contemporary jazz
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Contemporary Jazz: How I Got Into It, Part 1
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My contemporary jazz journey began 20 years ago, in college. In 1989, I was dating a girl who listened to contemporary jazz. She had cassettes of Spyro Gyra’s Point of View and David Sanborn’s A Change of Heart in her blue Honda. I was a bit familiar with modern jazz (a high school classmate had…
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2009 Releases: Diana Krall, Boney James, Philippe Saisse
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Diana Krall’s next recording, Quiet Nights, is a Brazilian jazz album coming out on March 31. After marrying Elvis Costello and giving birth, Diana says, “I feel more womanly, I guess, and I think this record is a love letter but very sensual, more on the erotic side. It’s definitely late night.” Diana isn’t the…
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Marcus Johnson – FLO Series Includes Acid Jazzy Chill, Romance, and Standards
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Marcus Johnson is presenting three new recordings under the brand FLO – For the Love Of. FLO: Standards covers classics like “On Green Dolphin Street,” “Body and Soul,” “My Funny Valentine,” and “Goodbye Port Pie Hat” and features Johnson, Bobby Lyle, Michael Price, and drummer Lenny Robinson. Like FLO: Standards, the title of FLO: Romance…
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Larry Grenadier on New Recordings by Rebecca Martin and Francisco Méla
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I’m catching up on press releases and other email (way, way behind). I just read two separate messages with two things in common – bassist Larry Grenadier and family. Grenadier plays on The Growing Season, the latest from his wife of over ten years, singer Rebecca Martin. This is a special and personal recording, inspired…
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New Kim Pensyl In October
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It’s been over 15 years since I’ve gotten a new Kim Pensyl recording (the excellent Eyes of Wonder). He kind of dropped off my radar. I heard he switched to trumpet but whatever label(s) he was on never did any sort of media push that I saw. He’s back, and on piano/keyboards, with When Katie…