PopMatters (John Garratt): Ernest Dawkins has what one could describe as a healthy attitude
towards both old traditions and new pastures. His style of jazz has the
modern touch, not the avant-garde gut-punch. His treatment of melody
and overall structure is symmetrical and accessible without being
starchy and stifling. He certainly doesn’t seem to play favorites when
it comes to his jazz heritage, and his willingness to let his sidemen
take the spotlight so often suggests that the same attitude applies to
his band. This is the kind of perfectly balanced style you can reach
when it has been woodshedded at and fostered by Chicago’s Velvet
Lounge.
The Prairie Project is dedicated to the late Fred
Anderson, who apparently gave you license to get up on stage and do
whatever the hell you wanted purely for art’s sake. He was “the Lone
Prophet of the Prairie,” according to DownBeat’s Aaron Cohen.
BENOIT DELBECQ – “CIRCLES AND CALLIGRAMS” (Progressive solo piano).
AllaboutJazz.com (Jerry D'Souza): Pianist Benoît Delbecq makes his debut trio recording with
The Sixth Jump, released simultaneously with
Circles and Calligrams,
which Delbecq describes in a solo outing. The first disc amplifies his
skills as an empathic leader whose inventive thematic explorations are
woven in spontaneous interaction with his mates. The second lets him
explore the dynamics of the piano elaborately, his sense of purpose
expressively accomplished. Delbecq refines improvisation with versatility on his solo disc. He
plays a 92-key Bösendorfer, a piano that is an extension of his nimble
fingers. His approach is marked with choice delineation between the
abstract and the written and he strikes the perfect balance between the
two.
ERIC HARLAND – “VOYAGER-LIVE BY NIGHT” (Drummer-led session, with Julian
Lage and Taylor Eigsti. Wanders too far over the edge for anything other than nights).
AllAboutJazz.com (John Kelman): Harland has delivered an album leaning heavy on the firepower, with
ample room for solo explorations, while proving the drummer to be a
composer still in the ascendance, but absolutely ready to step into the
limelight.
ART HIRAHARA – “NOBLE PATH” (Piano trio, straight-ahead, mostly originals).
Audiophile Audition (Doug Simpson): Over the decades, Hirahara has honed his own ability as a melodic
performer as well as a group leader who strongly believes in
interaction. Those skills can be heard on Hirahara’s first foray on the
Posi-Tone label,
Noble Path, which also includes
drummer/percussionist Dan Aran and bassist Yoshi Waki. Hirahara penned
eight of the 12 tracks: the others are two Tin Pan Alley pop tunes and
two jazz standards by Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington.
ERNIE KRIVDA – “BLUES FOR PEKAR” (Straight-ahead quintet, doing mostly
standards…somewhat edgy).
Worldsrecords:
Jazz tenor
sax legend Ernie Krivda's latest recording effort 'Blues For Pekar' has
many interesting twists. The CD has some of the hottest bebop heard in
a long time and includes three generations of star side mates from
Krivda's Detroit Connection rhythm section: Claude Black, a
contemporary of Tommy Flanagan and Barry Harris, on piano; Marion
Hayden on bass; and Renell Gonsalves on drums. Featured soloists are
young trumpet sensations Sean Jones and Dominick Farinacci. Krivda
dedicates the album to American Splendor author/jazz writer/critic
Harvey Pekar.JESSIE MARQUEZ – “ALL I SEE IS SKY” (Female vocalist, doing Latin and Brazilian
tunes).
The UrbanFlux: This recording captures the warmth, beauty and the overall
sensibilities of who she is as an artist from the opening melodies of
the enchanting “Dime, Amor (Tell Me, Love).” Her lyricism and
impeccable style is absolutely intoxicating. Jessie’s encompassing
Cuban heritage is delightful, sexy, cool and inviting. Kudos to Jessie
Marquez for inviting us into her world with this gorgeous album filled
with attractive and stimulating music for enthusiast to enjoy.
BEN SCHWENDENER &
UWE STEINMETZ – “APFELSCHAUN” (Progressive
pianoless quartet, doing all originals).
This new recording is the latest from Ben and Uwe’s decade plus
collaboration. APFELSCHAUN (literally "looking at apples") alludes to
the beauty, simplicity and depth achieved by observing nature with
enthusiastic appreciation. Here, nature is the world of sound, melody
and the dynamic jazz culture rich with human imagery. Recorded live at
Gravity Arts Studio, Boston, MA, by Ben, these tracks were masterfully
mixed and realized by Grammy Award winning engineer, Rob Griffin
BRAD SHEPIK QUARTET – “ACROSS THE WAY” (Guitar/vibe quartet, doing all
originals).
AllAboutJazz (Matt Marshall): Throughout, Shepik traverses a wonderfully inviting course, with crisp,
questioning guitar lines that might as easily shift into biting fits of
joy as drift into echoing fields of pensiveness. And there always to
counter and complement him is Beckham, who displays an equal fluidity
in blending sharp emphasis and languorous drift. The pair is galvanized
by the terse, shock-solid undercarriage laid down by Roeder and
Guiliana. This is most certainly a group effort, but one that pushes
its leader Shepik into the fast lane of musicians communicating
something both universally vital and intensely personal.
TERRY VOSBEIN & THE KNOXVILLE JAZZ ORCHESTRA – “FLEET STREET”
(Big band versions of songs from Stephen Sondheim’s “Sweeney Todd”).
DR.MICHAEL WHITE – “ADVENTURES IN NEW ORLEANS, PART I” –
(Clarinetist, doing a wide variety of songs, New Orleans style).
Crawdaddy (Ric Hickey): Dr. White leads the charge throughout without ever hogging the
spotlight. His sly clarinet weaves in and out of the sweet melodies
like a needle and thread stitching the crucial seams that hold it all
together. From somber funeral march to raucous roadhouse stomp, Dr.
Michael White’s re-delivery of the happy magic that is New Orleans Jazz
resonates with the full spectrum of human emotion. As all good New
Orleans jazz should, the album-closing rendition of Paul Simon’s “Take
Me to the Mardi Gras” feels like a tipsy stroll down Bourbon Street
with all the sights, sounds, and smells of celebration tingling your
senses, twisting your body and moving your feet to the festive rhythms.
BEN WILLIAMS (FB) – “STATE OF ART” (Bassist-led session, doing a mix of straight-
ahead and contemporary).
NextBop: (STREAMING THE ENTIRE DISC!): Each track is most certainly jazz but is lightly tinged with a
hip-hop/R&B sensibility one would expect from any richly
appreciative ear of this day while still not losing the core sound of
the genre.
State of Art is sure to receive laudation and you should have a chance to hear why.
Pat Launer's Center Stage
