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December 2010, Page 2

Shilts | Going Underground

Album Review: Shilts | Going Underground
By Brian Soergel

High-energy contemporary jazz saxophonist Paul “Shilts” Weimer certainly boasts ample street cred. He’s a founding member of the Down to the Bone and has rocked on stage with Brand New Heavies and funk kings Was (Not Was). The U.K. native moved to c-jazz friendly Southern California to advance his career and has prospered with three solo CDs. His fourth however, Going Underground, pushes aside any nicety-nice and is what it is – a full-throated, unfiltered, high-powered CD that reflects a new indie spirit as he’s now releasing music unencumbered by record companies. Good call. To continue, Please click “MORE”!

Wendy Moten | Tis The Season

Wendy Moten - Tis The Season
 
Wendy Moten | Tis The Season
By Peggy Oliver
 
Wendy Moten’s beautifully timed and gorgeously tuned voice has graced the music industry for almost two decades, even if her solo recording exposure was somewhat unappreciated. No matter what the genre, her instrument was well utilized with international superstars, both in the studio and in concert. From Michael Bolton, to Faith Hill & Tim McGraw and Julio Iglesias, Moten was a much in-demand backing and featured vocalist.

Avant | The Letter

Avant - The Letter
 
Avant | The Letter
By Brent Faulkner
 
Avant comes from an older school of R&B singers – much in the vein of R. Kelly – who are the ‘consummate lover men.’ Avant has never truly broken from the shadow of Kelly, probably not aided by the constant comparisons. The problem also stems from the fact that Avant bowed years after Kelly had already long been established, making the singer play a game of ‘catch up,’ which truly was not fair given his vocal abilities.

Stanley Clarke | The Stanley Clarke Band

Album Review: Stanley Clarke – The Stanley Clarke Band
By Peggy Oliver

Listen to song samples from “The Stanley Clarke Band”, exclusively from Amazon, on our Jazz page by clicking here!!

 
Oh,
the power of the bass. The booming bass that shakes car stereos. The bass
vocalist who frames all the choir sections: baritones, tenors, altos and
sopranos. Then there is Stanley Clarke. Not only is he extraordinarily
versed on the standard acoustic bass and electric bass, he throws in a
variety of tenor, piccolo and other basses in between.   Whether a
soloist or in a group, Clarke rarely plays by the rhythmic bass rules.
Since his days with keyboardist Chick Corea and Return to Forever (RTF),
Clarke’s nimble fingering, stunning dynamics and complex solos always
turned into jaw dropping experiences. During his quieter and more
retrospective moments as part of the Bass Folk Songs series, Clark
balanced exquisite melodies with his own accompaniment, a mesmerizing
task for any bassist.  The Philadelphia School of Music graduate from
1971 found immediate work afterwards with major bandleaders like Horace
Silver and Gil Evans. His melodic sense was fueled by listening to Scott
LaFaro (bass player for Bill Evans) and Charles Mingus, an attribute
which certainly attracted musicians like Corea and landing a long time
gig with RTF. To continue, Please click “MORE”!

Marcus Johnson | Flo Chill, Vol. 2

Album Review: Marcus Johnson | Flo Chill – Volume 2: Juris

Listen to song samples from “Flo Chill, Vol. 2: Juris”, exclusively from Amazon, on our Jazz page by clicking here!!

Contemporary jazz Renaissance man Marcus Johnson is not content to merely own a record label. He’s speaks at music conferences, is an avid jazz and African-American historian, and supports his favorite political causes with musical benefits. He’s released straight-ahead jazz projects. Smooth-jazz CDs. Earlier this year, he stepped out of the box with a genre-defying album marrying jazz and a few of his rock favorites – including tunes from Nirvana and Steve Miller. To Continue, Please click “MORE”!

Dante Lewis | Set The Mood

Dante Lewis – Set The Mood

Listen to song samples from “Set The Mood”, exclusively from Amazon on our Jazz Page by Clicking Here!

 
Whether
playing in church or for the local jazz festivals in South Carolina,
Dante Lewis always presents a joyful of spirit when making music. The
saxophonist’s band Vision blazes plenty of funk and classic R&B to
their loyal audiences. Vision includes keyboard player and vocalist
Byron Counts who brought his own production and musical vision onto
Lewis’ debut, Set The Mood from Sounds of the
City Records. This contemporary jazz collection combines R&B
favorites and original tunes written or co-written by Counts.
Considering this is Lewis’ first chance in the national spotlight, his
contributions on Set The Mood are quite
pleasing to the ears and can stand up to some of today’s counterparts.
The backing musicians include members of Vision: Counts and bass
guitarist Tyrone Mack. Two of Lewis’ attributes are his refreshing
perspective on the melody and his seamless improvisations which mostly
stray from excessive runs and maintaining a pure tone throughout. To continue, Please click “MORE”!

El DeBarge | Second Chance

El DeBarge - Second Chance
 
El DeBarge | Second Chance
By Brent Faulkner
 
Sixteen years away is like an ‘eternity’ in the music industry (maybe even two). With an industry even more cutthroat and conniving than before, the standard one or two year hiatus artists take in between LPs turns out sometimes to be too long as a ‘new trend’ in music develops extremely quickly. The main problem is the ‘staying power’ that newer artists have – it seems more limited than the veterans.

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