recommendations: October 2007 Archives

Ted Rosenthal, The King And I (Venus). Following Shelly Manne's success with his 1956 trio recording of My Fair Lady, jazz versions of Broadway musicals were hot for several years. That was when there were musicals with songs that lent themselves to jazz interpretation. Those days are not gone for musicians with ears for quality material. Pianist Rosenthal brings taste, technique and imagination to Rodgers and Hammerstein's score. Bass master George Mraz and the eloquent drummer Lewis Nash are his sidemen. Among the highlights: Rosenthal's festive treatment of "I Whistle A Happy Tune," his tenderness in "We Kiss In A Shadow" and the trio's parade-beat romp through "March Of The Siamese Children."

Ed Reed Sings Love Stories, Blue Shorts. Reed's drug habit put him in prison for large chunks of his adult life, derailing his hope for a singing career. In the 1980s, he defeated his forty-year addiction and went to work on his craft. Now, he emerges on record as a singer of warmth, deep feeling, accurate intonation and no affectations. Jazz has a shortage of male singers like that.

Marvin Stamm, Alone Together (Jazzed Media). Trumpeter Stamm's quartet with pianist Bill Mays, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Ed Soph reaches its peak in this concert at Rising Stars, a cozy Southern California concert space. Equipped with microphones, cameras and lighting, the little hall is also a state-of-the-art audio and video studio. We see and hear the musicians with clarity, intimacy and a variety of camera angles rare in jazz DVDs. From the chance-taking opening of the title tune to the rip-roaring "T's Butter," this hour-and-twenty-minute concert is a joy. The DVD comes with a bonus CD of the performance, minus a few minutes of spoken material.

Ron Hudson, Right Down Front (Jazzpress). A master of the moment, Hudson makes portraits of musicians in the act of creation. His cover shot of Milt Jackson --eyes closed, one hand grasping his vibes mallets, the other raised in affirmation-- illustrates the spirit of the book's title. His photographs define personalities as varied as those of Maynard Ferguson, Jon Hendricks, Elvin Jones, Ingrid Jensen, Carmen McRae, Ray Charles and a hundred or so others. I've never seen a better illustration than Hudson's of Ray Brown's power of concentration.