Posts tagged with "Blue Note"

Video & Web-Exclusive Interview Steve Weingart

Video Feature & Web-Exclusive Interview Musician:  STEVE WEINGART Video:  “Smile” STEVE WEINGART & RENEE JONES DEBUT NEW ALBUM OASIS AT 2018 WINTER NAMM  Steve Weingart’s musical journey began when his parents recognized his gift at the age of three, and sought out the best piano teacher in their home town of Dayton, Ohio. A critical foundation of classical studies followed. It allowed him to appreciate the complex compositions... 

ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ROOTS

ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ROOTS Wise Up Ghost [Blue Note] If he weren’t such a great and versatile singer—irritable punk one album, tender balladeer the next, something entirely different the one after that—Elvis Costello might have made a fantastic rapper. Thankfully, he doesn’t prove it on this surprise collaboration with eclectic Philly hip-hop collective the Roots, but he does rely more on words (always his best friends) and grooves than... 

TERENCE BLANCHARD

TERENCE BLANCHARD Magnetic [Blue Note] Terence Blanchard, continues to give new meaning to the word prolific. Primarily known as a jazz trumpeter and composer, he’s worked as an educator and written music for films, theater and even opera. So when he actually gets around to releasing proper jazz records it’s an event. Happily, Magnetic is as strong as anything he’s produced. Surrounding himself with his regular quintet, Blanchard surveys various... 

JOE LOVANO

JOE LOVANO Cross Culture [Blue Note] Over the course of his 22 previous Blue Note albums, Joe Lovano has proven one of the most versatile musicians in contemporary jazz. The formation of Us Five has invigorated the saxophonist and composer, and the quintet’s third album is astoundingly moving. Accompanied by his regulars—pianist James Weidman, bassist Esperanza Spalding and drummers Otis Brown III and Francisco Mela—as well as bassist Peter... 

VAN MORRISON

VAN MORRISON Born to Sing: No Plan B [Blue Note] Like any free spirit, Van Morrison follows his muse wherever it takes him. He may tilt toward R&B, country or traditional Irish music, but he never sounds like anyone else. That’s led to a certain predictability—and a certain coziness. Born to Sing is as familiar as Van Morrison albums come. It’s his first set of all-original material since 2008, but these tunes could have turned up at any... 

ANITA BAKER

ANITA BAKER Only Forever [Blue Note] Soul-jazz chanteuse Anita Baker is a timeless performer who weaves challenging emotions into the smoothest of melodies. Only Forever, her first album since 2004’s My Everything, is filled with romantic paeans, and on songs like “Lately” and “Play Me Your Music,” Baker expresses the many facets of love with a religious fervor. “Free,” a gorgeous ballad that explores her bout with empty-nest syndrome,... 

RAVI COLTRANE

RAVI COLTRANE Spirit Fiction [Blue Note] Ravi Coltrane wasn’t quite 2 when his legendary father, John Coltrane, died in 1967. From the start of his career as a saxophonist and composer in the ’80s, the younger Coltrane sought to discover his own voice. He began recording as a leader in the late ’90s, and each successive recording has further established him as a significant artist—but Spirit Fiction is his tour de force. Produced by Coltrane... 

WILLIE NELSON & WYNTON MARSALIS FEATURING NORAH JONES

WILLIE NELSON & WYNTON MARSALIS FEATURING NORAH JONES Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles [Blue Note] As the old showbiz saying goes, you can’t go wrong with good material. So with the timeless songbook of Ray Charles as a source, this live collaboration of three luminaries of jazz, pop and country is a thrill. Cut live at Lincoln Center in February 2009, the set kicks off with a spirited take on “Hallelujah I Love Her... 

JOE LOVANO/US FIVE

JOE LOVANO/US FIVE Bird Songs [Blue Note] When Joe Lovano decided to record an album interpreting the songs of Charlie Parker, he knew the best approach he could take was to not pretend to be Parker himself. And why should he? Lovano has been one of the most consistently inventive saxophonists in jazz for more than two decades. The melodies and chordal shifts may be as familiar as bebop itself, but Bird Songs sounds and feels like what it is: a Joe... 
Copyright © 2011 M Music & Musicians Magazine ·