April 1, 2011

Album Review: Airborne: Back in the Dayz – Airborne Anthology
By Brian Soergel

You’d expect a contemporary jazz that calls itself “musical peacemakers” to have a happy, upbeat sound. You get that with the veteran band, but as this anthology shows, you also get top-quality musicianship with heft and plenty of sway. The New Haven, Conn.-based band’s eighth CD is a collection of new songs and remastered tracks
from its 13-year history.

Airborne is led by Gregory Borino (guitars, vocals), Thomas Sansone (sax, flute, vocals) and Thomas Borino (piano, keyboards, organ, vocals), as well as Dave Ramsey (drums), Donnell Roberts (bass), Asher Delerme (percussion) and Randy Bost (trumpet, flugelhorn). To continue, please click “MORE”!

Album Review: Rodney Lee
| Groove Kid Nation: The Wheels on the Bus
By Brian Soergel

If you’re a contemporary jazz fan, Rodney Lee’s name may not immediately come to mind. But you’ve no doubt heard his music or seen him at a show, as he’s performed with Mindi Abair, Marc Antoine, Freddie Hubbard and many others. The keyboardist and record producer has also performed and written for almost 20 years with Chris Standring, and is a big part of the guitarist’s success as a co-collaborator.

Having said that, you have to be in the right demographic to truly appreciate Lee’s latest project, Groove Kid Nation. That demo is probably infant up to up to about 6 years old. And their parents, of course. Lee says he created the project, which feature numerous top session players, because he didn’t hear the kind of music he wanted his son, now 2, to get into. To continue, please click “MORE”!