This album was the first time Adderley and Jackson, two accomplished jazz artists of their time, were brought together. They had a common bond, which was that the blues influenced their music and you can hear its effect on this album, especially on “Sounds of Sid.” The rest of the …
Read More »Gordon S. Miller
Particle – Launchpad
Particle has released their debut album, Launchpad, an appropriate title because the first track blasts off into a wild, funkadelic, electronic jam. The entire album is a danceable, sonic assault that sounds bigger than the four men playing. The band is made up of talented musicians who have taken their …
Read More »Silent Waters
Direction and Story by Sabiha Sumar Screenplay by Paromita Vohra Silent Waters is an amazingly powerful tale of both personal struggle and historical significance. The year is 1979 when General Zia-ul-Haq seized power of the Pakistan government and pushed to make the country a model of Islam. The story is …
Read More »Thelonious Monk – Monk’s Music
Monk’s Music was recorded in 1957 by the Thelonious Monk Septet and featured the talents of established artists Coleman Hawkins and Art Blakely, who were mentioned on the album’s cover. John Coltrane also plays on the album and was on the verge of reaching the status of these other men …
Read More »Jazz Moods – Twilight in Rio
Various Artists Jazz Moods – Twilight in Rio Concord Records Twilight in Rio is a compilation of tracks from Concord Records by Brazilian artists and other artists inspired by Brazil. All the artists are competent musicians, but the music gives a feeling of being on a cruise ship or sitting …
Read More »Vince Guaraldi Trio – A Boy Named Charlie Brown
Good grief! If you don’t already own this album, rush out and buy it. For most children born in America in the latter half of the 20th century Mr. Guaraldi is their first exposure to the world of jazz. My first recollections of sound are my mother’s heartbeat and the …
Read More »Sonny Rollins – The Sound of Sonny
Sonny Rollins The Sound of Sonny Riverside Records The first track of this collection, “The Last Time I Saw Paris,” by tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins highlights what the album has to offer. Sonny makes you pay attention because he doesn’t just play the song as you’ve heard it before; eight …
Read More »You Can’t Be Neutral On A Moving Train
Howard Zinn: You Can’t Be Neutral On A Moving Train Directed by Deb Ellis & Denis Mueller This film is a documentary about an American patriot, Howard Zinn, historian, activist and author of the book A People’s History of the United States. The film is made up of archival news …
Read More »The Best Of Wes Montgomery
Wes Montgomery The Best Of… Riverside Records For those of you overwhelmed by the investment in time and money it would require for the purchase of Wes Montgomery: The Complete Riverside Recordings, you can try this one CD because all of the tracks that appear on it are also in …
Read More »The Best of Milt Jackson
Milt Jackson The Best of… Riverside Records Milt Jackson, first gained notoriety as a jazz vibraphonist when he was a part of the rhythm section of Dizzy Gillespie’s big band in the late 1940s. From there he went to become a co-founder of the Modern Jazz Quartet along with pianist …
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