“Tango Caliente,” the new album by The Jay D’Amico Quintet, is so good it may make you wonder why D’Amico is not better known. Over his four decade career he’s collaborated extensively with bassist Milt Hinton, and from 1984 to the night before 9/11, D’Amico was pianist in residence at Windows on the World, the restaurant at the top of the World Trade Center.
By Ron Netsky
May 8, 2013
Music Reviews
Pianist Pascal Le Boeuf is a 21st century renaissance man. He’s made inroads in the worlds of classical music, indie-rock, and jazz. With his identical twin brother Remy, he’s won top awards in various international songwriting competitions. “Pascal’s Triangle” finds Le Boeuf in a jazz trio setting with excellent partners Linda Oh on bass and Justin Brown on drums.
By Ron Netsky
May 8, 2013
Music Reviews
It’s a singles market these days, so when an album gets released it feels like a big deal. “Back For More” is a debut album from Rochester based rapper Mike Parlayan, aka Homiside.
By Roman Divezur
Apr 23, 2013
Music Reviews
Pianist Chris Donnelly, bassist Dan Fortin and drummer Ernesto Cervini are three of the top players in the Toronto jazz scene, and they all have strong musical personalities that they’ve deployed in a variety of settings. But, as in the case of many strong leaderless group, Myriad3 is more than the sum of its part.
By Ron Netsky
Apr 10, 2013
Music Reviews
The name Bruce Forman might not ring a bell but chances are you’ve heard his music. As the guitarist of choice for Clint Eastwood when he directs films, Forman has been featured on the soundtracks of “Million Dollar Baby,” “Flags of Our Fathers” and “Hereafter.”
By Ron Netsky
Apr 10, 2013
Music Reviews
You might say saxophonist Stan Killian had it in his blood. His dad, Joe Killian, played piano and Hammond organ with the likes of Sonny Stitt and Don Wilkerson.
By Ron Netsky
Apr 10, 2013
Music Reviews
You may remember the story from a few years ago about a great jazz pianist in his 80s who was discovered in a Buffalo nursing home. His name was Boyd Lee Dunlop and his story was a tough one.
By Ron Netsky
Apr 10, 2013
Music Reviews
Opening with a seething version of “Be Quiet And Drive (Far Away)” Sacramento’s Deftones tore a hole into the Main Street Armory last night. I was rather surprised at the huge crowd (My guess 4,000 give or take) wedged into the joint for the band’s stop on its Koi No Yokan Tour, but then it occurred to me, these guys don’t really tour that much.
By Frank DeBlase
Mar 5, 2013
Jargon Records
There's a difference between sounding effortless and actually putting forth no effort
By Frank De Blase
Jan 30, 2013
Other worldly jazz
If the name Pulsar Quartet sounds futuristic, welcome to the world of Rob Mazurek.
By Ron Netsky
Jan 23, 2013
Everyone who loves jazz knows Duke Ellington, but for more recent generations, that knowledge is probably based on the equivalent of a “greatest hits” album. “Take The A Train,” Mood Indigo,” “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” and several other classics are a nice start, but to be truly wowed, you’ve got to delve deeper.
By Ron Netsky
Jan 23, 2013
Origin Records
Jazz albums can sometimes be so cerebral and avant-garde that you find yourself searching the tracks for any semblance of a melody. But the latest project by the excellent Chicago trumpeter Pharez Whitted is just the opposite. The tunes are so wonderfully melodic - downright catchy even - that it might make you wonder if jazz could regain some of its long-lost popularity. The title has it just right; this album is clearly for the people.
By Ron Netsky
Nov 30, 2012
cd review, Pharez Whitted
Jazzheads Records
Normally, if I were to write that the songs on a particular album have a repetitive quality to them, that would not be a compliment. But repetition is a central positive ingredient in the compositional style of Randy Klein, and his new album, “What’s Next,” is engaging from start to finish. From Bach-like variations, repeated phrases you might hear in serial music, all the way to pop hooks, Klein’s tunes grab you and won’t let go.
By Ron Netsky
Nov 30, 2012
cd review, Randy Klein
Since her move from Israel to New York in 1999, Anat Cohen has dazzled audiences on a variety of reed instruments including clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano sax, and tenor sax.
By Ron Netsky
Nov 7, 2012
AA Records
Pianist Jose Negroni has had a rich and varied career as a music teacher at a conservatory in his native Puerto Rico and as Director of Sony Music Publishing. But over the last 10 years he’s put his knowledge into practice, playing festivals around the world with his wonderfully rhythmic trio. No small part of the credit for the group’s sound goes to his son, Nomar Negroni, on drums, who trained at Berklee College of Music. The group has had a number of bassists over the years, but on its current album the excellent Josh Allen fills that chair.
By Ron Netsky
Nov 7, 2012
