The Britton Brothers Band - Uncertain Living

The Britton Brothers Band debut CD, Uncertain Living (Record Craft), makes a good first impression for brothers, Ben and John Britton. Although still working on their formal music education (Eastman School of Music and Manhattan School of Music) at the time of the recording, the Brittons had played together and with other established talents for many years providing them with the practical experience necessary to give Uncertain Living the seasoned polish of a more mature recording. They also wisely enlisted the talents (and name) of an acknowledged top-notch soloist, band leader and composer, saxophonist Chris Potter, on two of the eight tracks. The quintet includes, along with Ben on tenor sax and John on trumpet, Austin Walker on drums, Jeremy Siskind on piano and Taylor Waugh on bass. The music is composed by the Brittons with the two exceptions of “Come Thou Fount,” a traditional hymn by Asahel Nettleton and “June Humidity” by Siskind. The style is mainly traditional jazz with elements of swing and be-bop given new life by creative compositions, intelligent soloing and precise ensemble playing. All members of the quintet have connections through the Eastman School and the familiarity and common experience shows...MORE...

Steve Swell's Slammin' The Infinite - 5000 Poems

Trombonist Steve Swell’s latest release, 5000 Poems (Not Two Records), is the fourth from his quartet turned quintet, Slammin’ The Infinite in its seven year history. Swell has been performing for over 35 years and has performed with the big bands of Lionel Hampton, Buddy Rich and Anthony Braxton. Swell sees a connection between the ample palette of colors available in these large traditional jazz ensembles and the aural images painted by improvisational free jazz. Through association with the free jazz pioneer Cecil Taylor and the influence of New York experimental jazz purveyors such as William Parker, Swell discovered ways to bridge that gap and was propelled into the abstract expressionism of Slammin’ The Infinite and 5000 Poems. The CD’s title, from a Walt Whitman essay, refers to the ideal of an artist’s dedication to his craft and the importance of a proliferation of creative expressions whether fully formed and mature or fresh and raw, an apt description of 5000 Poems...MORE...

Gato Libre featuring Natsuki Tamura - Shiro

Shiro is the fourth CD release from jazz improv quartet Gato Libre. Natsuki Tamura, the group’s leader and trumpeter, is a native of Japan who first came to the United States in 1986 to study at Berklee College of Music and later at the nearby New England Conservatory of Music. Both he and his keyboardist wife, Satoko Fujii, have toured widely, recorded frequently and are the recipients of much popular and critical acclaim. The music of Gato Libre is, to say the least, uncommon.

 

The uniqueness of Gato Libre begins with the instrumentation. Satoko Fujii, normally a pianist, plays, by design, the accordion on Shiro. Tamura deliberately choose the accordion for its sustained melancholy. Kazuhiko Tsumura on guitar and Norikatsu Koreyasu on bass complete the quartet. The music of Tamura and Gato Libre is sometimes surprising, often intense and always inventive. It is at times lyrical and melodic and at other times bombastic and anarchical. What it is not is commonplace or predicable...MORE...

Brian Landrus - Forward

A debut album like Forward, from saxophonist Brian Landrus, is often difficult to classify without an existing body of work as reference. But, in Landrus’ case we can base a foundation for critical analysis on the compelling testimony of unquestionable authorities, his teachers and colleagues: Bob Brookmeyer, Jerry Bergonzi and Michael Cain among others. Further confirmation of Landrus’ standing is evidenced by the fact that immediately upon completion of Forward, Bob Rusch at Cadence Records C.I.M.P. (Creative Improvised Music Projects) invited Landrus to begin production on a second recording. Landrus brings to his first recording some impressive experience. He began playing professionally at 14 and has performed with The Coasters, The Four Tops, Maria Schneider Orchestra, Martha Reeves and several Broadway shows. Landrus holds two masters of music degrees and other honors from the New England Conservatory of Music and is a member of the faculty of the 92Y School of Music in Manhattan...MORE...

VW Brothers - Muziek

Muziek is Paul and Marc van Wageningen’s first release as band leaders, but the ubiquitous brothers have performed and recorded extensively since moving from Amsterdam to San Francisco 30 years ago.  Perhaps unaware of him by name, you may have heard (and seen) Marc on bass in the house band on “The Wayne Brady Show,” touring with Tower of Power in 2002, with Sheila E in 2001 or on Steve Winwood’s “Gotta Get Back to My Baby.”  Paul, on drums, has recorded with Turtle Island String Quartet, performed on sound tracks for movies such as “The Firm” and “Internal Affairs” and for video games such as Sim City 300 and Monkey Island. While these accomplishments offer glimpses into their extensive resumes the greatest testament to their artistry may be the reputation they enjoy among their peers. Drawing on their three decades of experience and with the help of some of the talented artists they have met along their journey, Paul and Marc (who now kindly go by the abbreviated appellation, “VW Brothers”), offer their premier CD, Muziek...MORE

Zdenko Ivanusic Quartet - Free Fall

In late 2009 Zdenko Ivanusic, Zagreb jazz saxophonist (tenor, alto, soprano and flute) and composer, released Free Fall, his fourth album for Zivaldo Records. While not well-known in the U.S., Ivanusic has garnered well-deserved respect in Eastern Europe and praise for previous recordings such as 2007’s Lost in HTML and particularly for the composition “Four Odd” from that album. He was also honored with the Third Annual Fame Games Effigy Award in 2009. Ivanusic has an extensive musical background and has been a force in Croatian contemporary music for 20 years as leader and sideman in jazz combos, as alto chair in the Croatian Army Symphonic Wind Orchestra and as lead alto in HGM Jazz Orchestra Zagreb. The other three members of the quartet, all active and prominent jazz musicians in Croatia and beyond, are: Elvis Penava, guitar; Borna Sercar, drums; and Zvonimir Bucevic Buc, bass. Ivanusic is accomplished on the entire family of saxophones, but on Free Fall we hear him exclusively on alto. The ten tracks contain tastes of free jazz, blues, fusion, New Orleans funk, and Latin in an overall mainstream jazz context...MORE

Jordyn Jackson - September in the Garden

Although September in the Garden (so-named for the Garden District of New Orleans where she lived and recorded the album during September 2009) is her 5th recording project, 25 year old Jordyn Jackson is a relative newcomer, especially to the jazz vocal genre. Ms. Jackson has paid her dues over the past 12 years, endeavoring to gain recognition by taking advantage of any opportunity to perform, putting out a couple of recordings of original songs 6-8 years ago, and then two more albums as a member of “Veronica’s Veil” in partnership with Randy Winter (brother of Ronnie Winter of alt-rock “The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus”). The decision to make this album of 10 well-known songs was based on the desire to create a showcase for spotlighting the scope of her vocal abilities...MORE