The sound of Ricky Tick hits Schema Records – with a whole new groove in the process! Tenorist Timo Lassy has won our ears strongly with his previous records for Finnish label Ricky Tick – hardbop groovers that are filled with soul and life, and lots of spontaneous live jazz playing. This smoking Schema records set has all that same sort of energy – but shifts the groove slightly from hardbop to more of a mod sort of style – thanks to use of Wurlitzer electric piano in the combo, which helps bring along a jaunty approach to the rhythms! The vibe's a bit like an Atlantic Records soul jazz set from the late 60s – like work by David Newman or Hank Crawford – and Timo's tenor is in great company alongside the electric keys, acoustic bass, drums, and percussion. Titles include "Touch Red", "Teddy The Sweeper", "Creole Stew", "It Could Be Better", "Uncle Harry Came To Town", and "Shootin Dice". ~ Dusty Groove
Quite a compelling project from trumpeter Dave Douglas – a record that has him working strongly with singer/guitarist Aoife O'Donovan, whose presence really helps transform the sound of the set! Aoife's got a folksy touch on her vocals, and colors things in with some great earthy tones that are a surprisingly good fit for Douglas' lines on trumpet – sometimes jazzy, sometimes sparkling with a rich sense of American history – yet delivered in a subtle, linear way. The blend works a lot better than it sounds on paper – thanks to help from other musicians who include Jon Irabagon on tenor, Matt Mitchell on piano, Linda Oh on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums. Titles include "Barbara Allen", "Living Streams", "Be Still My Soul", "High On A Mountain", "God Be With You", and "This Is My Father's World". (Includes album download.) ~ Dusty Groove
An amazing collaboration between musicians from three different nations – recorded high in the mountains in Northern Italy – with an equally majestic sound to match! The album's especially noteworthy for being a great space for vocalist Cleveland Watkiss to really rediscover the jazz-based side of his talents – using his voice like an instrument, in ways we haven't always heard since his initial years of promise – and really impressing us with a new sort of righteous range and spiritual depth! Most of Watkiss' vocals are wordless, and flow beautifully amongst the piano from Antonio Figura, bass from Milko Ambrogini, drums from Ettore Fioravanti, and guitars from William Lenihan. The overall sound is mostly acoustic, without any of the processing from other recent Watkiss projects – and the tunes are all originals by the group, with a mix of slow modal grooves and open searching styles. Titles include "Synastry", "Modus", "Dear Mr Kuhn", "Innocenza Ritrovata", "Fiume Di Gennaio", "When The Dust Settles", and "My Little Effe". ~ Dusty Groove
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