**Jazz Vocalists: Hear and Now
(Vocal Jazz)
>From a musical perspective, this compilation CD is quite simply a "no
brainer" if you like jazz vocals because it features some of the greatest
jazz vocalists from the past 50 years. Here is a list of the artists
appearing on this CD: Poncho Sanchez, Ray Charles, Shirley Horn, Michael
Bublé, Freddy Cole, Diana Krall, Luciana Souza, Cassandra Wilson, Lizz
Wright, Cry Me A River, In The Winelight, Jackie Allen, Jamie Cullum, Kitty
Margollis, Mary Stallings, Al Jarreau, Karrin Allyson, Joni Mitchell,
Madeleine Peyroux, Norah Jones, Dianne Reeves, Jane Monheit, Nnenna Freelon,
Vanessa Rubin / Etta James, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Ernie Andrews, Abbey
Lincoln, Patricia Barber, Peter Cincotti, Tierney Sutton, Kevin Mahogany Big
Band, Carmen Lundy, Carla Cook, Andy Bey, René Marie, Nancy Wilson, Jimmy
Scott.
Culturally it reaches even higher ground, with the profits from CD sales
going to the Jazz Alliance International's education and advocacy programs.
So you don't even have to think twice about buying, just feel safe in going
ahead and doing so. Take it home and wait till you have some chores to do
around the house before playing it for the first time, so that you can sing
along with the music and make your work go that much smoother.
**Eric Person - "Reflections"
(Jazz)
This album is a collection (which includes 3 previously un-released live
tracks) of Eric Person material from 1993 - 200. One of Downbeat Magazine's
choices for top ten on Soprano Sax, Eric Person has had over 20 years of
international jazz experience playing with entities such as World Saxophone
Quartet, John Hicks Big Band, Chico Hamilton, Ronald Shannon Jackson's
Decoding Society, Kelvynator, Sources, Dave Holland, Vernon Reid and others.
This CD is no joke as Eric Person demonstrates why he is regarded as one of
the best in the world. I found this CD to be very relaxing and thought
provoking and a perfect "drive time" album!
**Gary Davis Band - "Playing My Dues"
(Jazz-Funk-Soul)
Nice saxaphone driven jazz funk from the Gary Davis Band. This is BBQ/Fish
fry type of music, just in time for summer's arrival into my CD player.
Check out the songs 'On the Grover Side of Town', 'Keep on Steppin' and
'Rock Steady' (a remake of the Aretha Franklin classic) to get yo' funk
on...
Vernon Reid and Masque's "Other True Self"
(Jazz-Funk-Progressive Rock)
A few years ago while reviewing Vernon Reid & Masque's first CD called
"Known Unknown" I said that they reminded me a bit of Chick Corea/Return To
Forever in their basic sound. Well guess what? They still do, however they
have expanded a bit to include more "progressive rock" influences, just as
Chick Corea/Return To Forever did back in the 1970's. It even includes a few
cover songs: The Tony Williams Lifetime's "Wild Life," Depeche Mode's "Enjoy
the Silence" and Radiohead's "National Anthem." The album Other True Self
is industrial strength jazz/funk/rock and it's not for the meek. Did you
like Return to Forever and or Weather Report back in the 1970's? Then treat
yourself to a copy of this CD. Are you too young to have been a fan back
then? Then check it out to find out what all of the fuss was all about.
Frank McComb - "The 1995 Bootleg"
(Soul-Jazz-Funk)
The first thing that you notice about our friend Frank McComb's - "The 1995
Bootleg" is the album cover. It's stark white, except for Frank's name and a
rather large black construction worker's boot. I suppose that there are
several messages that could be taken from this sort of imagery, but for the
purposes of this review, we will assume that it's refering to the fact that
Frank is in fact "bootlegging" himself with this CD. Soul-Patrol has been a
big fan of Frank McComb since his days with Buckshot LeFonque. In fact in
many ways Frank McComb could rightly be called the "father of Neo Soul",
since he was doing it long before that un godly marketing term ever came to
our attention. "The 1995 Bootleg" contains music that Frank says was
originally recorded for MoJazz and selling on the black market for as much
as $50.00 per cd...unmixed, never mastered, no artwork and obviously as a
CDR. So armed with that information, he decided to release it on his own.
After listening to this CD I really am at a loss to understand why Why it
wasn't released by Motown back in 1995. This CD is slammin. Do you like
Donny, Stevie, Herbie, CTI and Blue Note all rolled into one? If so, then
you will dig this album. It's pretty much represents the type of first class
consistent instrumental/vocal performance we have come to expect from Frank
McComb. However there is one real surprise here when you get to track number
8 "Do You Remember Love?". This song sounds like the type of thing that
might have resulted had Stevie Wonder and Micheal Jackson hooked up and
said: "lets go into the studio and make one slammin/mind blowing funk track
& not tell anyone what we are doing".
Billy Jones - "Prime Suspect for the Blues"
(Funk-Soul-Blues-Southern Soul)
Billy Jones is one of the "good guys". What I mean is that he refuses to
play the "corporate game". He is an artist who is truly interested in
advancing/extending "Great Black Music From The Ancient To The Future" and
making sure that it is available for future generations. As such he is one
of my personal musical heroes, so therefore this review may seem a bit
biased (but so be it). On the surface "Prime Suspect for the Blues" is
indeed a "blues album" intended for the Hendrix/Stevie Ray Vaughn audience.
But upon closer inspection we can see that there is truly a method to the
maddess of the man who calls his music "BLUEZ". Imagine for a moment that
you could take the music of the following artists and somehow blend them all
together Ike Turner, Chuck D, Hendrix/Stevie Ray Vaughn, Johnnie Taylor,
Clarence Carter and Jimmy Reed. Throw in just a little bit of Richard
Pryor/Dolomite and then you begin to understand why the music of Billy Jones
is so important. It also begins to explain just why the "korporate
entertainment business" wouldn't be interested in an artist like Billy
Jones. However, you should be. Billy Jones is the kind of artist thats worth
getting excited about. He wants to change the world, one listener at a time
and here in the year 2006 it's an awfully exciting thing to be able to be a
fan of an artist who belives that music can still be a vehicle for change.
grosskopf File Under: G
(Jazz-Funk)
In short sax-player Andreas Grosskopf might as well be the year 2006 version
of Klaus Dollinger of Passport (and if you don't know who Klaus Dolinger is,
just imagine an electric sax player who is a cross between Maceo Parker and
Eddie Harris). That is how badd he is and that's how badd the album "File
Under G" is. A few years ago he released an album of powerhouse Jazz-Funk
which we reviewed called "Type: G". This time out for "File Under G" the
results are similar, however Grosskopf up's the anty by also featuring the
beautiful vocals of Charlotte Karlstedt on several cuts. It all works
perfectly with the vocal cuts that remind me of the early 70's Flora Purim
RTF and the instrumental cuts reminding me of like....well....Passport?
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Bob Davis
earthjuice_at_prodigy.net
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Received on 2006-05-04 14:10:34