Charlie Hunter always put his emphasis on the groove, using his eight-string guitar to create an uncanny blend of bright leads, bass lines, and chord riffs that can simulate classic funk organ. For Songs from the Analog Playground, he’s added a series of guest vocalists to the mix, touching on pop sensibilities with an eclectic mix of originals …
Recorded in 1989, Is That You? is very much a studio session, making ample use of overdubs and Bill Frisell’s highly selective doubling on bass, banjo, ukulele, and clarinet, as well as his usual guitars. Producer Wayne Horvitz adds keyboards and some drum programming, with Joey Baron playing drums and Dave Hofstra appearing occasionally on tuba and electric …
Made up of seasoned players like Jimmy Herring from the Aquarium Rescue Unit, former Santana bassist Alfonso Johnson, and Dixie Dregs alums keyboardist T Lavitz and drummer Rod Morgenstein, Jazz Is Dead doesn’t function so much as a Grateful Dead cover band than as an outfit that uses Dead gems as jumping-off points for a sonic journey that …
Jazz isn’t really dead, it’s just looking back at the songbook and spirit of America’s favorite jam band, the Grateful Dead. Featuring an all-star cast of instrumentalists including drummer Billy Cobham, bassist Alfonso Johnson, guitarist Jimmy Herring, and keyboardist T Lavitz, Jazz Is Dead reconstructs the Dead’s songbook into a showcase for jazz-rock-fusion virtuosos. Interpreting classic tunes like …
With this eponymous effort, guitarist Charlie Hunter continues the minimalist studio experimentation that he and percussionist Leon Parker spun together on the 1999 album, Duo. This time, though, the pair has expanded the concept to include a trio of percussionists. There’s also Josh Roseman on trombone and Peter Apfelbaum on tenor saxophone on several tracks. The drum section …
A thriving band of experienced groove tradesman led by Chicago saxophonist Mars Williams, Liquid Soul meld hardcore funk, hip-hop, R&B, and what was once called acid-jazz into a steaming potpourri of modern dance music. The band consistently embrace new, turntable-infested rhythm collisions and old bop classics with equal enthusiasm. A guest scat by fellow Chicago bohemian Kurt Elling …
Galactic has always known how to serve up the old-school Crescent City funk in all of its rump-shaking glory, and every stop on their endless string of marathon shows only tightens them up another notch. Late for the Future, their third record, builds on their solid funk foundation and stands as their most ambitious, assertive, and sonically interesting …
Jazz bassist Victor Wooten has become a living legend in the modern jazz scene. As a member of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, he has been astounding audiences for years. As a solo artist he makes records that are deeply musical and technically breathtaking. His latest effort, Wooten’s latest release, Yin Yang is a 2-CD set: Yin is …
The newest installment of Road Trips, titled “From Egypt With Love”, is culled from the Dead’s five-night run at Winterland a month after they returned from their triumphant journey to Cairo. Each night, the band treated hometown fans to a slide-show of their travels. At two of the concerts, Hamza El Din joined the Dead for versions of …
Somewhere between Jamiroquai, Brand New Heavies and Incognito: a dangerous cocktail of creative, sophisticated funk-Montreal International Jazz Festival 98 …Inspired by the likes of the Brand New Heavies, Stevie Wonder and Jamiroquoi, Belizbeha not only cuts tracks with hip-hop flavor thanks to MC Fattie Bumballattie, but they also go velvety smooth and sweetly sophisticated thanks to the …