Blogcritics Author: Big Geez

Music Review: Gerald Albright - Sax For Stax

Big Geez — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:19:12 EDT

The legendary Memphis record company lives again -- sort of.
Have you ever wondered whether an interesting nickname helps kick up a musician's career? Or to ask the question in a different way, does a guy with extraordinary talent but an ordinary-sounding name sometimes find himself flying a little below the radar? Case in point (always wanted to say that) is saxophonist Gerald Albright, who can blow...

Music Review: Sergio Mendes - Encanto

Big Geez — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:22:22 EDT

Something a little different from the Latin music legend.
You gotta hand it to Sergio Mendes. The ageless Latin musical star has flourished for more than four decades, and even though he has plenty of ability himself, he's been helped along the way by his unerring ability to choose some interesting musical partners. For his latest album, Encanto, now out on the Concord label, he embraces the practice...

Retro Redux: Amping It Up With Johnny and The Hurricanes

Big Geez — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:14:12 EDT

They had a specialty -- and it led to a lot of record sales.
Although they weren't the only ones with the idea, for a few years in the late Fifties and early Sixties Johnny and The Hurricanes enjoyed a lot of success with an unusual recipe for music. They'd take old, traditional songs and amp them up with a modern sound that was very appealing to the era's growing legions of rock and roll fans....

Music Review: Sonny Rollins - Freedom Suite

Big Geez — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:51:25 EDT

A legend -- but one who is still around and still doing it his way.
Once again we're paying a visit to Concord's tribute to long-time producer Orrin Keepnews, the Keepnews Collection, a series of 24-bit reissues of a number of timeless jazz recordings. (Previously: Wes Montgomery, Coleman Hawkins, Nat Adderley.) In this review, we're covering Freedom Suite, Sonny Rollins' 1958 classic.Unlike most of...

Retro Redux: Bulldog Songs - They Grab On And Won't Let Go

Big Geez — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:48:47 EDT

Ever have a song sink its teeth into you?
I've always wondered what it is about certain songs that seem to just grab you and hang on, becoming a favorite from the very first time you hear them. In a way, that type of song reminds me of a stubborn and unpredictable bulldog that clamps his teeth into your pants leg and won't be dislodged no matter how hard you shake it. Of course,...

Music Review: Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar Of Wes Montgomery

Big Geez — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:24:15 EDT

Still remembered as one of the best, forty years after his death.
Even casual jazz fans are familiar with the name Wes Montgomery, and those who have closely followed the legendary guitarist's career know that 1960's The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery was probably one of his most important albums. It's that landmark effort that's the subject of our third review from Concord's...

Retro Redux: Johnny Ace - Promising Start Leads To Senseless End

Big Geez — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 15:53:00 EDT

Another of the tragic stories that have always been part of the history of music.
The music business is filled with tragic stories, but that doesn't lessen the impact of individual tales of opportunities lost and potential unfilled. One of those is the story of Johnny Ace. Johnny Ace (John Marshall Alexander, Jr.) was a Memphis native and a regular on the local music scene from an early age. A contemporary of B.B. King and...

Music Review: Coleman Hawkins - The Hawk Flies High

Big Geez — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:49:31 EDT

A legend who spanned four decades in jazz.
Presented for your perusal is the second in a series of reviews (previously: Nat Adderley) based on Concord's Keepnews Collection, a salute to legendary producer Orrin Keepnews. This edition finds us taking a look at a Coleman Hawkins classic, The Hawk Flies High, now reissued with 24-bit digital remastering. Coleman Hawkins was one of the...

Retro Redux: Banned From Radio Play - Nervous Norvus

Big Geez — Tue, 8 Jul 2008 08:01:27 EDT

Being prohibited by many radio stations probably helped make his song a best-seller.
I've enjoyed silly songs for a long time (and have written about them before) but I'm not alone in my admiration. Fans of veteran radio personality Dr. Demento have long appreciated the unusual music he's brought their way, and he's given credit for helping make a star of Weird Al Yankovic and a few others. But Demento's career...

Music Review: Nat Adderley - Work Song

Big Geez — Sat, 5 Jul 2008 21:58:36 EDT

Cannonball wasn't the only legendary jazz musician in the family.
Orrin Keepnews is a name that's probably unfamiliar to most jazz fans, but over the years you've almost certainly listened to a lot of the music he generated -- not as a musician, but as a producer. In recognition of his accomplishments, Concord is reissuing many of his classic albums in 24-bit remastered versions, designating the series as...