Bluer Than Blue
shaun@blittzedmarketing.com October 1, 2024
O's Notes: Vocalist Sweet Megg started in New York and now resides in Nashville where she sings country, folk vocals backed by a swinging large ensemble with a jovial swagger on Bluer Than Blue. Billy Contreras (fiddle), Mike Davis (t), Ricky Alexander (cl, Sax), Chris Scruggs (lap steel, vocals), Dalton Ridenhour (p) and Dennis Crouch (b) make their presence known. The show is centered around Megg, and she sings her heart out. We’re not big country fans but this one caught our ear!
Knights of the Round Table
shaun@blittzedmarketing.com October 1, 2024
O's Notes: Madre Vaca is a band that started as a quartet in 2005 with guitarist Jarrett Carter, bassist Thomas Milovac, pianist Jonah Pierre and drummer/composer Benjamin Shorstein. They’ve evolved over the years to arrive with their fifth album, Knights of the Round Table. The current configuration is a large ensemble including horns and vocals. The music is jovial and engaging, centered around the days of Kings, Knights and swords. We enjoyed the title track, the spirited “Camelot”, tempered by Rebecca Shorstein’s vocals, “The Holy Grail”, the fleeting “Lancelot”, and “Merlin” featuring Carter. The titles may take us back in time, but the music is contemporary!
If a WHite Horse from Jerusalem
shaun@blittzedmarketing.com October 1, 2024
O's Notes: Soprano saxophonist David Liebman plays with the CNY Jazz Orchestra, that’s Central New York (Syracuse), in a historic session that was performed in 2011 celebrating the 15th Anniversary season of the orchestra. It was appreciated so much that there was a promise to record it! That promise comes to fruition here over a decade later after finally securing funding. The music speaks for itself, a delightful large ensemble with polished horns. If A White Horse From Jerusalem was ever needed, we could surely use it now, with all the harmony of this album!
Francesca
shaun@blittzedmarketing.com October 1, 2024
O's Notes: David Murray is a polished musician who successfully threads all elements of the African American music diaspora into a straight-ahead jazz, capped with his distinct tones on tenor sax and bass clarinet. Francesca is Murray’s latest release featuring his new quartet with Marta Sanchez (p), Luke Stewart (b), and Russell Carter (d). The accompanying youth keep his music fresh and relevant. There are seven originals and a cover of “Richard’s Tune” (Don Pullen). “Ninno” will appeal to contemporary jazz fans. We also enjoyed “Shenzhen”, a rich ballad.