Here's an from today's Star Ledger about Jackie McLean's group with Garchan Moncour at the Iridum in New York City.
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Here's an from Ben Ratliff in the New York Times about a recent McCoy Tyner concert featuring Pharoah Sanders and Ravi Coltrane.
An excerpt:
The set opened with Mr. [McCoy Tyner]'s ''Angelina,'' and right away the band established momentum. Mr.
[Eric Harland] is an exact, firm-tempo drummer, filling in rolling, popping details through the width of the groove, but making them surge and ebb and function as dramatic elements. He locked in with Mr. Tyner, pushing him, and then began a long drum solo, building up drum chants and pressing hard on the groove, making it rock.
Next [Ravi Coltrane], who is John's son, and Mr. [Pharoah Sanders] appeared, establishing a pattern that lasted through several pieces: Mr. Sanders played torrentially, Mr.
Coltrane shrewdly.
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Dead Cat Bounce - Home Speaks to the Wandering (Innova, 2004)
Dead Cat Bounce is a somewhat alarming name for a jazz band -
especially for this lover of four legged felines.
But nonetheless,
their music is a wonderfully upbeat mixture of hardbop and free jazz
with a four horn front line. Their music is exuberant, full of life and
humor which recalls if nothing else the gospel infused splendor of
Charles Mingus' Atlantic recordings.
Both the ensemble playing and the soloing on this record are
excellent.
The band's compositions show a strong flair for irreverence
and humor. Their composition "Hepcat Revival" might be the most Mingus
like performance on the whole disc, with vocal exhortations
encouraging the soloists to take flight like the great man did on
"Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting." There are some more interesting
tongue in cheek titles as well, like "Angelic and Podlike" and
"Department of Homeland Strategery" (sic).
That Dead Cat Bounce is able to keep their sense of humor without
being reduced to a parody of themselves is a feather in their cap.
This is an excellent disc by a band that deserves close scrutiny.
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Streaming Osby
Thanks to the Organissimo for this heads up: Blue Note's is streaming three tracks from the new Greg Osby live album Public, which is being released next Tuesday. Here's the blurb:
Album Info
Greg Osby - Public
Saxophonist Greg Osby has gathered an amazing all-star cast of musicians including vocalist Joan Osborne and trumpeter Nicholas Payton.
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