CHUCK LOEB - UNSPOKEN
Loeb's new CD
"Unspoken" is coming out September 30th and the 1st
single "Cotton Club" is out and climbing the charts quickly. The CD of 10
new original compositions features some of the finest musicians in the world,
and I am blessed to call them some of my dearest friends & family: Nathan
East, Will Lee, Brian Culbertson, Everette Harp, Jeff Lorber, Eric Marienthal,
Andy Snitzer, Till Brönner, Carmen Cuesta, Lizzy Cuesta & Christina Loeb,
Mitchel Forman, Michael Thompson, Ron 'Buttercup' Jenkins, Tom Kennedy, Pat
Bianchi, Brian Dunne, Gary Novak, Joel Rosenblatt, David Mann, Mike Davis, Tony
Kadleck and mixed by the amazing Phil Magnotti. The CD will be premiered on
www.smoothjazz.com a week or so before the release date.
T
The
Frightnrs have plenty more to say here – and they say it in a really
sharp-edged approximation of older rocksteady modes! The group are
contemporary, but like the best acts on Daptone, they've got an instantly
classic feel – thanks to instrumentation and production that take us right back
to late 60s Kingston, but with some of the sharper funky currents we've come to
expect from the label! And while The Frightnrs may pitch themselves as an old
school reggae act, they're also one that have a heavy dose of soul – almost a
late night New Jersey current to their music at times – as if the All
Platinum/Stang label put out their own version of Jamaican soul. The approach
is great, and very unique – and titles include "Hey Brother",
"Gotta Find A Way", "What Have I Done", "Nothing More
To Say", "All My Tears", "Purple",
"Dispute", and "Till Then". ~ Dusty Groove
TIM RAY TRIO
– WINDOWS
McCoy Tyner,
Chick Corea, Duke Ellington and Horace Silver are but a handful of the geniuses
that pianist Tim Ray (Lyle Lovett, Gary Burton) pays loving tribute to on
Windows, a marvelous collection of trio music featuring John Lockwood (bass) and
Mark Walker (drums). And the list goes
on: Monk, Jarrett, Hancock…Ray is clearly beholden to his heroes, but also
brave enough to step outside he homage to make his own way, as evidenced by a
couple of originals he includes here, written with Lockwood. Ray handles all the arrangements, and all are
beautifully improvised and artfully interplayed, as you would expect from such
a talented bunch. Ray, Lockwood, and
Walker have logged some miles together, not to mention ample studio
sessions. Most recently, the trio can be
heard on Greg Abate’s Motif and Kindred Spirits, by Abate and featuring the
late Phil Woods. A tip of the fedora to
these inimitable artists. Windows is a
fitting tribute to transcendent, piano-forged material. Ray knows the way well enough to drive around
a bit, test the roads, and open it up on a straightaway. All we can do then is enjoy the ride.
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