{"id":10009,"date":"2016-01-27T05:30:04","date_gmt":"2016-01-27T05:30:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=10009"},"modified":"2016-02-04T17:18:51","modified_gmt":"2016-02-04T17:18:51","slug":"hundred-word-reviews-january-2016-blues-and-jazz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2016\/01\/27\/hundred-word-reviews-january-2016-blues-and-jazz\/","title":{"rendered":"Hundred-word Reviews January 2016: Blues and Jazz"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>My week-long march through my backlog continues today with quick looks at five new albums in the jazz and\/or blues idioms. No! Wait! Come back! Seriously, these are way cool.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9994\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/micke_bjorklof.jpg\" alt=\"micke_bjorklof\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/micke_bjorklof.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/micke_bjorklof-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/micke_bjorklof-65x65.jpg 65w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B00TTZPXVI&amp;asins=B00TTZPXVI&amp;linkId=N5A4QHYBSWQ7OW3P&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><br \/>\n<\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Micke Bjorklof &amp; Blue Strip \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Ain&#8217;t Bad Yet<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nFinland: Home of the blues. Right? Well, of course not. But this Finnish group \u2013 led by vocalist and harmonica player (and occasional guitarist) <b>Micke Bjorklof<\/b> \u2013 sounds as if they&#8217;ve ingested plenty of Mississippi delta ambience. As I&#8217;ve commented many times before, contemporary blues as a genre tends to leave me unimpressed; it&#8217;s usually too sterile, reverent, or simply unimaginative. None of those criticisms can reasonably be leveled at this outfit. The production \u2013 by <b>John Porter<\/b>, mostly at Rockfield Studios in Wales \u2013 is first-rate, capturing that live feel so essential to the blues. Highly recommended modern blues.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9993\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/dave_weld.jpg\" alt=\"dave_weld\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/dave_weld.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/dave_weld-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/dave_weld-65x65.jpg 65w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B011J7C9R4&amp;asins=B011J7C9R4&amp;linkId=DSIX5FXD6KFJVGMJ&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><br \/>\n<\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Dave Weld &amp; the Imperial Flames \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Slip Into a Dream<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nSeeing the Chicago-based Delmark Records imprint on an album is often a solid indicator that the music contained therein is worth a serious listen. A spin of <i>Slip Into a Dream<\/i> only reinforces that point of view. Slide guitarist <b>Dave Weld<\/b> tears into thirteen original tunes, cowritten with vocalist <b>Monica Myrhe<\/b>. High-octane guitar work, rock-sold blues backing, and assured vocals from Weld and Myrhe make this an enjoyable listen, start to finish. If there&#8217;s any criticism of the disc \u2013 and it&#8217;s a mild one \u2013 is that at over an hour, it seems to go on a bit long.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9992\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/christian_mcbride.jpg\" alt=\"christian_mcbride\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/christian_mcbride.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/christian_mcbride-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/christian_mcbride-65x65.jpg 65w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B012BN2YQG&amp;asins=B012BN2YQG&amp;linkId=Y7ZBJ7XF4BGTAMT6&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><br \/>\n<\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Christian McBride Trio \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Live at the Village Vanguard<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nThis live date captures all of the excitement and spontaneity of live performance with the pristine production values usually only afforded by proper studios. Upright bassist <b>Christian McBride<\/b> and his associates \u2013 <b>Christian Sands<\/b> on piano, and drummer <b>Ulysses Owens Jr.<\/b> \u2013 deliver the goods on this uptempo, blowing set of eight instrumental tunes. A piano-led reading of <b><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?s=wes+montgomery\">Wes Montgomery<\/a><\/b>&#8216;s \u201cFried Pies\u201d kicks things off, and it&#8217;s nonstop delight through a mix of originals, standards, and left-field covers (a fun reading of <b>Norman Whitfield<\/b>&#8216;s \u201cCar Wash\u201d). The dynamic interplay between the members of this trio is thrilling and supremely tuneful.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9991\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/symphonic_jazz.jpg\" alt=\"symphonic_jazz\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/symphonic_jazz.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/symphonic_jazz-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/symphonic_jazz-65x65.jpg 65w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B010DDIDQG&amp;asins=B010DDIDQG&amp;linkId=WS7LOEML6LKRHFIJ&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><br \/>\n<\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Symphonic Jazz Orchestra \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Looking Forward, Looking Back<\/b><\/i><br \/>\nIf you&#8217;re like me, you see the words \u201cSymphonic Jazz Orchestra\u201d and you think, \u201cuh-oh. Inaccessible, highbrow stuff.\u201d Well, you and I, we&#8217;re wrong. This is sweeping orchestral jazz, with all of the majesty and grace of classical, but the adventurousness of contemporary jazz. If you enjoy <b><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2013\/07\/02\/album-review-duke-ellington-rare-live-recordings-1952-53\/\">Duke Ellington<\/a><\/b>&#8216;s more ambitious compositions, you may well dig this. This project began under the guidance of co-musical director and composer <b><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2015\/12\/09\/box-set-review-george-duke-the-era-will-prevail\/\">George Duke<\/a><\/b>, though the keyboardist didn&#8217;t live to enjoy its completion. Three long pieces \u2013 each with movements \u2013 comprise the disc, including a reading of <b>George Gershwin<\/b>&#8216;s immortal \u201cRhapsody in Blue.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-9990\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/sunra_babylon.jpg\" alt=\"sunra_babylon\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/sunra_babylon.jpg 300w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/sunra_babylon-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/sunra_babylon-65x65.jpg 65w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" style=\"float: right; padding: 10px; width: 120px; height: 240px;\" src=\"\/\/ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com\/widgets\/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&amp;OneJS=1&amp;Operation=GetAdHtml&amp;MarketPlace=US&amp;source=ss&amp;ref=ss_til&amp;ad_type=product_link&amp;tracking_id=musoscribe-20&amp;marketplace=amazon&amp;region=US&amp;placement=B00VXWO3ZW&amp;asins=B00VXWO3ZW&amp;linkId=KWPP7SOL6FW3FAHQ&amp;show_border=true&amp;link_opens_in_new_window=true\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\"><br \/>\n<\/iframe><br \/>\n<b>Sun Ra Arkestra \u2013 <\/b><i><b>Babylon Live<\/b><\/i><br \/>\n<b><a href=\"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2014\/05\/22\/album-review-sun-ra-a-space-odyssey\/\">Sun Ra<\/a><\/b> departed this dimension in 1993, but under the direction of longtime associate <b>Marshall Allen<\/b>, his <b>Arkestra<\/b> continues its musical exploration of music&#8217;s outer reaches. Very much in line with the kind of things you&#8217;d hear on Ra&#8217;s albums, <i>Babylon Live<\/i> captures the ensemble in Istanbul, Turkey, a city that loves it some Sun Ra. This date took place May 21, 2014, and was expertly recorded (the bonus audio disc included in the package) and filmed (the DVD). In a departure from convention \u2013 this is Sun Ra, after all \u2013 the DVD has more music than the CD.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>My week-long march through my backlog continues today with quick looks at five new albums in the jazz and\/or blues idioms. No! Wait! Come back! Seriously, these are way cool. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9990,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,40,42,49,65],"tags":[2595,2598,660,2561,2597,2083,2596],"class_list":["post-10009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blues","category-instrumental","category-jazz","category-new-release","category-review","tag-christian-mcbride","tag-dave-weld","tag-delmark","tag-george-duke","tag-micke-bjorklof","tag-sun-ra","tag-symphonic-jazz-orchestra","cat-9-id","cat-40-id","cat-42-id","cat-49-id","cat-65-id","has_thumb"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10009","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10009"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10009\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10183,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10009\/revisions\/10183"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9990"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10009"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10009"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10009"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}