JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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Still Warm is unique among John Scofield’s recordings in a number of ways. The overall tactile effect of Still Warm is like the rippling heat waves rising off freshly poured tar on a hot summer’s day. More so than usual, even for Scofield’s Grammavision recordings, the emphasis is firmly on groove. […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Smokin’ In The Pit is a 2 CD live release from the first incarnation of Steps Ahead, a jazz supergroup comprised of Michael Brecker on tenor sax, Mike Mainieri on vibes, Steve Gadd on drums, Don Grolnick on keys, and Eddie Gomez on bass. On one tune, the band is joined […]

WORTH A LISTEN
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Yeah, sure these tracks culled from John Scofield’s tenure with the Gramavision label are phenomenal, but then again, the producers of this compilation could have picked ANY 12 tracks from the Gramavision years and the results would have been superior. I have given this compilation a three star rating, not for the […]

WORTH A LISTEN
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Overall, Modern Times is better than mediocre, but not good enough for me to recommend in good conscience. The thing is, though, that it has a couple of exceptional songs on it, which I couldn’t bear not to let you know about.
This is one of those CDs […]

WORTH A LISTEN
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I can’t recommend Gradually Going Tornado to everybody, but for those people who REALLY like the first two Bruford dates, Feels Good to Me and One of a Kind, it’s definitely worth picking up.
You see, if I were visiting a site like this, I’d want to know about Gradually Going Tornado. The […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Talk about a prescient title. Time In Place is firmly stuck in the era it was created, the late 80s. That churchy, slightly tinny synthesizer, the B. B. King blues guitar attack, the echoey, slick production sound, it’s all practically a cliche from that era. Then you add the post bop […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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Michael Brecker’s incredibly assured debut as a leader is a hard act to follow, but Don’t Try This at Home is a worthy followup. As before, Brecker achieves an artful balance of complex songforms/orchestrations and fiery soloing. This date definitely stands up to repeated listening.
Although the EWI (Electronic Wind Instrument) is […]

JAZZBO NOTES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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So Nao Toca Quem Nao Quer is certainly Brazilian music first, but it has a heavy jazz element, and even some elements of modern classical music, so as far as I’m concerned, it’s world fusion.
The first thing you have to say about So Nao Toca Quem Nao Quer is that […]

JAZZBO NOTES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Back in the early 80s, Steps Ahead was probably the most forward looking jazz unit of it’s time. Composed of jazz players and studio cats out of New York City (with the notable exception of Brazilian pianist Eliane Elias), Steps Ahead forged a new sound out of pop elements, acoustic […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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True, I’d heard Jim McNeely play before. He did a bang up job in the piano chair playing John Coltane tunes on Dave Liebman’s classic Homage To John Coltrane. But East Coast Blow Out was the first time I heard Jim McNeely do what he was put on this planet for […]