When the Kinks recorded “Complicated Life” in 1971, would anyone have believed the Preservation Hall Jazz Band would be doing their tune 35 years later? Talk about kinky! Or what about vocalist/banjo player Carl LeBlanc adding a track in 2006 to a wonderful 1976 version of “Over in the Gloryland” that was never released? LeBlanc [...]
It is generally bad taste to refer to longevity when discussing a woman’s talents and achievements, but it is amazing how much jazz vocalist Barbara Lea sound on this 2006 recording to the way she sounded on her first LP, A Woman in Love, recorded in 1955! That is not to say there have been [...]
What Is This Thing Called Love? is a first class recording by some of the finest musicians playing traditional jazz in New Orleans or anywhere else today, for that matter. Trumpeter and leader Duke Heitger, Bob Havens, trombone, Evan Christopher, reeds, Steve Pistorius, piano, Kerry Lewis, bass, and one very welcome young newcomer, drummer Michael [...]
Torch singer Lisa Lynn manages to light a few fires on her latest disc, including a couple of country and western tunes penned by another Lynn who goes by the first name of Loretta (no relation except perhaps in spirit.) I’d say Miss Lisa does a pretty good job on the C&W numbers, but my [...]
Recording live concerts is always a challenge, and not one that is guaranteed to be met as it should be. The Heritage Hall Jazz Band is a classic group of New Orleanians with leader Gregg Stafford on trumpet, Freddie Lonzo on trombone, Roderick Paulin on tenor sax, Mari Watanabe on piano, Mitchell Player on bass, [...]
Will all of you who think that Vavavoom is a cool name for a band please raise your right hand? It’s my theory that everyone loves the music, clothing, and other stylings that their grandparents liked, but similar material from their parents’ generation is not nearly as popular. Think of retro furniture, for example. It’s [...]
“You Get More With 504” is the slogan for this small but interesting British trad jazz label. And perhaps you do get a bit more bang for your buck from this little company that’s adopted our telephone area code as its trademark. You certainly get value—an impressive 27 cuts on the Six and Seven Eighths [...]
“You Get More With 504” is the slogan for this small but interesting British trad jazz label. And perhaps you do get a bit more bang for your buck from this little company that’s adopted our telephone area code as its trademark. You certainly get value—an impressive 27 cuts on the Six and Seven Eighths [...]
“You Get More With 504” is the slogan for this small but interesting British trad jazz label. And perhaps you do get a bit more bang for your buck from this little company that’s adopted our telephone area code as its trademark. You certainly get value—an impressive 27 cuts on the Six and Seven Eighths [...]
There’s a logic to reviewing these CDs together in that four out of seven of the musicians on each of them are the same—Joe Braun, alto sax, Bruce Brackman, clarinet, Robert Snow bass, and John Rodli, guitar. There are certainly differences in the sound and format of these two recordings, but the similarities are more [...]
