Articles by: S. Victor Aaron

Vinyl

Jake Fryer/Bud Shank Quintet – In Good Company (2011)

photo: Gordon Sapsed by S. Victor Aaron Just before kickoff for the Fiesta Bowl played the other day between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Connecticut Huskies, the sad story was told about the starting UConn cornerback who was senselessly stabbed to death during the prior football season. The night beforeRead More

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Mike DiRubbo – Chronos (2011)

by S. Victor Aaron The beginning of the year is usually a quiet period for music releases. Coming on the heels of the frantic holiday shopping season and the various “best of (prior) year lists” that assist in yuletide purchasing decisions, you’d think there wouldn’t be anything worthwhile coming outRead More

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1980s Fusion Albums That Don’t Suck: Gimme Five

The late Don Grolnick made only one fusion record, but it was a real beaut. by S. Victor Aaron Ahhh, the 80s. Big hair, big synthesizer sounds and programmed beats. That didn’t just happen with pop and rock, some of these trends seeped into contemporary jazz, too. This was theRead More

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David Cook – Pathway (2010)

by S. Victor Aaron David Cook is a recent addition to the burgeoning young talent that’s filling up the roster at Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records, and like his new labelmates, this pianist comes to BJU Records with an abundance of experience. Already, he’s worked with Lizz Wright, Donny McCaslin, DennisRead More

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Forgotten series: Tab Benoit – Wetlands (2002)

By S. Victor Aaron Ten years before Wetlands, a young Cajun kid from Baton Rouge walked into a Houston studio and produced some of the most refreshingly honest rock-tinged swamp blues ever heard. Yet, one worried that Benoit would go the way of may bluesmen who’ve tasted success and eventuallyRead More

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One Track Mind: Gino Vannelli, "People Gotta Move" (1974)

by S. Victor Aaron “If that guy hits you, I’m not stopping to help you!” “Come on, people, MOVE!!!” “Get your @#$% out of my way!” My wife, God love her, gets a little impatient with her fellow motorists and often has these one-sided conversations with them from behind theRead More

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Forgotten series: Melvin Taylor – Dirty Pool (1997)

by S. Victor Aaron Electric blues guitarist Melvin Taylor had been sporadically recording solo albums for 20 years when Dirty Pool arrived — and was somehow just beginning to find fame. Already a hit in Europe, it had taken a steady run of performing in Chicago’s famed blues clubs toRead More

Vinyl

The Best of 2010, Part 5: Whack Jazz

Each of the year’s four Satoko Fujii records made our Best Of 2010 List. by Pico With the more accessible types of jazz out of the way in Part 3 and Part 4, this Best of 2010 series concludes with the least accessible stuff, the experimental and avant garde stuffRead More

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The Best of 2010, Part 4: Mainstream And Modern Jazz

Many relative newcomers like Sarah Wilson have brought a breath of fresh air to jazz this year. by Pico When scanning the landscape of jazz records from 2010, one thing is clear: there’s an awful lot of very skilled and talented jazz musicians out there today, and I would argueRead More

Vinyl

The Best of 2010, Part 3: Fusion Jazz

Upon reflecting back on the year, I’ve concluded that Torben Waldorff’s American Rock Beauty ranks up there among 2010’s finest fusion jazz records. by S. Victor Aaron It’s been a great year for fusion records, as there has been an abundance of new ideas and well-recycled old ideas. Moreover, there’sRead More