Kamasi Washington released "The Epic" in 2015. The 3 hour piece of art established him as the premiere young jazz musician in the world. Next month, Washington and his band will release "Heaven and Earth," a 2 and a half hour double album where disc 1 & 2 happen simultaneously in different planes, according to … Continue reading Kamasi Washington – Harmony of Difference
Curtis Mayfield at a small, intimate jazz club might be #1 on my dream concerts list. Direct your ears to how much these songs sound like their studio version. Curtis' songs always had sort of a live feel to them, and the band is so tight that this doesn't feel like it's possible that this … Continue reading Curtis Mayfield – Curtis/Live!
Supporting the music you love is important. Back in high school, I would download all my music for free and say, "They're rich, I'm broke, they don't need my money." Donuts by J Dilla changed my views on that. That album had such a profound effect on my life (that story is for a future … Continue reading Exploring My Vinyl Collection
A few times per year, a new album comes out that blows me away. This is one of them. Big, orchestral, instrumental jazz covers of Dr. Dre beats. I'm already 100% in. But the beauty of this release is the transitions between the beats that kick in and bring us back to the 90s. On … Continue reading Sly5thAve – The Invisible Man
Happy Halloween everybody. Today, I give you, the perfect album to play for trick or treaters. Nina’s voice has always been terrifyingly beautiful, but 1988’s compilation, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” is music at it’s unintentionally creepiest. Spooky tracks include, “Strange Fruit,” “I Put A Spell On You,” “I Loves You, Porgy” and the title … Continue reading Nina Simone – Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
There were two albums released yesterday that don’t really fit into our criteria here, but are both very good and and were released by two of my favorite current artists. The First is Gregory Porter’s “Nat “King” Cole & Me.” I have recommended Porter’s last album here, so why is it off brand to recommend … Continue reading Two Off-Brand Recommendations
Give me an album and tell me it's a jazz band covering Memphis Soul, and I'm giving it a listen 100 out of 100 times. As foolproof as the idea sounds, there are a couple of pitfalls that needed to be avoided. 1. Can't goo to heavily jazz. Moving too far away from the original … Continue reading Dee Dee Bridgewater – Memphis …Yes, I’m Ready
