by: Hobert Taylor
Clotilde Rullaud - In Extremis - Self Released
A French Sarah Vaughn mezzo-soprano with exquisite taste in musicians, Rulland dips her toes in various jazz sub genres like bop, African, Brazilian, breezy waltzes etc. with stunning success for the most part. Highly recommended tracks are "Waltz for Debbie/La Noyee", "African Sketches After Afro Blue", "La Bahiana", Astor Piazolla's "Oblivion/Deux Cours Perdus" and the gorgeous "The Walk After Pie Jesu From Maurice Durfule".
Pat Daugherty - Dance of the Hours - Buffalo Puppy
I found this in the world locker. I don't know if it just came or has been there since its 2000 release, but what a discovery.
this is 2nd or 3rd generation post Sun Ra jazz with some hip hop and rap whispers. The musicianship is high and the compositions choice. Pianist Daugherty is composer in residence with the Martha Graham Dance Company and has recorded with Ornette Coleman. "
The Fat Babies - 18th and Racine - Delmark
Old timey Chicago Jazz from Chicago...which mean up tempo New Orleans ragtime played by young people with a reverence for the old records....hard to tell from the originals except the fidelity's better. Choice cuts # 3 "The Stampede", # 6 "I Can't Dance I've Got Ants In My Pants" the sublime and spooky title cut # 7, "!8th & Racine", the nice take on "Stardust" #11, and # 14 "The Chant".
Various Artists - Delmark 60 Years of Jazz - Delmark
From Dewey Jackson's '20's style hot jazz to UCI's own Nicole Mitchell's very contemporary compositions this Cd hop skips across old favorites and modern classics from the venerable staple of the second city scene Delmark Records. Cut # 2 (Jackson's "That's A Plenty", is great ear candy,Ernest Dawkins "Mr. PC" (definitive cool jazz), Rob Mazurek's "Spiral Memory" is outstanding post bop free jazz... Kahil El'Zabar' and Sonny Stitt have cool outings here too.
Kahil El'Zabar - Follow The Sun - Delmark
Chicago perennial mainstream bop with slight "Dizzyness". This has vocals and sometimes veers in cheesiness but I like "Great Black Music", "Footprints", and "Up Your Mind".
Kris Bowers - Heroes and Misfits - Concord jazz
A concept record.. sort of. Like Robert Glasper, Bowers integrates hip hop echoes and rap into his mix, but it still is mostly jazz. This Julliard alum and recent has the chops and the arrangements are very smart. I like "Wake The Neighbors" (which could have come from Fripp) "The Protester", "Forget-er" (pop radio ready and still art) and especially "Drift" but the whole project's grand.
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