Tagged: CD Picks

When it comes to music, you can easily get burned by judging a book by its cover.  In the case of The Cookers' Believe album, it is safe to follow your gut - the cover says it all as it lists the amazing artists that make up this fantastic group: Billy Harper, Eddie Henderson, David Weiss, Craig Handy, George Cables, Cecil McBee and Billy Hart.

Carson Cooman writes music as naturally as anyone I’ve heard. The number of his works is already approaching 1,000 for this just barely 30 composer, and represents every form, even multiple symphonies and operas. In addition to composing he is an excellent organist who frequently performs new music, and between editing organ and hymn music he is Composer in Residence for The Memorial Church, Harvard University.

Think you know your Verdi operas? With this month’s selection, featuring the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra with Jose Serebrier on the podium, you might be surprised at how much music Giuseppe Verdi wrote for his operas that is rarely heard in public today.

What would happen if an inventive jazz record label decided to blend a great singer of standard-pop ballads with an outstanding jazz pianist? The two artists would be on their own--no other musicians--just the two of them, performing a number of time-honored classics.

Well, there was such an occurrence in June of 1975, at the Fantasy Recording Studios in Berkeley, California, when and where Tony Bennett and Bill Evans were recorded. A better result could not have been imagined.

Vocalist and composer Gregory Porter has released his much-awaited sophomore album, Be Good, the follow-up to Water, which made huge waves in the jazz world in 2010.  Sophomore albums tend to make fans and critics a bit nervous due to expectation and anticipation, so I'll save you some time and anguish - Gregory, once again, delivers!  Strong musicianship, horn arrangements by Kamau Kenyatta, and Porter's booming, yet expressive voice, make this record a true crowd-pleaser.