TAKING A BREATHER

Greetings!

"Jazz...Or Something Like It" (meaning me) will be taking a break on October 20 & 27 (the press of other responsibilities, I'm afraid).

Meanwhile, I recommend to your attention a few wonderful new CDs that recently showed up in my mailbox.

The first is called "Harlem Mad" by the unusually named Glenn Crytzer and His Syncopators.  This wonderful album contains 20 Crytzer originals, composed and performed in the "vintage" style of 20's and 30's New Orleans/K.C.-influenced Big Bands.  As I recently wrote to Glenn, a few months back I heard the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in Philly playing a program that featured Dixieland and Roots Jazz, and the Syncopators could hold their own with them!  This band has serious chops, folks.  Check them out at: www.syncopators.net.

Another soon-to-be favorite CD is the new release from the Christian McBride Big Band.  It's "The Good Feeling" (Mr. McBride is, of course, a Philly guy), and it features some of his best work re-imagined for big band.  Christian truly shine as he steps away for the first time from his familiar ground as a small group leader.  Great playing all around, and don't miss some fine vocals by Melissa Walker.  Find out more (including hearing some samples) on the Mack Avenue Records site: http://www.mackavenue.com/artists/detail/christian_mcbride.

We'll certainly be playing both these CDs on upcoming shows.

See you in November.

October 13 - Playlist

Happy Birthday Art Blakey & Thelonious Monk (Art Tatum, too)!

Thelonious Monk - Nice Work If You Can Get It (Genius Of Modern Music Volume One)
Count Basie - Blues For Ilene (At The Sands)
Dave Brubeck - Someday My Prince Will Come (Everybody Wants To Be A Cat)*

Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers/Thelonious Monk - Evidence (Art Blakey & Thelonious Monk)
The Giants Of Jazz - Blue Monk (The Giants Of Jazz)

Art Tatum - Tea For Two (Piano Starts Here)
Charles Mingus - Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting (Blues & Roots)
Acoustic Alchemy - One For Shorty (Roseland)*

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Sincerely Diana (A Night In Tunisia)
Art Blakey - Infra-Rae (The Jazz Messengers)

Gary Burton - Common Ground (Common Ground)*
Stan Getz - Her (Focus)

Thelonious Monk Big Band - Four In One (In Concert)

Carmen McRae - Get It Straight (Carmen Sings Monk)
Wynton Marsalis - Let's Cool One (Marsalis Plays Monk)
Andy Summers - Bemsha Swing (Green Chimneys)

Michael Franks - Summer In New York (Time Together)*
Charlie Haden Quartet West with Norah Jones - Ill Wind (Sophisticated Ladies)
Frank Sinatra - Nice Work If You Can Get It (The Complete Reprise)

* indicates Recent Release

October 6 - Playlist

Dave Brubeck Quartet - Love Is Just Around the Corner (Park Avenue South)
Tommy Flanagan - Sunset & The Mockingbird (A Great Night In Harlem)

FEATURE ARTIST - One

Lynn Stein - Alone Together (Softly)*
Lynn Stein - Only Trust Your Heart (Softly)
Lynn Stein - I'll Be Around (Softly)

Modern Jazz Quartet - Django (Three Windows)
Roberta Gambarini/Andrea Donati - 12:00 A.M. (Under Italian Skies)

FEATURE ARTIST - Two

Stanley Jordan - Giant Steps (Friends)*
Stanley Jordan - Bathed In Light (Friends)

Sonny Rollins with Roy Hargrove - I Can't Get Started (Road Trips, Vol. 2)*
Miles Davis/Herbie Hancock - Circle (The Essential Herbie Hancock)

FEATURE ARTIST - Three

Christian McBride Big Band - Shake 'N Blake (The Good Feeling)*
Christian McBride Big Band -In A Hurry (The Good Feeling)

Bill Barron - Men At Work (Modern Windows Suite)
Bill Evans - Some Other Time (Time Remembered)

THE VOCALISTS

Johnny Winter - Drown In My Own Tears (Johnny Winter)
Cassandra Wilson - Blackbird (Silver Pony)
Frank Sinatra - Love Is Just Around the Corner (The Complete Reprise)

* indicates Recent Release