the jazz page
Page One.

Back To The Beginning


The Jazz Page.com started almost a decade ago as a single page newsletter reviewing 4 music releases each month. We went online in February of 2004. Through server issues and other issues we lost much of what we have spent the previous years creating. But out of difficulties good can emerge and we definitely feel that the time away has been of benefit. We strongly believe that this is the perfect time to make our return to publishing with the advent of new technology.

We will publish a new review every week in the Raves section. Sometimes the product reviewed will be current, while at other times we will be profiling a release that we think is noteworthy enough to bring it to your attention, even if it is not of recent.

The Faves section is devoted to the great jazz older and some times that are our favorite jazz recordings of all-time.

We'll be adding material to Conversations section of the site soon. This part of the site is dedicated to recorded interview with jazz artists. You'll be able to listen to them on the site or you'll be able to download these podcasts in MP3 form for listening whenever and however it's convenient for you. 

The point of this site is touting music we like, not trashing music we don't like, so to paraphrase the tagline of the site reads, if it's here, we think it should be in your collection.

 

2010 Grammy Nominations: Jazz

Below are the nominees for Grammy Awards in the Jazz categories, with some commentaries from us in green

Best Contemporary Jazz Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)


Urbanus
Stefon Harris & Blackout
[Concord Jazz]
Nice pick. We like it.

Sounding Point
Julian Lage
[Emarcy/Decca]
We hear much good. Have his CD and will review soon.

At World's Edge
Philippe Saisse
[E1 Music]
Also a good pick

Big Neighborhood
Mike Stern
[Heads Up International]
Never got a chance to hear this one. Though we like Mike.


75
Joe Zawinul & The Zawinul Syndicate
[Heads Up International]
Probably the sentimental favorite in this category



Best Jazz Vocal Album
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of VOCAL tracks.)


No Regrets
Randy Crawford (& Joe Sample)
[PRA Records]


Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman
Kurt Elling
[Concord Jazz]
This man is so overdue for a Grammy he should have a half dozen by now and yet this would be his first.


So In Love
Roberta Gambarini
[Groovin' High/Emarcy]
Love her voice. A Real Pro.


Tide
Luciana Souza
[Verve]
Love her work as well. Though we didn't get a chance to review this CD

Desire
Tierney Sutton (Band)
[Telarc Jazz]
Tierney's always a solid performer.

Best Improvised Jazz Solo
(For an instrumental jazz solo performance. Two equal performers on one recording may be eligible as one entry. If the soloist listed appears on a recording billed to another artist, the latter's name is in parenthesis for identification. Singles or Tracks only.)


Dancin' 4 Chicken
Terence Blanchard, soloist
Track from: Watts (Jeff “Tain" Watts)
[Dark Key Music]


All Of You
Gerald Clayton, soloist
Track from: Two-Shade
[ArtistShare]


Ms. Garvey, Ms. Garvey
Roy Hargrove, soloist
Track from: Emergence
[Groovin' High/Emarcy]


On Green Dolphin Street
Martial Solal, soloist
Track from: Live At The Village Vanguard
[CamJazz]


Villa Palmeras
Miguel Zenn, soloist
Track from: Esta Plena
[Marsalis Music]

Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group
(For albums containing 51% or more playing time of INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)

Quartet Live
Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow & Antonio Sanchez
[Concord Jazz]
I hear this one all the time. Great quartet


Brother To Brother
Clayton Brothers
[ArtistShare]



Five Peace Band -- Live
Chick Corea & John McLaughlin Five Peace Band
[Concord Records]



Remembrance
John Patitucci Trio
[Concord Jazz]


The Bright Mississippi
Allen Toussaint
[Nonesuch]
Probably should win the award.


Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
(For large jazz ensembles, including big band sounds. Albums must contain 51% or more INSTRUMENTAL tracks.)


Legendary
Bob Florence Limited Edition
[MAMA Records]
Bob is extremely prolific


Eternal Interlude
John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble
[Sunnyside]



Fun Time
Sammy Nestico And The SWR Big Band
[Hnssler Classic]

Book One
New Orleans Jazz Orchestra
[World Village]



Lab 2009
University Of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band
[North Texas Jazz]


Best Latin Jazz Album
(Vocal or Instrumental.)



Things I Wanted To Do
Chembo Corniel
[Chemboro Records]

urea
Geoffrey Keezer
[ArtistShare]


Brazilliance X 4
Claudio Roditi
[Resonance Records]
Very likely winner


Juntos Para Siempre
Bebo Valdes And Chucho Valdes
[Sony Music/Calle 54]


Esta Plena
Miguel Zenon
[Marsalis Music]


Best Instrumental Composition
(A Composer's Award for an original composition (not an adaptation) first released during the Eligibility Year. Singles or Tracks only.)



Borat In Syracuse
Paquito D'Rivera, composer (Paquito D'Rivera Quintet)
Track from: Jazz-Clazz
[Timba Records]


Counting To Infinity
Tim Davies, composer (Tim Davies Big Band)
Track from: Dialmentia
[Origin Records]



Fluffy
Bob Florence, composer (Bob Florence Limited Edition)
Track from: Legendary
[MAMA Records]


Ice-Nine
Steve Wiest, composer (University Of North Texas One O'Clock Lab Band)
Track from: Lab 2009
[North Texas Jazz]



Married Life (From Up)
Michael Giacchino, composer (Michael Giacchino)
Track from: Up Soundtrack
[Walt Disney Records]

Best Instrumental Arrangement
(An Arranger's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)


Emmanuel
Jeremy Lubbock, arranger (Chris Botti & Lucia Micarelli)
Track from: In Boston
[Columbia]


Hope
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Jim Beard With Vince Mendoza & The Metropole Orchestra)
Track from: Revolutions
[Sunny Side Records]


Slings And Arrows
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Chuck Owen & The Jazz Surge)
Track from: The Comet's Tail: Performing The Compositions Of Michael Brecker
[MAMA Records]



Up With End Credits (From Up)
Michael Giacchino, arranger (Michael Giacchino)
Track from: Up Soundtrack
[Walt Disney Records]



West Side Story Medley
Bill Cunliffe, arranger (Resonance Big Band)
Track from: Resonance Big Band Plays Tribute To Oscar Peterson
[Resonance Records]




Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
(An Arranger's Award. (Artist names appear in parentheses.) Singles or Tracks only.)


A Change Is Gonna Come
David Foster & Jerry Hey, arrangers (Seal)
Track from: Soul
[143/Warner Bros.]



Dedicated To You
Laurence Hobgood, arranger (Kurt Elling)
Track from: Dedicated To You: Kurt Elling Sings The Music Of Coltrane And Hartman
[Concord Jazz]



In The Still Of The Night
Thomas Zink, arranger (Anne Walsh)
Track from: Pretty World
[AtoZink Music]




My One And Only Thrill
Vince Mendoza, arranger (Melody Gardot)
Track from: My One And Only Thrill
[Verve]




Quiet Nights
Claus Ogerman, arranger (Diana Krall)
Track from: Quiet Nights
[Verve]

 

Review Lizz Wright Live @ Alys Steven Center - Birmingham


On Friday, October 23,2009, I had the great pleasure of seeing Lizz Wright perform live at Alys Stephen Center in Birmingham, Alabama. Wright walked on to the stage in bare feet and a hypnotically, radiant red dress to a tremendous ovation . She told the audience of approximately 200 people, "It's really good to be here in Birmingham. I really mean it. I'm not a person that just says that. It is really good to be here." She spoke of spending a nice afternoon walking around in the Five Points area.

With that the music began, Ms. Wright removed her earrings and what followed was 2 hours of pure artistry and sonic amazement, with the acoustics of the theater and Wright's voice  in total agreement.

The setlist for the evening covered a broad swath of the singer's three albums, plus a soulful version of  the classic "C.C. Rider". Wright's performance of "I Idolize You" was as seductive as the dress she wore. There was a noticeable roar of approval when the band launched into the title track of her first album recording Salt . In fact, there was quite a bit of interaction between singer and audience throughout the show. For her version of Sweet Honey In The Rock's "Hey Mann", Wright picked up a guitar from the stand to play when a female audience member yelled out in delight, to which the singer playfully quipped "Don't get your hopes up!"

Wright's band included David Cook on piano and organ, Robin Macatangay on guitars, Nicholas D’Amato on bass, and Brannen Temple on drums. Macatangay was tremendous throughout on his solos. Cook's could be seen shaking his head in amazement at Wright's command and control performance throughout the evening.

After the show, a huge ovation and the perfectly chosen Led Zeppelin tune "Thank You" as an encore, many in the audience who gathered in the lobby seemed stunned by what they had just witnessed. One patron standing in line to buy Wright's CD at a table, commented, "I feel like I underpaid", while one woman whose first introduction to Wright's music was that night wondered aloud "Why haven't heard of her before? She's incredible!" The evening would get even more so as words came that Wright would be coming to the lobby to meet members of the audience and sign autographs. 

Wright and her band were as gracious in meeting the audience and there is humble regality to the singer that can not be ignored. It can honestly be said that Wright's noted feeling of appreciation for being in Birmingham on one rainy night in late October was more than mutual.

- D.Glenn Daniels

 

Bill Boynton

November 19, 2009


Four years ago this month, both the world of jazz, and I lost a good friend.

Bill Boynton was the host and flamekeeper of jazz from noon to 6PM every Sunday on WVAS a public radio station on the campus of Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama. Bill was the most jovial guy I ever knew, but also one of the most conversant on ANY subject. I would often go to see Bill on Sunday afternoon, often times to take him some new music I might have become aware of. Whenever I'd go to see Bill, I'd have to plan to spend 30 minutes there. We might start out talking jazz, mover from there to sports, to politics to computer technology and some hilariously bad B-movies that he wanted me to check out. You can't do all that in an hour, that was at LEAST two hours.

Bill was addicted to NPR (National Public Radio). The hours we spent (laughing) about some segment on Car Talk or A Prairie Home Companion were too numerous to count. I remember once asking Bill if he had heard a Celtic band on radio show that aired on the station on Friday nights and he replied, "Yeah, man. Weren't they jammin'?" You don't get many friends you can connect with like that

It's too long and involved a story for this session, but Bill had a indirect role in my moving to Montgomery. The city does not feel the same without his presence. He made the whole city a little bit brighter. This city misses, Jazz misses, and I miss Bill Boynton.

We dedicate the re-dedication of The Jazz Page to our late, great friend.

- D.Glenn Daniels