reviews
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Soul Shadows by Joe Sample
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If you heard “The Texas Two Step” from his previous release The Pecan Tree and hoped that Joe Sample would do an entire recording of music like that, you’re in luck. Sample has released a solo piano recording called Soul Shadows, which features ten jazz chestnuts. The songs include Joplin’s “The Entertainer,” Ellington’s “I Got…
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Incognito – Adventures In Black Sunshine
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Incognito comes full circle with Adventures in Black Sunshine, the new recording out now on Rice/Narada. In the mid to late 90s, leader Bluey steered the band away from the jazzier sounds that were its trademark into dance/pop/funk tunes. The group’s sound lost its distinctiveness, its identity. Perhaps due to the difficulty in marketing this…
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Chick Corea Elektric Band – To the Stars
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Where is the hoopla around the new Chick Corea Elektric Band release To the Stars? The band easily ranks among the top fusion bands of all time. Every member – John Patitucci, Dave Weckl, Frank Gambale, and Eric Marienthal – all have sustained solo careers. I must not be in the loop because I’m not…
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Review: Peace Round from Yellowjackets
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The Yellowjackets celebrate the holiday season with their first complete recording of Christmas music. This is the easiest review I’ve ever had to write. If you like the Yellowjackets, or if you like the sounds of the season, buying Peace Round is a no-brainer. Russell Ferrante notes that there are some challenges in recording a…
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Review: The Grand Unification Theory by Stefon Harris
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I’d made multiple mentions of Stefon Harris’ The Grand Unification Theory prior to its release in February. The word “ambitious” was used by myself and nearly every person referring to the project. The word is appropriate. What else do you call a young man who writes a 13-movement suite about the meaning of life for…