Album Review
Mike MacArthur – ‘Feels like...
The great thing about jazz musicians is that if you stick a bunch of them in a room together, hand them some chord charts and say “get on with it”, their collective improvisational skills, combined with their shared understanding of the structure of instrumental jazz – play the head, one of you improvises, then another, play the head again,... Read More »
‘Per Sempre’ – Eddie Gomez
Eddie Gomez’s name stands tall in the canon of jazz double bassists. Eleven years playing with Bill Evans in one of the finest piano trios of all time, a founder member of 70s fusion act Steps Ahead, and a CV that includes sessions with such legendary names as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Dizzy Gillespie. With a career like... Read More »
Three Kings on the Hill – Shindo...
With the melding of heavy rock and heavy funk, Berlin’s Three Kings on the Hill take the genre of Funk Rock to new levels on their debut album “Shindo – The New Way”. Imagine the Scorpion’s with Les Claypool as their bassist and you will begin to get a sense of Three Kings on the Hill. According to the band,... Read More »
Diggin’ That Funky Blues – Andy...
Possibly one of the smiliest men in music, Andy Irvine’s bass playing star is clearly in the ascent. A sponsorship deal with Warwick, a planned 2013 bass clinic tour, and a follow-up to this one album already in the can, he’s a man who is going places, and on the strength of this release it is easy to see... Read More »
True Drew-Drew Davidsen
Smooth jazz is a much derided musical genre. Considered unchallenging by many jazz fans, it is the MOR of the improviser’s world, an instrumental cousin to the easy listening genre; one which is polite in performance, but often lacking in emotional depth. Cruelest of all, it is considered by many to be music to be talked over rather than... Read More »
Album Review: Colin Edwin and Jon Durant...
Released on the much prophesied doomsday date of December 21, 2012, Burnt Belief is a collaborative effort between Porcupine Tree bassist Colin Edwin and guitarist Jon Durant. Intentionally designed to coincide with the much-hyped (and ultimately failed) prophecies of the Mayan apocalypse. The title refers to “what happens to people who try to reconcile delusional beliefs with reality.” The... Read More »
Swinging Guitar Sounds of Young America,...
A few years ago I bought Andy Partridge’s ‘Fuzzy Warbles’ box set. Nestled among the nine CDs of demos and unreleased tunes was a faithful recreation of The Beatles ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’, recorded by his fellow XTC guitarist, Dave Gregory, on a four track home recorder in his front room. Gregory, the sleeve notes explained, enjoys the challenge of... Read More »
‘Timeless Grooves’ –...
Jazz, as they say, is broad church, encompassing a variety of influences, styles and approaches. To be a critical success in this form in these modern times, it would sometimes seem that you have to be one of two things: distinctly odd, or oddly distinct. New York trumpeter Dennis Angel is neither of these. What he has delivered with... Read More »
Album Review: Most Wanted –...
These days great rock bands seem hard to come by. With Reality TV taking the “One Hit Wonder” to a whole new level, one can’t help but ask if there are any authentic rock bands left. Thankfully there’s at least one. Enter Michigan rockers Most Wanted. “Revelation Station”, the bands 5th release, is a raucous affair that just may... Read More »
Album Review- ‘Kahve Molasi’...
‘Kahve Molasi’ by Baler Baler Eskibatman (or just plain ‘Baler’ as he’s called for this album) is a Turkish bassist and singer, who is a regular performer on the Istanbul and Ankara music scenes. ‘Kahve Molasi’ (or ‘Coffee Break’ as it is translated into English) is his debut solo release. It is a cleanly produced album, full of sharp... Read More »
Album Review: Leslie Johnson – Bass...
Listening to “Bass & Beyond”, the first instrumental album by Guatemalan born bassist Leslie Johnson, one can certainly understand why he was chosen as a “Say It With Your Strings” winner. Featuring an array of special guests such as: Nikki Glaspie (Beyonce, Dumpstaphunk), Alvaro Lopez (Resq Band), Eric Boseman (Brian Mcknight, Abe Laboriel), and many others, Bass & Beyond... Read More »
Album Review – Alberto Rigoni –...
Italian bassist Alberto Rigoni serves up a fresh dose of prog-rock on his latest release Three Wise Monkeys. Centered around the Japanese folk legend denoted by the album’s title, Rigoni displays a new level of maturity and sophistication. His distinctive bass style stands out on each track, as does his compositional prowess. Boasting a stellar array of guest musician’s,... Read More »
Album Review: ‘Jazz Album’ – Janice...
Guitarist Vinnie Zummo remains best known for his work with Joe Jackson in the 1980s, although his impressive CV covers a plethora of name acts, including Shawn Colvin, Paul Carrack and Roger Daltrey. For this album he shares title billing with his wife (and regular guest vocalist at his live shows), Janice. This first joint foray into the world... Read More »
