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Al Grey
Trombonist Al Grey was famous as "the last of the big time plungers," for his mastery at using a plumber's plunger to manipulate the color of his instrument. The result was a soulful quality that sounds as if he's singing the blues. Grey rose to prominence as a soloist and gifted accompanist to singers, particularly on bluesy numbers. His unique style developed over years spent playing with many great bands
Source: NPRTags
Paul Quinichette: Like Basie
by C. Andrew Hovan
Like any business concerned with making a profit, the record industry has often resorted to questionable concepts, tributes, or other hooks to lure more costumers to their product. Currently we find ourselves in an era where the quality of original music is arguably on the decline, thus it has become even more prevalent to use nostalgia as a selling point. While ghost bands and one-off tributes may be a way to bring a new audience to the music of some ...
read morePaul Quinichette & His Basie-ites: Like Basie
by Nic Jones
Like Basie has already seen the light of day in the CD era as an OJC release, but given its qualities, its reappearance here is welcome anyway. Paul Quinichette's career was perhaps more dogged than aided by the lazy Vice-Pres" tag that was placed upon him because of his stylistic allegiance to Lester Young. As ever the details of the matter were somewhat different. His work was in fact rhythmically far less oblique, whilst the timbre of his playing was ...
read moreTony Bennett: Sings Ellington Hot And Cool
by C. Michael Bailey
All Class. In the end, there was Tony Bennett. Oft quoted and making a rock-hard point, Frank Sinatra once mused that Bennett was the finest male vocalist performing. And here in arguably the Autumn of his years is Bennett, performing at a new career height. Sings Ellington Hot and Cool is the fourth in a successful series of discs focusing exclusively on contemporaries of Bennett. These releases include 1992’s Perfectly Frank Frank Sinatra, Columbia 52965); 1993’s Steppin’ Out (Fred Astaire, ...
read moreAl Grey: Matzoh and Grits
by Arthur C. Bourassa
Exactly My Sentiments" is a good start to this new release by Al Grey’s group. Randolph Noel on piano wrote the tune and he does shine on it. Most musicians do their best on tunes they write; this tune is no exception. Joe Cohn gives a spirited performance on this tune and A Day in the Life of a Fool." Everyone gets a chance to show their stuff on Jumpin’ With Symphony Sid," especially Cleve Guyton on alto after an ...
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