Dana Hall | Into The Light

Tags

African American, Drums, Jazz

Dana Hall | Into The Light – [Origin Records, 2009]

Dana Hall, Into the Light

With pianist Bruce Barth, bassist Rodney Whitaker, Terell Stafford on trumpet, and Tim Warfield, Jr. on saxophones, the Chicago-based drummer hits for the seats on his debut recording as a leader. Performing a set of mostly original material along with several rearrangements of jazz and popular standards, Hall’s fertile and agile drumming propels the group of longtime friends (they’ve all been, except for Whitaker, members of Stafford’s working band for ten years) into a first-rate album of modern mainstream jazz.

..:: Source: Amazon.com ::..

Alan Pasqua | The Antisocial Club

Tags

Alan Pasqua, Jazz, Piano

Alan Pasqua | The Antisocial Club – [Cryptogramophone, 2007]

Alan Pasqua, The Antisocial Club

I bought this great cd just before Christmas and after quite a few spins I still find it an inspired listen. This music is obviously informed by electric Miles but it’s much more than a pale imitation. I’ve enjoyed Alan’s playing since the Tony Williams Lifetime days and it’s great to hear him playing electric piano on these excellent new compositions aided by a crack ensemble. The band features the excellent young trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire, along with Nels Cline on guitar, Jimmy Haslip on bass, Scott Amendola on drums, Alex Acuna on percussion, and Jeff Elwood on saxophones.

The album is beautifully recorded with good dynamics as Jimmy Haslip’s bass kicks off the title track. It’s a medium tempo lyrical tune that leaves just the right amount of space between the notes to allow the listener room to hear each instrument distinctly.

Although some of the extended pieces such as Fast Food, and Wicked Good are rather intense, overall the album has an upbeat positive vibe. The most enduring piece is the album closer, Message To Beloved Souls Departed. A beautiful and poignant ballad I find myself going back to time and time again. An excellent release from Mr. Pasqua, and Cryptogramophone! —Jazz Junkie

..:: Source: Amazon.com ::..

Lee Morgan | Sidewinder

Tags

African American, Bebop, Lee Morgan, Trumpet

Lee Morgan | Sidewinder – [Blue Note Records, 1963]

Lee Morgan, Sidewinder

The Philadelphia-born trumpeter and superb bop stylist Lee Morgan apprenticed with Dizzy Gillespie and Art Blakey before emerging as a leader in his own right in the early ’60s for Blue Note Records. Although Morgan owed a stylistic debt to both Gillespie and Clifford Brown, he quickly developed a voice of his own that combined half-valve effects, Latin inflections, and full, fluid melodies. While many of Morgan’s later sessions for Blue Note would find him paired with saxophonist Hank Mobley, The Sidewinder features then up-and-coming tenor player Joe Henderson, plus Detroit pianist Barry Harris, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Billy Higgins. Along with the title track, an unconventional 24-bar blues, the album’s compositional standout is “Totem Pole,” a minor Latin groove featuring an outstanding solo by Henderson.

This is the kind of relaxed blowing date, invigorated by thoughtful performances, that forms the backbone of the Blue Note catalog. —Fred Goodman/Amazon

..:: Source: Amazon.com ::..