As it is, the trailblazing tenorman died just over 50 years ago, in March 1959. Still, the very fact that the saxophonist would’ve turned 100 on August 27 was reason enough for the [...]
Read more >>Joe McBride: A Changed Man
Tuesday, July 28th, 2009Shortly after the release of his first album on the Heads Up imprint in 1992, singer/pianist Joe McBride became a smooth-jazz star. Since then, McBride has gently pushed the boundaries of the genre now and then – most notably perhaps on 2000’s Texas Rhythm Club – but for the most [...]
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