The latest offering from Michael Benedict and Bopitude, Five and One, is a hard bop delight filled with classic tunes and some forgotten gems by some of the greats of the post war bop scene. Drummer Benedict is joined by special guest baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan, Chis Pasin on trumpet and flugelhorn, Brian Patneaude on tenor, pianist Bruce Barth and bassist Mike Lawrence. The band offers fresh interpretations of such classics as Nat Adderley's Work Song and Miles Davis' Compulsion. There are a few non-bop tunes in the set as well. The group does Train Samba, which was written by Gary McGFarland for trombone great J.J. Johnson.
The proof, as they say, is in the pudding; and trombonist Steve Turre's new release “Woody's Delight” is a rich and highly palatable blend of straight ahead, relaxed and Latin sounds enhanced by an array of talented musicians augmenting the leader's consistently engaging compositional skills and playing. It's a marvelously diverse session and our CD of the month.
Electric pianist Tom Wetmore makes his debut with an impressive electric jazz recording which does not disappoint. Wetmore's energetic band includes the very talented Jaleel Shaw whose saxophone provides a stimulating conversational partner to Wetmore's electric piano. An all-original program of nine numbers ensures a satisfying listen for the jazz enthusiast. Tom Wetmore is a pianist, composer, and bandleader working in the New York City area. Since 2005, Wetmore has lead a variety of jazz groups, including a genre-defying sextet, the Tom Wetmore Electric Experiment. Wetmore's music at times recalls the innovative late 60's early 70's music of Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. Davis and Hancock are acknowledged by Wetmore as influences on his artistic vision.
Sure to warm up even the coldest of winter nights, the latest disc by Frank Macchia is a pleasure. Swamp Thang presents a band of the same name lead by Grammy Nominated Compser Macchia. Wild groove music with crazy chromatic melodies come together with a dose of Cajun and a dash of humor. The Swamp Thang band, led by Frank Macchia on saxophone, features John Rosenberg on piano, organ and keyboards, Ken Rosser and Eric Jensen on electric guitars, Tom Lockett on electric bass and Frank Briggs on drums and percussion.
Another one of those live recordings that lets you feel that you are there. Further Explorations is a 2 CD celebration of the music of Bill Evans with two of the former band mates of Evans on stage. There's Eddie Gomez, the legendary bassist who was with the Bill Evans trio for eleven years, 1966-1977. Paul Motian is also on the stage, one of the most influential jazz drummers of the last 50 years who was with Evans from 1959 through 1964 . Chick Corea, one of the most dynamic and creative pianists in all of jazz since Evans, joins Gomez and Motian.
Trumpeter and flugelhornist Jimmy Owens, an NEA Jazz Master, has gathered an outstanding septet to reinterpret the Thelonious Monk Songbook on The Monk Project, just released on IPO Recordings.This is Owens debut as a leader and he has the backing of fellow NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron at the piano, Wycliffe Gordon- trombone, Marcus Strickland- tenor sax, Howard Johnson- tuba and baritone sax, Kenny Davis-bass and Winard Harper-drums.Highlights include a Latin take on Well You Needn't, a gutbucket blues arrangement of Blue Monk and Let's Cool One arranged as a waltz with Owens playing flugelhorn. For more information the web site is www.iporecordings.com
As one of the most significant jazz pianists of the history of the genre, Herbie Hancock's contributions to music over 50 plus years of activity as a musician are nothing less than remarkable. Born in 1940, Hancock made history as a member of the Miles Davis Quintet of the 1960s. Hancock was also one of the most in-demand pianists of the decade. Important contributions to the birth of jazz-rock in the In A Silent Way/Bitches Brew sessions followed. The 1970s saw Hancock leading an artistically brilliant if underrecognized ensemble of musicians who explored the frontiers of jazz music. Last Call has featured his early 70's recording "Mwandishi" on many occasions and for your reading pleasure we bring a review of it from our archives:
