This track is just… beautiful. Muted trumpet, piano, double bass, and drums played with brushes no less! This is a slow tempo track that calls to mind a slow dance in a black and white film, in an empty club. Or the first dance at a wedding. I don’t know which, but this is stunning, …
Album Review: “Kairos” – Izumi Kimura and Gerry Hemingway. Words: Sammy Stein.
‘Kairos’ is the new release from Izumi Kimura and Gerry Hemingway. Kimura is a pianist, originally from Japan, but now residing in Ireland. She has released several recordings, notably with contrabassist Barry Guy, trumpet player Artur Majewski (Vasco Trilla, Foton Quartet), and drummers Ramon Lopez and Gerry Hemingway. Much of Kimura’s work focuses on the …
Album Review: “The Ages” – Richard Davies. Words: Sammy Stein.
The Ages | Richard Davies (bandcamp.com) Richard Davies has followed up ‘A Pagan Landscape’ and ‘Travel Without Movement‘ with another interesting and thematic release with ‘The Ages.’ Exploring combinations of sounds, Davies extends his curiosity through a series of tracks, creating a mesmeric and at times, thoroughly absorbing album. The tracks are titled simple RD …
Single Review: “I Wish You Well” – Chidi Digital and ROT8TIONS
This is an instrumental of sublime levels… The drums are dusty and warm, reminding you of old jazz records, fused with a vinyl crackle, and it just whisks me back to listening to records on a really good hi fi system, it just sounds so natural. You can’t always get that with a sample of …
Single Review: “I Get Around” – Beach Boys
For my throwback track review I thought I’d go back to the 1960s. On July 4th 1964 The Beach Boys began a two week run on the US singles chart with this song. This is probably the first Beach Boys record I ever heard, on a dusty TDK tape in 1989 that a friend of …
Live Review: Too Many Zooz, London Jazz Cafe 3rd July 2023. Words: Sammy Stein.
Too Many Zooz are NYC-based trio Leo Pelligrino on baritone sax, Matt Muirhead on trumpet, and David Parks on drums. London’s Jazz Café was the perfect venue for the trio, the crowd was enthusiastic, and the space was large, packed, and atmospheric. After the first set by pianist/rapper Harvey White who topped his piano playing, …
Single Review: “Loud Love” – Iris Harley. Words: Sammy Stein.
Iris Harley is a vocalist who has been influenced by iconic figures like Nat King Cole and Ella Fitzgerald. Following her dream to express her feelings in music and lyrics, she began writing her own songs. Her previous release, the wonderfully fluid ‘Love Your Vibe’ (well worth checking out on Bandcamp – see link below) …
Blog interview: Becky Crosby
Hi Becky! How are you? I’m good! It’s been a couple of busy weeks, but I’ve been having a fun time with my single release, birthday show and the warm weather really kicking in! Congratulations on the release of “Love Like Medicine.” How does it feel? Thank you! It feels great to be able to …
Single Review: “In My Veins” – Carol Jarvis
This track is nothing short of a banger. It starts off as an EDM track, quite slow, with atmospheric sounds…. Then at 0:49 the trombone played so beautifully comes in… This melody has been stuck in my head since I heard it! At 1:23 the solo really kicks in, ushering a funky bass line as …
Single Review: “I Do” – Jerry Barnes
This is the new single from the man who holds down the bottom end of Chic’s sound. And it’s so good. Fusing hard hitting four on the floor beats held together with a big reverbed clap, with a house piano, and bouncy bass lines this track is so catchy! The vocals are in the falsetto …