reviews
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In Praise of Liquid Soul
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I saw Liquid Soul in concert at the Kansas City Blues and Jazz Festival in 1999. I had never heard of the band before. My then-wife and I were sitting on the lawn enjoying the day of music when the group hit the stage around 6 p.m. I wasn’t sitting after about 30 seconds. The…
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Review: Dave Weckl Band – Perpetual Motion
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The CD has been out for a month, but if you haven’t picked up the Dave Weckl Band’s Perpetual Motion CD, you’re missing out on another good release by this consistent group. Weckl and his band always put out a great collection of jammin’ tunes. The group has seemed to make any easy transition from…
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Review: Hiroshima – Between Black and White
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Hiroshima celebrates 25 years as a band this year and 20 years since the group first hit the instrumental charts. Their unique East-meets-West sound is on full display on their Windham Hill debut, Between Black and White. Hiroshima continues to effectively blend contemporary jazz with traditional Japanese elements and urban influences. “We’ve always stood apart…
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Boney James – Boney’s Funky Christmas
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[This is an archived review I wrote at some point between 1997 and 1999.] The ads for Boney’s first holiday release call this “the album to put on after you put the kids to bed.” Sure enough, Boney’s Funky Christmas features the seductive grooves you know the saxman for. This is the smoothest Christmas release I’ve heard…
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Review: Warner Bros. Jazz Christmas Party
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Warner Bros. gathered its jazz and contemporary jazz rosters to put together the label’s first holiday collection. But, unlike other label holiday albums, Jazz Christmas Party, doesn’t just feature submitted tracks from its artists. WB artists collaborated together on several songs on this album. Bob James and Béla Fleck duet on “White Christmas. Michael Franks…