Billy Marrows and Grande Familia - The Penelope Album, Live
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Year: 2025
Style or Subgenre: Chamber Jazz
These albums are some seriously lovely chamber jazz. The studio album is bright and clear; the live album a little moodier. They're both wonderful and well worth having. If I had to choose. I'd go with the live album, not just because it had some extras, but also because the musicians seem to more fully inhabit the musical environment and present it with authenticity. Although the brighter studio version makes sense when you consider that Penelope is Marrows's mother and the albums are a homage to her.
FischmanRockMonster, JazzMeister, Bluesboy,ClassicalMasterProfile Land of Enchantment
Year: 1957
Style or Subgenre: Cool Jazz, Guitar Jazz
I was in the mood for some classic archtop vibe, and the great Jim Hall delivered in spades. This 1957 release may be his first, and it may have the most generic sounding title ever, but Hall is already showing that combination of impeccably clean technique, lovely warm tone, and thoroughly expressive delivery that would make him a standout for decades in a world of great jazz guitarists. Anyone who thinks flawless technique interferes with genuinely human expression need only give this album a spin to dispel that false dilemma.
FischmanRockMonster, JazzMeister, Bluesboy,ClassicalMasterProfile Land of Enchantment
For this Saturday night, Iwanted some newer (this century) vocals from a new-to-me vocalist but with a timeless vibe.
Enter Rachael Price... and.... jackpot!
Price is a well studied master of her craft and with The Good Hours, has crafted a fresh, contemporary album fit for traditional ears. The set has breadth (my favorite song being the Spanish language Lagrimas Negras) which Price delivers with depth and just the right mix of sophisticated polish and earthy sincerity.
Kenny Garrett - Seeds From the Underground Year: 2012
Style or Subgenre: Post Bop
Boy, did this hit the spot! I was in the mood for some melodic, uplifting, and engaging post bop and this hit the target dead center. This is essentially Garrett paying homage to those who inspired him. Such albums rare have this level of consistency, coherence, and clear voice of the artist throughout their tributes to others.
These are wonderful songs to begin with, and they are also filled with fantastic solos. Garrett's solos are completely satisfying on both an emotional and an intellectual level. He chooses uniquely melodic lines over an interesting harmonic structure, and the result creates intense joy in my brain.
But it's not just Garrett; every time pianist Benito Gonzalez comes in, I start thinking that's the best part of the album. He blends a strong McCoy approach with his Latin/Global Jazz flavors to create something else quite unique and rather enthralling, as well as a brilliant foil for Garrett to bounce his beautiful lines off of.
Then Garrett comes back in and I'm again thinking he's the best part of the album. Anf then Gonzales... and then Garrett..... now that's a vicious cycle I can really settle into!
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Fischman
mozzmozz
9 years
