John Hilderbrand
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Jason Moran – Same Mother
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Jason Moran and his trio, bassist Tarus Mateen and drummer Nasheet Waits, are joined in the Bandwagon by guitarist Marvin Sewell on his new recording Same Mother. He makes an impression. It’s the thing I noticed most when I first listened to the recording. He rocks. Read more about the pianist’s latest and how it…
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Pat Metheny Article
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Pat Metheny is interviewed at Japan Today today. He talks about what the new Group CD, The Way Up, is supposed to be about, that Kenny G comment, and the continued and frustrating impression of jazz as high-brow. Among his quotes: “The tendency of jazz to become an academic music is one I resist with…
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Don Grusin – The Hang
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Don Grusin’s The Hang is a throwback to the good old days of the New Adult Contemporary format before the sound of contemporary jazz degraded into bland smooth jazz. The pianist rounded up a band of all-stars to jam on this live event, with much of the music originally recorded when the GRP label was…
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Review: Jason Miles – Miles To Miles
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Jason Miles has put together an awesome contemporary jazz recording to help start 2005 in a kick-ass fashion. His Miles To Miles recording is “in the spirit of Miles Davis.” It’s not an album of covers of Miles’ tunes (except for “Flamenco Sketches”). The songs are influenced by Miles’ life or sound. For example, he…
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Review: Dianne Reeves – Christmas Time Is Here
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I’ve always thought jazz is the best genre for Christmas music. The intimacy of the jazz trio especially can make for some of the most enjoyable music of the holiday season. Multi-Grammy winning vocalist Dianne Reeves proves this on her first seasonal recording Christmas Time Is Here. With the exception of a small number of…