The Jazz.com Blog
February 26, 2009 · 2 comments
The Best Jazz Tracks of the Month
Jazz.com’s critics have reviewed close to 300 tracks during the last month, but only a handful are recognized as Song of the Day. This regular feature is updated five times per week, and highlights an outstanding performance from a recent CD, with the aim of giving jazz fans a short list of top-notch new music worthy of their attention. Below are links to the reviews of the tracks honored as Song of the Day during February.
If you spend some time with these tracks, you will be struck by the diversity and unpredictability of the current jazz scene. Some examples:
• John Stetch is off in cartoon land, finding jazz inspiration in Elmer Fudd’s least favorite theme song.
• Drummer Mike Clark gathers together a diverse crew (e.g., he is joined by Patrice Rushen and Christian McBride in the rhythm section) in order to make heavy funk in an all-acoustic band. S. Victor Aaron writes: “makes you wonder why Fender bothered to create an electric bass.”
• Guitarist Nenad Gajin dishes out (in the words of Walter Kolosky) a heady mixture of “Serbian folk, city funk, R&B and fiery jazz-rock fusion” on a piece composed by Gajin along with keyboardist Bojan Zulfikarpasic (can I use that last name in Scrabble?).
• Today’s featured song is from the recent 75 CD by the late Joe Zawinul, and captures the keyboardist a few weeks before his death from cancer in a moving duet with Wayne Shorter. The song will be a familiar one to jazz fans: “In a Silent Way,” which Zawinul and Shorter had recorded with Miles back in 1969.
• Along the way, we find the latest offerings from well-known artists such as Benny Golson, Eliane Elias, Jeff “Tain” Watts and Derek Trucks.
As always, reviews come with a frank assessment of the proceedings, a ranking based on our proprietary 0-100 scale, full personnel and recording info and a link for (legal) downloading.
Featured Songs: February 2009
Joe Zawinul & Wayne Shorter: In a Silent Way
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Sarah DeLeo: Stolen Moments
Reviewed by Walter Kolosky
Miles Stiebel: Midnight Fifty
Reviewed by Scott Albin
Seamus Blake: Darn That Dream
Reviewed by Ralph A. Miriello
Nenad Gajin: Kec
Reviewed by Walter Kolosky
Eliane Elias: Chega de Saudade
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Doug Johns: Scrumpt
Reviewed by Scott Albin
Derek Trucks: Maybe This Time
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Ede Wright: Shangrila
Reviewed by Walter Kolosky
John Stetch: This Is It (Bugs Bunny)
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
La Tanya Hall: Bluesette
Reviewed by Walter Kolosky
Laïka: Strange Fruit
Reviewed by Thierry Quénum
Julia Hülsmann: Kiss From A Rose
Reviewed by Thierry Quénum
Jeff "Tain" Watts: Return of the Jitney Man
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Jason Rigby: The Archer
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Mike Clark: Loft Funk
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
David Dyson: Lovely One
Reviewed by Scott Albin
Marc Copland: Like It Never Was
Reviewed by Ralph A. Miriello
Benny Golson: Airegin
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
Neil Haverstick: Birdwalk
Reviewed by Scott Albin
This blog entry posted by Ted Gioia.
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brilliant idea. But it would be even better if, instead of only a song, you would do it for an entire CD. Better and certainly more useful for your readers. CONGRATULATIONS, and keep the beat!
Great for reference, would be better with sound samples.