… “the weekend spin” … features modern jazz saxophonist Greg Osby

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African American, Greg Osby, Jazz, Saxophonist

... the weekend spin

Greetings jazz aficionados, it’s great to be among the living once again and afforded the opportunity to share with you music that I occasionally delve into especially on the weekends. As you know, the voice of jazz is infinite by design from beginning to the ending note it transforms those who allow themselves to surpass their ordinary soundscape and seek the prolific journey that awaits us. With that said, during my personal quest I often see and even hear these artists I’d love to partake in but for obvious reasons I’m not always able to cease the moment.

On today, I’m delighted to say I’ve been ushered into the world of music by a gentleman (you might already know) that I’ve grown to appreciate the voice and compositional palette of saxophonist Greg Osby. As I hear it, the St. Louis, MO native is undoubtedly a true innovator, progressive thinker, musician, songwriter and arranger with two exceptional albums featured from his vast body of work.

Greg Osby - Inner Circle

Greg Osby -//- Inner Circle – [Inner Circle, 2002]

I became interested in this CD primarily because I was looking for dates on which Stefon Harris appeared. I’m a huge fan of Harris’s extremely intelligent composition and playing, so anybody with whom he shared company had to be remarkable. Well, here he is, working with Greg Osby and fellow sideman (and ingenious solo artist in his own right) Jason Moran. I was delighted to hear how well these artists complement each other, when any one of them could have easily overpowered the other.

This is still Greg Osby’s date, of course, which is why he composed almost all of the songs, except for one by Björk and Mingus’s classic “Self Portrait in Three Colors.” The opening “Entruption” is a wonderfully frustrating performance, using space to give a stop-start feel, without sacrificing an implied groove. It’s my favorite on the disk, rivaled only by the Mingus cover and “Fragmatic Decoding,” the kind of song you’d imagine a String Theory mathematician would compose. As a non-musician, I’m simply amazed that anybody could play the dense thing.

If you are into progressive/avant-garde, yet accessible contemporary jazz, this is your disk. You will not be disappointed. —Darryl Dickson Carr/Amazon.com

Adam Rogers -||- Apparitions [Criss Cross]

Tags

Adam Rogers, Guitar, Jazz

Adam Rogers - Apparitions

Adam Rogers -//- Apparitions [Criss Cross, 2009]

This is Adam Rogers’ third CD for Gerry Teeken’s Criss Cross label. The rhythm section has remained the same for all 3 outings: Edward Simon (piano), Scott Colley (double bass) and Clarence Penn (drums). Also featured on this one is Chris Potter on tenor sax. Although I agree with the previous reviewer in his statement about Criss Cross releasing mostly straight forward, mainstream jazz, I think Adam Rogers has done quite a bit in expanding the harmonic and technical possibilities of his instrument. Also his compositions are very accomplished and modern, somewhat in the same vein as his contemporaries like Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ben Monder and Mark Turner etc.

Guitar players seldom manage to maintain the listeners’ interest if they release a record comprising solely of their own compositions. That is because their compositions are often too “guitaristic”. Adam Rogers certainly hasn’t got this problem. For this date, he has again provided 8 originals of great interest.

The first thing that really strikes the listener at first is Adam’s amazing picking technique. A very few guitarists are able to maintain such a clarity when fast lines. One is reminded of Pat Martino in his prime.

Without analyzing the compositions in detail, I could finish by saying that this CD isn’t recommended only to guitarists, but also to everyone who’s interesting in some of the best playing AND composing in jazz today. Adam and his band really seem to have something going on, certainly some of the hippest sounds around.

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

Brian Simpson -||- South Beach [Shanachie Entertainment]

Tags

Brian Simpson, Keyboards, Piano

Brian Simpson - South Beach

Brian Simpson -//- South Beach – [Shanachie Entertainment, 2010]

“Brian is the consummate musician – he can do it all. But it’s his incredibly memorable and infectious melodies that truly set him apart. He just has a knack for writing these songs that take you on a journey and truly tell a story – and then he’s able to deliver them musically with his trademark style. I am a huge fan!” – Dave Koz

“What I love about Brian’s playing is his understanding that melody and groove are important – the meat and potatoes of music. Brian has found a unique way of being musically creative while making his music accessible. My hats off to you B.”– George Duke

Celebrated keyboardist, composer and studio musician, Brian Simpson has been the ‘go-to’ man for everyone from Janet Jackson and Teena Marie to George Duke, Stanley Clarke and Dave Koz, for whom he has had the distinction of being musical director for the past 15 years. The chart-topping musical chameleon who wrote the #1 R&B hit “The First Time” for Surface in the 1990s confesses, “Ultimately, my listeners inspire me to make my music.” Simpson’s love for what he does is evident in every note on South Beach, his inaugural album for Shanachie Entertainment, due out August 31, 2010. Simpson surrounds himself with an A-list lineup that includes jazz icons George Duke, Peter White and Euge Groove.