All About Jazz (Free subscription) | 08/05/2008
In its second full slate of archival releases, Monterey Jazz Festival Records, an imprint of Concord Music Group, has released a new series of never-before-heard concert performances by jazz icons: Art Blakey, Dave Brubeck, Shirley Horn, Tito Puente, Cal Tjader and classic blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon...
All About Jazz (Free subscription) | 07/17/2008
Monterey Jazz Festival Records, in collaboration with the Concord Music Group, will issue the second wave of six never-before-released, archival live recordings taped on the Arena stage of the world-famous Monterey Jazz Festival. The releases are slated for August 5, 2008, seven weeks prior to MJF's celebration of its 51st annual presentation of world-class jazz, September 19-21, 2008...
nongseynyo (Free subscription) | 07/15/2008
Veteran singer Jimmy Witherspoon (who bridges the gap between jazz and blues) mostly sticks to the latter on this spirited set. His backup group (organist Paul Griffin, guitarist Lord Westbrook, bassist Leonard Gaskin and drummer Herbie Lovelle) is fine in support, but the spotlight is almost entirely on Witherspoon throughout these ten concise performances, only one of which exceeds four minutes....
All About Jazz (Free subscription) | 07/15/2008
The Monterey Jazz Festival Records label will unveil a second collection of never-before-released concert recordings this summer, just before the 51st annual festival this fall. Six new collections of Monterey Jazz Festival performances will be released on Aug. 5 by the MJFR label. Recordings include...
NewMexiKen (Free subscription) | 04/25/2008
… of Jerry Leiber. He’s 75. Leiber and partner Mike Stoller are in the Rock and Roll and Songwriters halls of fame. By the time they were 20, in just three years of working together, their early songs had been recorded by a collection of true all-stars in the rhythm and blues genre including [...]
nongseynyo (Free subscription) | 04/24/2008
Guitarist Robben Ford has led parallel careers. There's the virtuosic white blues musician who jammed with Jimmy Witherspoon as a teenager, and there's the superclean session player and fusion-jazz cat of L.A. Express and Yellowjackets fame. These roles merge on Supernatural, produced by Susan Rogers (known for production work with Prince and Barenaked Ladies). Unfortunately, what comes out is a mediocre...
nongseynyo (Free subscription) | 03/26/2008
Like Jimmy Witherspoon, T-Bone Walker, and Dave Specter, J.W. Jones is the sort of person who likes a lot of jazz in his blues. Defibrillatin', the Canadian guitarist/singer's debut album, doesn't cater to bop snobs — Jones doesn't spend all of his time trying to show you how fast he can play John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" or Sonny Rollins' "Oleo," but he does sound like the sort of bluesman who has...
nongseynyo (Free subscription) | 02/15/2008
The material on this album was recorded in concert shortly before Jimmy Witherspoon's death at age 74, and it appears that this was his last recording. The significance of that fact cuts both ways on this attractive but sometimes frustrating album. On the one hand, fans will welcome it as a last document of Witherspoon's undeniable talent and presence. On the other hand, it's hard to overlook the...
LP Cover Lover (Free subscription) | 01/12/2008
“Did You Ever Hear The Blues'” BIG MILLER (1922-1992) does “deep blues” by Langston Hughes. United Artists. Clarence Horatio Miller’s first influence in music came from his father’s church but he also heard the blues sung by men working on the railroad. In the 30s, while still a student, he formed a band, but with [...]
The Vinyl Word (Free subscription) | 11/29/2007
Continuing the theme of the last blog, here are my top 20 scoring 45s of 1964 and 1965, as recorded at the time: 1964 1. I get around - The Beach Boys 2. Baby I need your loving - Four Tops 3. My guy - Mary Wells 4= Shoop shoop song - Betty Everett (pictured left) 4= When I grow up - The Beach Boys 6. Nadine - Chuck Berry 7. Where did our love go - Supremes 8= Hi heel sneakers - Tommy Tucker 8= No...
nongseynyo (Free subscription) | 11/16/2007
Blues-rock and blues-jazz are two different worlds. Blues-jazz tends to appeal to Jimmy Witherspoon fans who also appreciate Richard "Groove" Holmes and Jack McDuff; blues-rock tends to appeal to Johnny Winter and Stevie Ray Vaughan fans who also know a great Jimmy Page or Eddie Van Halen solo when they hear one. But there are times when blues-rock and blues-jazz come together; they have often come...
nongseynyo (Free subscription) | 11/14/2007
Mitch Kashmar is one of the most soulful and powerful blues singers in the business today, black or white; his blues harp playing is second to none for creativity, drive and excitement. He's shared the stage with some of the biggest names in blues over the years, including Big Joe Turner, Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson, Lowell Fulson, Jimmy Witherspoon, John Lee Hooker, Pee Wee Crayton, and Johnny Adams....
Turkish daily news (Free subscription) | 11/07/2007
World famous guitar virtuoso Robben Ford, who has been described as one of the 100 best guitarists in the history of rock, blues and jazz by “Musician” magazine will perform in the
Rifftides (Free subscription) | 09/23/2007
As the fiftieth Monterey Jazz Festival wound down, we received this communique from Rifftides reader...
Jazz & Blues Music Reviews (Free subscription) | 08/12/2007
Bryan Lee - Katrina Was Her Name (Justin Time, 2007) Blind from the age of eight, Bryan Lee compensated by listening hard to blues radio dialed in from the deep south, being deeply influenced by Freddie King amongst many others. Now in his early 60's Lee plays a stinging guitar himself and sings soulfully in the tradition of his adopted hometown on New Orleans. His regular touring band is joined by...
