Music Reviews

Last Call Notes: May CD Reviews

Chris Cooke — Sun, 19 May 2013 07:29:22 +0000

Nicole Mitchell's Ice Crystal project is at the forefront of the discs we're featuring this month on the Last Call. Nicole Mitchell is a veteran, award-winning flutist.

Last Call Artist Spotlight: Gretchen Parlato

Chris Cooke — Sat, 11 May 2013 04:33:16 +0000

Vocalist Gretchen Parlato will perform in Omaha at the 1200 Club at the Holland on May 11th. This is the first Omaha concert for the rising vocal star, whose 2011 effort "The Lost And Found" was the #1 Jazz CD of the year as awarded by this program. Click on the link to listen to an interview with Gretchen Parlato.(Recording Engineer: Mike Hansen.)

For more information about Parlato's concert in Omaha you may visit omahaperformingarts.org

Here is the review of the record from our archives:

Jazz CD of the Month: Christian McBride & Inside Straight / People Music / Mack Ave.

Mike Jacobs — Thu, 02 May 2013 03:30:52 +0000

The new release from bassist and bandleader McBride is a straight-ahead affair with an acoustic group consisting of Steve Wilson on alto sax, Warren Wolf on vibes , Peter Martin on six of the eight tracks on piano with Christian Sands on the others. Carl Allen handles the drum duties on most of the session and Ulysses Owens Jr. filling in on two tracks.

Last Call CD Review: Jeremy Pelt / Water and Earth / High Note

Chris Cooke — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 02:21:02 +0000

Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt is an accomplished trumpeter with a string of critically acclaimed albums. A solid straight-ahead artist, he has released two albums (2005's Identity) and (2007's Shock Value) that explore electric jazz directions. For Water and Earth, the noted trumpeter, bandleader & educator is back with his longtime bandmates Frank LoCrasto, keyboards; Dana Hawkins, drums; and newcomers including Roxy Coss on saxophone.

Last Call April Label Spotlight: Cuneiform Records

Chris Cooke — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 01:46:13 +0000

Cuneiform Records has just released a new batch of adventuresome jazz discs. Their usual high standard of creative brilliance continues with a number of fine recordings, most notably The Rob Mazurek Octet's Skull Sessions.

Jazz CDs of the Month: Giacomo Gates / Miles Tones & Dave Stryker / Blue To The Bone IV

Rick Erben — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 00:39:01 +0000

Giacomo Gates – Miles Tones – Savant SCD 2124

The music of Miles Davis, so firmly entrenched in the instrumental heart and soul of jazz music, has also been embellished with lyrics in several instances. Vocalist Giacomo Gates' latest release gathers a variety of these selections and serves them with his inimitable stylings and superb musical accompaniment.

Jazz Release Of The Month: Miles Davis Quintet/Live In Europe 1969/Columbia/Legacy

Chris Cooke — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 02:34:55 +0000

The music of Miles Davis was changing dramatically in the late 1960s. Most fans of the legendary trumpeter know that in 1969 he recorded Bitches Brew, the hugely successful dawn of jazz-rock that was one of the best selling jazz records ever released. Lesser known is the working unit that Miles took with him on the road was one of the most artistically daring and visionary bands that Miles ever led. Recordings of that outfit have recently surfaced and have been released on a multi-disc set, Live In Europe 1969, The Complete Bootleg Sessions Vol. 2.

Last Call Artist Spotlight: Pat Metheny

Chris Cooke — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 02:30:17 +0000

Guitarist Pat Metheny, whose artistry has been rewarded with multiple Grammys over the years, has won another award for his fine 2012 recording. Metheny won in the jazz instrumental category with the album Unity Band.

Last Call CD Review: Patricia Barber / Smash / Concord

Chris Cooke — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 04:29:40 +0000

Patricia Barber has long been an important voice on the progressive jazz scene. Barber, an internationally acclaimed pianist, vocalist and composer, was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2003, the only songwriter ever to be so awarded. Her ability to craft sophisticated lyrics has been documented on a series of fine recordings, which continued until some years ago.

Jazz Junction Albums of The Month-January 2013

Rick Erben — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 21:45:56 +0000

ALBUMS OF THE MONTH – January, 2013 (and some related comment)

The November, 2012 issue of The Atlantic contained a pitifully myopic article entitled “The End of Jazz”. Essentially, its author argued that since the traditional songbook has become passe and with nothing new coming into the jazz repertoire since 1960 the music has exhausted its relevancy. What we have here is a severe case of ignoratio elenchi.