JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Pianist Hector Martignon imay be from Colombia, but it is too easy to merely peg him as a Latin Jazz artist. For evidence, examine Foreign Affair.
The first track, Benitez Sez, is basically a funky jazz tune. The only evidence you would have that Martignon is Latin would be the powerful […]

JAZZBO NOTE HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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On a previous post, in which I reviewed Stone Alliance’s Live In Amsterdam, I wrote that the music felt incomplete, as if bassist Gene Perla was so busy outlining the chords and providing a groove that he couldn’t imply any outside harmonies for saxophonist Steve Grossman to play over.
I realize […]

DON’T BOTHER
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On her debut recording, Another Mind, Hiromi impressed with her technical abilities, as well as her willingness to embrace a variety of musical approaches. Wild hair up the butt guitarist David Fiuczynski helped her to expand the sonic possibilities of her music considerably. There was enough going on throughout the record that Hiromi’s […]

WORTH A LISTEN
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I’ve got to be honest — it feels like there’s something missing from the Stone Alliance trio in their live recording Live In Amsterdam, although there’s certainly nothing wrong with the individual members.
Steve Grossman is an almost forgotten sax player, partly because he emigrated to Europe in the late 70s/early 80s. Although […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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Moon Germs will knock you on your ass.
First of all, Joe Farrell is one of the most underrated reed players out there. He can play anything, from swing to funk to avant guarde to bebop. On soprano sax, he has a bell-like tone, almost free of […]

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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Headhunters has no doubt been hugely influential, particularly in hip hop circles. At the time, it broke sales records for a jazz release. It was also often roundly decried by jazz critics.
Frankly, 35 years later, it’s hard to see what all the fuss was about.
The grooves are (then) modern funk, which […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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Drum Ode isn’t really Lookout Farm, Dave Liebman’s fantastic fusion outfit from the 70s, but it might as well be. With the exception of bassist Frank Tusa, here replaced by Gene Perla, the core of the band is there. They’re augmented by a dizzying plethora of percussionists, including Bob Moses, Patato […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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On Dangerous Vision, pianist Michael Wolff has figured out a way to put a unique spin on the piano trio. Basically, he has added two percussionists, and not just any two percussionists, but masters Badal Roy and Airto.
Appropriately enough, for an ensemble with three rhythm players, Michael Wolff’s improvisations are built […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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If you were one of the fans of the Brecker Brothers in their original 70s incarnation, I’d understand that you might be disappointed in The Return of the Brecker Brothers, which incorporated a great deal of saxophonist Michael Brecker’s then current interest in African music (he’d caught […]