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as compiled by Brad Walseth. |
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 11) Joel Moore QuartetSelf Titled Debut This is old school - music inspired by the best of bop, yet not slavishly devoted to the past. To mix paraphrases: Joel Moore and company are standing on the shoulders of giants, but they are looking at the stars... |
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 10) Patricia BarberMythologies "Mythologies" is the best work yet from this talented Chicago pianist/singer/composer. An updated and personal reexamination of the "Metomorphoses" of Ovid - itself a penetrating psychological study within the stories of the archetypical/mythological characters whose actions and behaviors cover the spectrum of humanity - "Mythologies" follows its source closely in providing both delights and contemplative rewards... |
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 9) Suenos - Latin JazzAzul Oscuro ...this music, which seems to speak so well to the heart and senses while seemingly igniting your body to move to its rhthyms, is the musical confluence where the music of the African, European and Latin cultures merge together to form something new and universal... | |||||||
 8) Nneena FreelonBlueprint of a Lady Daring to take on the songs of the beloved Lady Day is challenge enough, but by also reinventing them in her own way, Freelon has left herself open to criticism from purists who will blanch at such notions as recording a medley of "Strange Fruit" (as free jazz) and "Willow Weep For Me" (in a Latin-drenched version). "God Bless the Child" as up-tempo, soulful, Motown R&B? What next, All of Me˛ as reggae? You got it. And guess what, folks, it works so well I canšt believe no one has thought of the idea before!...
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 7) John MoulderTrinity ...the music is attempting to represent Life itself in all its glories and tribulations. A weighty, heavily thoughtful release that takes on serious issues and yet still entertains - "Trinity" provides the listener with a successful trilogy of exceptional playing, passionate songwriting, and thought-provoking subject matter...
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 6) Shawn Maxwell QuartetOriginals As good as the band and Maxwell are, it would mean little if the songs themself weren't so good. From the winding changes of the opener "Dangerous Curve" through the impressive jam-out of "The Sixth" to the fiery "King Bill" to the time-warped boogie-woogie of "Lunch-Box" that closes the recording, "Originals'" alternately burns and cools in eminently listenable fashion...
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 5) NYU Jazz OrchestraPlays the Music of Teo Macero from the opening bursts of "Two Steps from Hell" it is clear that this is not your grandparents' big band music, but rather an exciting and powerful new direction taken in utilizing the colors and sounds of a big band ensemble...
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 4) Chris WashburneLand of Nod He (Washburne) wants us to "dance to the rhythms" because "Moving your body can be an act of resistance." Fortunately, he and his cohorts in the SYOTOS Band have provided a brilliantly charged soundtrack to this carnival that is sure to wake the brain-dead and snap them, if only momentarily, out of their dangerously comotose "Land of Nod"...
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 3) David BinneyCities and Desire A blowing session of remarkable depth and beauty, alto saxophonist/composer David Binney's "Cities of Desire" succeeds eminently in its attempts at supercharging the modern jazz sound...
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 2) Bob ReynoldsCan't Wait for Perfect Reynolds playing is tough, slippery and pleasantly surprising in its twists and turns over the churning landscape, yet he can roll out the romantic yearning in deuces. Monster rhythm section Reuben Rogers on bass and Eric Harland on drums are a combustive duo who make stellar use of their moments to shine, while keyboardist Aaron Goldberg... is a master of supportive understatement...
|  1) David BinneyOut of Airplanes Frisell and Binney seem to share an almost telepathic link - as their tones nearly merge into one another and it becomes difficult to determine where the saxophone ends and the guitar begins. This is music for a new era - mind-bending and effervescent... |
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