Blogcritics

Quickies: Three From ESP-Disk Records

Pico — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 03:34:20 EDT

ESP-Disk hauls out three vintage documents of extreme whack jazz from its vaults.
In 1966, attorney Bernard Stollman founded the ESP-Disk label in New York City. Less than three years later, with orders dried up from established record labels bootlegging their better-selling records, the label was driven out of business.This is a familiar story followed in some variation by thousands of start-up record labels over many years,...

Quickies: Mike & The Ravens, Pete Levin, Antonio Ciacca Quintet

Pico — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:44:34 EDT

From the rowdy to the refined, it's all here in this episode of Quickies.
This installment of "Quickies" starts with the rowdy but eventually settles on the refined. A rocker, followed by a groover, concluded with a swinger (no, not that kind of swinger). They're all from guys you might not have heard of but in their own way have quietly made significant contributions to the music scene of their choosing. In each case,...

Quickies: Cassandra Wilson, Larry Vuckovich Trio, Peter Calandra

Pico — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 00:47:06 EDT

This episode of Quickies has a bit more of a cinematic feel than prior ones. Find out why...
For this episode of Quickies, we stick mainly with the jazz genre with a couple of diversions to other styles found here and there. These new releases all start with traditional jazz, but our protagonists each put their own little twist on it. Our first entrant is a well-known quantity in jazz circles and I've even alluded to her on other...

Quickies: Three From Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records

Pico — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:03:20 EDT

Announcing the inaugural releases from the nascent Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records.
For this installment of Quickies, the inaugural releases of a new label dedicated to presenting the music of talented up and coming jazz musicians are highlighted. These musicians are all members of an artist collective, the Brooklyn Jazz Underground, and this spring saw the launching of the collective's Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records. BJU...

Quickies: Albuquerque/Amorim/Barata, Brian Blade Fellowship, Paolo Nutini

Pico — Thu, 5 Jun 2008 09:29:40 EDT

Sounds of May and before still fill my head.
Here we are nearly a week into June and I'm still stuck on some May releases. Time to clear the docket a little bit so we can push ahead with some newer stuff. Enter the ever-handy vehicle for expressing briefer thoughts, Quickies.True to the tagline at the end of this article, I also inserted a "new to me" selection; one that's been out there...

Quickies: Taylor Eigisti, Bernie Worrell, Avishai Cohen

Pico — Thu, 1 May 2008 02:01:26 EDT

I've got a problem...but it's the good kind of problem.
I've got a problem but it's the good kind of problem. There's a backlog of CD's sitting on my desk deserving of some shout-outs. So much so, it make take two or more additional "Quickies" to clear off this stack. With just a little time for writing at the moment though, taking three off the pile will have to suffice for...

Quickies: North Mississippi All-Stars, Ryan Blotnick, Tal Ross, Jovino Santos Neto

Pico — Wed, 2 Apr 2008 22:21:35 EDT

From the South to the Northeast? Once again, we're mixing it up on Quickies.
Diversity. It's a mantra preached for our schools, our workplace and our government. Here at "Quickies," though, it's regularly put into action. That's especially true for this installment. We've got the gamut covered from progressive Northeastern American jazz to vintage Northeastern Brazilian jazz. From organic funk to...

Quickies: Jack Bruce/Robin Trower, Amos Hoffman, Ruthie Foster, Kevin Ayers

Pico — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 07:19:20 EDT

After a month's layover, Quickies is back, y'all!
Hey, it's been a while since we've last done a "Quickies;" time to play catch up. This go around includes a couple of new releases by some Brit rockers from the sixties and seventies showing they still have what it takes. Since their names don't end with "Clapton," "Page," "McCartney" or even...

Quickies: Akoya Afrobeat, Joe Jackson, Herbie Hancock

Pico — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:59:19 EST

Familiar names, familiar sounds, and a few surprises.
Most of this go around of Quickies is about catching up on some of the more recent big name releases. Spending so much time off the main highway of current music, I sometimes need to get back on it to regain a sense of where the mainstream is to begin with. Well, "mainstream" from the perspective of the middle-aged, anyway. And as I am...

Quickies: Ben Allison, Ronnie Earl, Nick Moss & The Fliptops, Erik Friedlander

Pico — Fri, 8 Feb 2008 00:41:47 EST

Recommendations from three Blogcritics Music personalities are subjected to the Pico Audition. Did they steer me right?
This go around of Quickies includes some records promoted by my illustrious Blogcritics colleagues Josh Hathaway, Mark Saleski, and Michael J. West. Since they were causing a major (well, in Saleski's case, minor) ruckus over these recent releases, I of course had to go find out what the big danged deal was about them. Much to my surprise (not...