So I started this mornings birthday reviews at All About Jazz by looking for a younger jazz artists and one that caught my eye because of his name was Goh Kurosawa. I went to his page at All About Jazz where I read:
So last night I visit MOG and jumped around checking out jazz musicians, it started with Walter Smith III Live in Paris which led to bassist Hans Glawischnig led to Antonio Sanchez, who actually appears in my library as he is part of Gary Burton’s Quartet and appears on his album Quartet Live. Antonio in turn led to Ari Hoenig.…Reading Hoenig’s biography at Wikipedia I saw that…..
So last night as I was checking the New Prog Rock releases for November one of the band names that caught my attention was Shamall (Shamal, which loosely translates as “hot desert wind”) and their new album Turn Off Parts One and Two. Along with the name the two things that made the band more interesting is that they are from Germany and their sub-genre is listed as Neo-Prog. Based on past listens I usually like bands that fit into this sub-genre!! Tonight when I visited the band Facebook page I read that they classify their music as “Rock with psychedelic and progressive elements” While Wikipedia says that the band’s “features music which is a fusion of progressive rock, electronic, rock, pop, and classical.”
I love checking list of people who have birthday on that day’s date, especially the list at All About Jazz. The list has led to my discovery of many artist that were previously unknown to me!! Yesterday such as I was introduced to the music of Daseul Kim and now today I have discovered a really great acoustic guitar player Guy Buttery. A quick listen to his most recent release told me that this musician from South Africa will soon have a spot in my music library. I will try to write more later, but for now here’s what some folks say about Guy’s music!!
At the top of the list of todays’ birthdays at All About Jazz was bassist Daseul Kim who was born on this date in 1986 in South Korea. Kim’s musical journey has taken him from that homeland of South Korea to a new home in New Jersey. After landing in the New York Metropolitan Area, Dasheul is quickly building his reputation as one of the most promising young bassists on the New York jazz scene. From his website:
So yesterday I was all excited because I saw a R Carlos Nakai and Will Clipman album that I had neve seen before Awakening the Fire. I downloaded it and gave it a listen last night and like of all of the work of these two masters – I love it! Nakai is a master of the Native American flute and Clipman is an extraordinary percussionist! What I learned this afternoon is that the album is from 1995!! Hell, its still great! Some information from Carlos’ website.
A review of the Roots Music Blues Chart this morning led me to the blues of , Eugene “Birdlegg” Pittman and his 2013 Dialtone release Birdlegg.(#38) Since 1980 Birdlegg has been playing the blues in and around Oakland, California with his band the Tight Fit Blues Band. The band’s lineup would change from time to time but regularly included Texas-born bass player and singer Country Pete McGill and even once featured legendary Chess session guitarist Luther Tucker. Through the years he often told folks:, “I don’t do floors, windows or shoes—I play the Oakland blues!”Birdlegg was named Blues Harmonica Player of the Year by the Bay Blues Society in 2004 While a many blues harpist try to mold their playing around the sound of Little Walter. Birdlegg goes back a little further in time and his muses are Sonny Boy Williamson (Rice Miller) and Sonny Terry – two of mu favorites!! I knew I liked his playing!! A few years ago after 35 years in the Bay Area Birdlegg packed his bags and moved to Texas. He reunited with his ex-wife, who he hadn’t seen in years and started playing around town. It didn’t take long for him to establish himself as a favorite on the Austin blues scene! From KXAN – Blues make a comeback on 6th St. 
So yesterday I wrote that as I was listening to Omer Avital’s Suite of the East, I was impressed y the trumpet playing of Avishai Cohen. Evidently I am not the only one impressed by his talent, as he was voted the rising star trumpeter in the 2012 Downbeat Jazz Critics Poll. Here’s some background on Avishai from Wikipedia:
So some times it takes me a couple of listens and also thinking about the music and what the musician is trying to accomplish to truly understanding and like an album. I believe that is the case with the latest release from bassist/composer Omer Avital Suite of the East I had never heard of this Israeli jazz bassist, composer and bandleader before the other day when his album showed up on my “Just for You” list on MOG. Here’s some background on Avital:
