Author's posts
New Music Monday for October 17, 2016
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify. Though he may only have six strings at his disposal, guitarist Joshua Breakstone has felt a lifelong connection to jazz’s great piano players. On his latest release, “88,” Breakstone pays tribute to some of his favorite pianist-composers with a smoking set of pieces penned by some …
New Music Monday for October 10, 2016
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify. Trumpeter Tom Harrell is a prolific composer and arranger, a mysterious yet mesmerizing presence in concert and a regular in the recording studio. His resume is impressive, with contributions to bands led by Stan Kenton, Horace Silver, Joe Lovano and others. He also has written scores …
New Music Monday for October 3, 2016
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify. One of the great American jazz pianists and composers of the 20th century, Erroll Garner, was among the most popular, successful and influential jazz artists of his era. He popularized jazz for millions all over the world with record breaking concert tours, and at the height …
New Music Monday for September 26, 2016
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify. Imbued with immense talent and a genuine love for music and people, Tierney Sutton has a voice that transcends stylistic boundaries, touching the hearts of all who hear it. “The Sting Variations” is a logical follow-up to the seven-time Grammy nominee’s recent solo album, in which …
New Music Monday for September 19, 2016
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify. “Great political speeches inspire us to believe we are capable of achieving great things together,” say Grammy-nominated composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist Ted Nash. “I can’t think of a better time to release “Presidential Suite” than during this election season.” Subtitled “Eight Variations on Freedom,” the eight …
New Music Monday for September 12, 2016
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify. Even for a successful composer and arranger in Hollywood, Gordon Goodwin’s numbers are impressive: a 2006 Grammy Award for his work on the Pixar film “The Incredibles,” three Emmy Awards, thirteen Grammy nominations. Another impressive number: eighteen, as in the number of players in Goodwin’s …
New Music Monday for September 5, 2016
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify. Although he’s best known as the hard-driving, groove-oriented drummer for the pioneering rock group Living Colour, Will Calhoun has played in a staggering variety of styles and traditions over the course of his eclectic career. Straight-ahead jazz, fusion, traditional African percussion, funk, hip-hop and, of course …
New Music Monday for August 29, 2016
Listen to this week’s playlist on YouTube and Spotify. Guitarist Nels Cline makes his Blue Note Records debut with “Lovers,” an expansive double CD that he had dreamed of making for over 25 years. Inspired by the likes of Bill Evans, Jim Hall, Gil Evans, Johnny Mandel, Henry Mancini and others, Cline finally realized his …