The 14 Jazz Orchestra - Islands - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Islands, by Dan Bonsanti and The 14 Jazz Orchestra and it's strong. Opening with Tyner's Man From Tanganyika, Peter Erskine on drums and Dennis Marks on bass set the pace. Ed Maina on flute (solo), and alto sax, Peter Brewer on tenor sax, flute and clarinet, Ed Calle on tenor sax (solo) and flutes, Mike Brignola on Bari sax, flutes and bass clarinet, set the melody and Mike Levine takes the first solo on piano. Brett Murphy, Jason Carder and John Lovell on trumpet and Dan Teboe, Dante Luciani (solo), Major Bailey (bass) and Dan Bonsanti (including tuba emulation) on trombone really swing. with excellent solos. Really nice opener. With plenty of punch, Corea's, Bud Powell, really excels with the front line of brass and Maina blows a great alto solo, Carder on trumpet and Levine on piano solo nicely as well, joined by Mike Harvey on drums, Lindsey Blair on guitar, and Jamie Ousley on bass. Levin original Carmencita has a great Latin rhythm fueled by Lee Levin on drums, Richard Bravo on percussion and Nicky Orta on bass. Ed Calle again really goes the extra mile on soprano sax supercharging the track and Levine's own piano so gives the track tremendous integral body. Excellent! Will Lee steps in on bass (solo) on Levin penned, Jaco. With a flowing melody and muted brass, Calle gets a nice opportunity to open up with a soulful tenor solo. Wrapping the release is Newman's, When She Loved Me, from Toy Story. Calle softy presents the melody on tenor sax and Mark Egan has a nice fretless bass solo, nicely complemented by Randy Bernsen on acoustic guitar. Nice closer for a really enjoyable release. 

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Jeremy Green - Standing Eight - New Release Reviewx

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Standing Eight, by Jeremy Green and it's a cool jazz rock instrumental release with plenty of juice. Opening with No Jacket Required, Jeremy Green and Mike Stern on guitars lay in some great dialog over excellent drum work of Keith Carlock and featuring the excellent bass lines of Jimmy Haslip. Very cool. Will Lee lays down a funky bass line and fine soloing on Ain't No Chevy and Carlock is incredibly tight with Green and Robben Ford really working it on guitar and including the fine trumpet work of Mark Levron. Green and Michel Cusson really put on a great show on Close with a Jab and the solid bass work of Moto Fukushima sets a super framework for the highly articulate drumming of Carlock. Excellent. Wrapping the release is Car Rock with Oz Noy paired with Green on guitar and an aggressive bass line by Ian Da Souza. With bluesy yet adventurously jazzy guitar riffs, and the phenomonal drum work of Carlock, this is a solid closer for a solid release.  

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Davide Pannozzo - Unconditionallove - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Unconditionallove, from Davide Pannozzo, and it's realy cool. Opening with Six Wires, guitarist & lead guitar player, Davide Pannozzo sets the pace with a strutting funky track with a solid bass line from Will Lee and his own melodic lead. Joined by Steve Jordan and Shawn Pelton on drums and Olli Rockberger and Ricky Peterson on Hammond and keys,  this is a super start. Rocker, One & Only has a definite radio hook, cool melody and tight beat. Chasing Illusions has a real nice modern take on the delta blues with contemporary lines. I particularly like Pannozzo's vocal pairing with Lee's bass lines. George Harrison's Wah Wah is a nice surprise with a more key laden refrain than Harrison's own but with a cool Pannozzo styled guitar lead. Very nice. The Purest Thing is a warm melodic jazz guitar melody. Extremely clean. Billy Cobham's Stratus is always one of my favorites and this one, driven by the intense bass lines of lee is no exception. Pannozzo's guitar lead is warm and fluid and the drum work is clean and tight. Very nice. Wrapping the release is Lord Knows What's In My Heart, a soothing guitar lead melody with pure tones. Shimmery keys, a deep bass bottom and sure lead work by Pannozzo makes this a strong closer for a really nice release.

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VizzTone Label Group artist: Chris "Bad News" Barnes - Hokum Blues - New Release Review

I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Hokum Blues, from Chris "Bad News" Barnes, and it's true to the old style 30's blues. Opening with Tampa Red's It Hurts Me Too, Barnes' vocals are solid with super slide work from Jimmy Vivino and Steve Guyer on harp, backed by Will Lee on bass, Shawn Pelton on drums and Bette Sussman on piano. Kicking it into swing mode and getting a little suggestive, Barnes struts Let Play With Your Poodle, featuring a real nice piano solo by Sussman and crisp guitar riffs by Vivino. Very nice. Prohibition style, I'm Gonna Get High, maintains a lot of the "prance" of the area and caller style vocals. Wild slide work on Bo Diddley rhythmed It's Tight Like That really gives this track a great presence. The Hokum Boys',You Can't Get Enough Of That Stuff, is one of my favorites on the release with cool vocal harmonies and easy going rhythm. With a Latin beat, Keep Your Mind On It has really nice percussion by Pelton and particularly nice guitar work by Vivino, topped off by cool piano twist by Sussman and a cool harp solo by Guyger. Another track with a pure 30's style, even a quasi megaphone sound, is Let Me Pat That Thing with it's suggestive yet funny lyrics. Another nice solo by Sussman on piano is topped off by cool trumpet work and a nice clarinet solo. A cool rocker by the Hokum Boys, Caught Him Doing It really has a nice rockabilly flair and strong solos by Vivino and Sussman. Closing with Tampa Red's Christmas and New Years, Barnes hits the spot on vocals and Vivino's slide work is thick and greasy. I cool closer for a nice retro style blues release.  

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Twisted Blues Vol. 1 - Oz Noy - Special Review

Been waiting a while for the opportunity to review this utterly spectacular release. Yes, I know it's been out for some time, but it's terrific and under appreciated. Opening with Twisted Blues, Noy is joined by a who's crew of unbelievable musicians. Oz plays a tele on this first outrageous funky track and is joined by Jeff Beck pal Vinnie Colaluta on drums, Will Lee on Bass, Jerry Z on Organ and John Medeski on organ. This is such a great groove and features spectacular bass, drums and guitar work difficult to describe. On Oh Really, Noy and gang is joined by Alan Toussaint for a little twist of New Orleans. Maintaining incredible musicianship, the band takes you on an incredible trip through the quarter like you've never seen. Noy is relentless on guitar and Colaluta punctuates the day like only he can. Touyssaint plays a really nice classic piano solo snugged up to these musical madmen. Unbelievable! You Are The State has a different line up and a different feel. Featuring Noy on a strat, Anton Fig on drums, Roscoe Beck on bass, Reese Wynans on organ and Eric Johnson on guitar, this track has a ballad feel to it and of course without saying... all instrumental. With warm concentric lead guitar runs at the bottom of the fretboard, Noy takes the listener on a brilliant journey. Whole Tone Blues is written around a SRV lope and coincidentally is backed by Chris Layton on drums. This is a swinging track but not at all complying to any kind of borrowing but sticking to his own style...and with style like this...why not? Wynans steps up with a pretty serious organ solo on this track and the release is really well balanced instrumentally, but it's Noy who is running this carnival! On the classic Sissy Strut, Noy gives us a whole new look at how it's to be heard. Using guitar loops and his tele, Noy creates a sonic wall before the jam. Joined by Fig on drums, Lee on bass, Medeski on organ and Talph MacDonald on tamburin. I do want to comment that most everyone who covers this track on thier own release finds this to be the best track on the release. This is a really good cut, but Noy hits the ball so far on every track that this is pale by comparison to the best. Ripping solid blues guitar riffs and with solid back drumming, this track moves. Light Blue, a Thelonius Monk track, is treated with honest respect and the guitar wizardry is just perfect. Noy creates super effects with reverb and clean tones mixed. Wyans on organ has just the right touch and a pristine melody played by Noy is beautiful. Steroids is a funky R&B style track with a bit of James brown mixed in. An eccentric guitar break in the track keeps it from being an outright dance track... but it is artistic and well done. Colaluta takes some really nice explosive breaks on this track showing why he is such high demand as drummer for the best of the best. Two Centers is a solemn study on musical theme. Noy has such a great sense of musicianship and technique that this track, laid back and easy creates a super punch. The release is completed with Trinkle Tinkle with Noy on Strat, Layton on drums and Beck on Bass. A moving jazz like piece with a cool walking bass line and chasing drums, it is a super soaker to keep you foot tapping and you head bobbin waiting for the next release. In case you haven't already figured it out, I think that this release is terrific! If you haven't already heard it, bought it, seen the band and gone nuts... don't say I didn't warn you!!

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