Here's the thing. I'm pretty sure that the way I go about picking an Album of the Year is different from that of most music bloggers -- or publications of any kind, for that matter. For one thing, I just pick from among those I've actually reviewed over the course of the year. I don't … Continue reading Album Of The Year
Tag: Instrumental Jazz
Chattanooga Has Inspired Classic Songs
I've always been a train buff, and since I'm also a fan of big-band music it stands to reason that one of my favorite songs of all time would be Glenn Miller's "Chattanooga Choo-Choo." I especially like the long version, which includes a 'jive' reprise. That performance, which features an 18 year-old Dorothy Dandridge and … Continue reading Chattanooga Has Inspired Classic Songs
REVIEW: Eddie Allen – Jazzy Brass For The Holidays
Eddie Allen is a busy man these days. Last month I reviewed the veteran jazz trumpeter's new album as the leader of a large band called the Aggregation. That effort was a solid collection of big-band music, and the band was -- well -- big, with something like 17 members. Now Eddie is fronting a … Continue reading REVIEW: Eddie Allen – Jazzy Brass For The Holidays
The Song Of The Snowbird
A good friend of mine is a semi-snowbird. As I understand the term "snowbird", it applies to a Northerner who maintains a home in Florida and spends the entire Winter there soaking up the sun. My friend has the house but just uses it periodically, hence the "semi". In any case, I have to admit … Continue reading The Song Of The Snowbird
REVIEW: The Aggregation – Groove’s Mood
I've always been partial to the music of the big-band era, even though its heyday was a little before my time. I sometimes even feel a little envy for anyone who was around in those days to experience the music first hand, but I always have to remind myself that even today there are still … Continue reading REVIEW: The Aggregation – Groove’s Mood
REVIEW: Count Basie Orchestra – Swinging, Singing, Playing
One of the best of the many "ghost" bands that have operated through the years would have to be that of Count Basie. Although he died over twenty years ago, the Count Basie Orchestra -- or the CBO, as it calls itself (complete with a nifty logo that pictures all the group's members) -- has … Continue reading REVIEW: Count Basie Orchestra – Swinging, Singing, Playing
Teddy Wilson – Smoother Than Silk
If you were to take all the talented pianists whose careers stretched from the Big Band days to the the Modern Jazz era and lay them end to end, they'd reach to -- whoops. What I meant to say was that if you're looking for one among them who was the very definition of a … Continue reading Teddy Wilson – Smoother Than Silk
REVIEW: Ramsey Lewis – Songs From The Heart; Ramsey Plays Ramsey
One of the things I enjoy about reviewing new albums is that it sometimes opens my eyes to artists who might be a little unfamiliar to me. But it's also a pleasure when I rediscover a legendary three-time Grammy winner who is still a vibrant and active force in music. That would be Ramsey Lewis. … Continue reading REVIEW: Ramsey Lewis – Songs From The Heart; Ramsey Plays Ramsey
Pete Sims aka Pete La Roca
One of the more interesting little stories in jazz is that of Pete Sims, who was born in New York in 1938. A drummer who began finding some success in the Fifties while playing percussion in Latin bands, he adopted the name Pete La Roca to better fit in. He continued to do well after … Continue reading Pete Sims aka Pete La Roca
REVIEW: Gerald Wilson Orchestra – Detroit
When considering Gerald Wilson's Detroit, the orchestral suite he composed to commemorate the 30th anniversary of that city's International Jazz Festival, it would be easy to get sidetracked by his unbelievably long career. After all, he's been a vital part of the jazz scene for seven decades. But the simple fact is that his composition, … Continue reading REVIEW: Gerald Wilson Orchestra – Detroit
Geezer Music Club 