JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Too often on recordings that attempt to fuse Brazilian rhythms with jazz, one or the other element tends to get shortchanged. Either the rhythms are overly simplistic, or the improvisations substitute scale running for substantive improv. To some extent, that’s the case with Samba Jazz In Black And White.
True, reed player […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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Most of Thelonious Monk’s significant work was recorded fairly early in his career, so I was surprised to find out that Solo Monk dates from 1964.
Most of the tunes on this date are covers of pop tunes from the 30s and 40s. How Monk imbues these tunes with his personality gives […]

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I went to see the Realistic Orchestra on a lark, really. They were playing at Yerba Buena Gardens for free on a Saturday, and I happened to be in the area with my wife, shopping. I wasn’t even really planning to write a review, but I was fairly impressed.
The first thing that struck me […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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You might think a release consisting of almost nothing but variations on the blues could get a little monotonous, but in the case of Coltrane Plays The Blues, it’s the opposite.
Coltrane finds a variety of ways to play the blues: major blues, minor blues, differences in tempo, instrumentation, and rhythmic approach. […]

WORTH A LISTEN
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In some ways, Bump is reminiscent of many other John Scofield dates. This was far from the first time he explored New Orleans funk, and it would not be the last.
The difference here is that, despite a fairly large cast of musicians (bassists Tony Scherr, Chris Wood, and David Livolsi; drummers Eric […]

JAZZBO NOTES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Power To The People is one of those releases that tend to fall through the cracks. Like much of Joe Henderson’s solo work, it is not overtly innovative, but instead works through already established forms. It also lacks the simplicity and clarity that would endear it to the small jazz […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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When I got Bobby Broom’s new CD Plays For Monk in the mail, I was intrigued. As far as I know, he’s the only guitarist that’s done a date almost entirely made up of Monk compositions. And Broom was doing the date as a trio!
On the face of it, that’s pretty […]

JAZZBO NOTES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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It would be tempting but reductive to categorize The Infinite as Dave Douglas’ take on Miles Davis on the cusp of fusion, as fellow critic Dave Lynch does on allmusic.com. I understand the temptation. It’s always easier to talk about a recording if you have an overarching metaphor, a way […]

JAZZBO NOTES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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I have a confession to make. I’ve been sleeping on Kenny Garrett. I first heard him in concert with the Five Peace Band back in March, and I was suitably impressed. He managed to hold his own with monsters like John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Vinnie Coliauta, and Christian McBride.
Naturally, when […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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Jim McNeely makes most jazz arrangers seem like complete fuddy duddies. He routinely takes other people’s compositions and turns them inside out, invariably finding new things to say. His own compositions are unique. McNeely sounds like no one else.
Take The Fruit, a composition by Bud Powell. McNeely starts off with a […]