Jason Palmer - Sweet Love: Jason Palmer Plays Anita Baker
Jason Palmer strikes an Anita Baker pose on the cover, and
takes on her music as well – but all in a jazz-based style that's completely
his own, and which follows up strongly on his tribute albums to Janell Monae
and Minnie Riperton! The group is nice and lean – a quartet with Domi Degalle
on piano, Max Ridley on bass, and Lee Fish on drums – and Palmer gets plenty of
space to voice his own interpretations of tunes from the Baker songbook –
numbers that have surprising depth when taken out into territory like this,
especially on all the very long readings, most of which push towards the ten
minute mark without losing any energy or imagination at all. Titles include
"Sweet Love", "No One In The World", "Angel",
"Same Ole Love", "Fairy Tales", and "Caught Up In The
Rapture". ~ Dusty Groove
Rich Perry - Other Matters
Rich Perry has a great way of shaping his sounds here –
sometimes rhythmically, sometimes more spatially – but all with a very distinct
approach to his work on the tenor! The group is open and as fluid as the leader
– Gary Versace on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, and John Riley on drums – all
great players, but clearly driven with a sensitivity to the needs of the
leader's tone, which is great – as Perry really commands a lot of attention,
but without ever hitting us over the head. Part of the strength of the set is
the material – all original compositions by Rich, which really suit his
approach – titles that include "Other Matters",
"Transparency", "Sono", "Neta", "Written
Image", and "Mndfl". ~
Dusty Groove
Dayme Arocena - Sonocardiogram
The best we've heard so far from Dayme Arocena – a Cuban
singer who's got a great way of reaching out from Havana with a sound that can circle
the globe! The music here has a blend of jazz, soul, and Cuban roots – but all
delivered together in a style that's completely unique and without cliche –
really showing a maturity in Dayme's vocals since the previous record, and in
her overall conception of a song! Instrumentation is by her core quartet,
recorded live and openly, in a really unfettered way that instantly matches the
spirit of Dayme's vocals too. The whole thing is tremendous – a record that
lives up to the truest promise of the Brownswood label – with titles that
include "Nangareo", "Porque Tu No Estas",
"Yemaya", "Plegaria A La Lupe", "Homenaje",
"Para El Amor Cantar", and "As Feridas". ~ Dusty Groove
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