Ernestine Anderson, Hot Cargo (Fresh Sound). In these 1956 sessions, Anderson's early singing has lost none of its naturalness, musicality or appeal. Her accompaniments by Harry Arnold's big band and Duke Jordan's trio sound equally fresh. I wrote earlier that this was one of the … [Read more...]
Archives for December 12, 2008
CD: Wadada Leo Smith
Wadada Leo Smith's Golden Quartet, Tabligh, (Cuneiform). " stalwart of the avant garde for" nearly four decades, Smith continues at the head of the pack in free jazz. In this set of four moody, barely-structured pieces, the trumpeter frequently evokes late-period Miles Davis. He sometimes takes the … [Read more...]
CD: Alexander String Quartet
Alexander String Quartet, Retrospections (Foghorn Classics). The ASQ plumbs the seriousness, assertiveness and sense of glee in quartets 1, 2 and 3 of the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Wayne Peterson. Peterson draws on inspiration from sources as varied as samba, bluegrass, the bebop of Charlie … [Read more...]
DVD: Bobby Shew
The Bobby Shew Story (Skyhigh Films). The great trumpeter talks about his career -- stumbling into a jam session at age fifteen and discovering that he had the gift of improvisation -- deciding to give up studio work: "I realized I was on a chain like a pet monkey" -- the joy of losing his fear of … [Read more...]
Other Places: Cerra On Feldman
In his Jazz Profiles blog, Steven M. Cerra's stock-in-trade is thorough examinations of the careers of important jazz musicians. His current project is Victor Feldman, the late, astonishingly talented drummer, pianist and vibraharpist. Steve just posted the third of three parts about Feldman. In the … [Read more...]
Fresh Recommendations
In the center column, the Rifftides staff presents the latest batch of Doug's Picks. I think it's fair to describe this as an eclectic selection. … [Read more...]
Book: Ted Gioia
Ted Gioia, Delta Blues (W.W. Norton). Those who think that their musical sophistication places basic blues beneath consideration are likely to benefit from Gioia's exhaustive, deeply informative study. He concentrates on Mississippi Delta blues and its heroes including Robert Johnson, Son House, … [Read more...]