Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra | Portrait in Seven Shades

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African American, Jazz, Saxophone, Ted Nash, Trumpet, Wynton Marsalis

JLCO - Portrait in Seven Shades

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra .:|:. Portrait in Seven Shades – [Jazz at Lincoln Center, 2010]

Ted Nash is at the top of his game here with seven exquisite compositions! They are edgy, inventive and at times, playful. From the romantic Spanish intro of Picasso, the klezmer influence found in Chagall, and the hauntingly beautiful ballad of Van Gogh; there is much here to invoke the imagination of the listener.

Further, the exceptional quality of the musicianship on this CD speaks for itself: the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, led by Wynton Marsalis, is absolutely amazing and they all deliver spectacular performances on this recording. If you are a Ted Nash and JALC fan, this is an absolute must buy!

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

Brad Mehldau – “Highway Rider” – Video

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Brad Mehldau, Jazz, Piano

** THIS VIDEO CONTAINS SOME INSIGHTFUL INFORMATION ABOUT THE FEATURED ARTIST, ALSO SOME BRIEF VULGAR LANGUAGE, UNDERSCORED BY SEGMENTS OF PROVOCATIVE JAZZ BY PIANIST BRAD MEHLDAU. **

..:: Source: mwesterholm.wordpress.com ::..

Corey Wilkes & Abstrakt Pulse | Cries From Tha Ghetto

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African American, Corey Wilkes, Jazz, Trumpet

Corey Wilkes & Abstrakt Pulse - Cries From Tha Ghetto

Corey Wilkes & Abstrakt Pulse | Cries From Tha Ghetto – [Pi Recordings, 2009]

Staying true to his reputation as a post-Lester Bowie-type jazz trumpeter, Corey Wilkes and his band Abstrakt Pulse take cues from hard and post-bop, creative improvised music, and populist latter-period Art Ensemble of Chicago sounds. Alternating between tuneful free music and spontaneously composed snippets, the formidable Wilkes and his quintet keep the music moving forward with vitality and a keen sense of drama. This is an intriguingly put-together group with veteran drummer Isaiah Spencer borrowed from the Ernest Dawkins-led New Horizons Ensemble, along with newcomers Kevin Nabors on tenor sax, guitarist Scott Hesse, and bassist Junius Paul.

The opening “First Mind” gives you a good idea of what is to come, as the band leaps off a post-bop platform in mixed 5/4 and 4/4 meters. A struttin’ and shouted-out attitude reflective of Bowie identifies the very hip “Levitation,” while the outstanding track “Visionary of an Abstrakt” is placed firmly in the straight-ahead hard bop jazz tradition. More of the humorous, sarcastic Bowie/AEC stance is brushed on thick in loose, soulful layers for “Villa Tiamo,” while “Chasin’ LeRoy” is your deep-rooted black-bottom Chicago blues swing, with Wilkes and Nabors chatting along in call-and-response mode. —Michael G. Nastos | AllMusicGuide

..:: Source: AllMusic.com ::..