The Jazz.com Blog
November 01, 2008 · 0 comments
21 Tracks to Check Out
I like to listen to new music every day, but even a jazz hound like me sometimes is overwhelmed by the sheer number of CDs on the market. Certainly there is no shortage of new recorded jazz. I have heard several hundred new CDs so far this year, but sometimes I feel as if I am only scratching the surface. Fortunately, the other reviewers at jazz.com have checked out many projects I haven’t had a chance to assess. Our combined efforts allow us to keep our fingers on the pulse of the current jazz scene.
But this glut of CDs makes it very difficult for the casual jazz fan to know which of the many new releases are most deserving of their attention. For this reason, jazz.com highlights a Song of the Day five times per week. A fan who listens to these tracks—around twenty songs featured each month, equivalent to a couple hours of music—can keep abreast of the best of the new releases, and also get introduced to a lot of great jazz, without having to go through the stacks of disks that threaten to topple over my desk as I write.
Some of the best tracks come from little known releases that would be easy to miss. For example, our most recent Song of the Day choice, a genre-crossing performance by KJ Denhert of Sting’s composition “Message in a Bottle,” comes from a live recording in Italy released on a little known indie label. This is a fresh version of a familiar song with some interesting twists, and is well worth hearing. The music is jazzy, but freely borrows from other performance styles.
In other instances, we might dip into blues or World Music or other “beyond jazz” tracks for the Song of the Day. But the unifying characteristic of these featured songs is their excellence. You may sometimes be surprised by the music we highlight, but our hope is that you will rarely be disappointed.
Below is a list of all the tracks featured as Song of the Day during the last month. Whenever possible, the review includes a link for fast, easy and legal downloading.
Songs of the Day: October 2008
KJ Denhert: Message in a Bottle
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Milton Nascimento: Chega de Saudade
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Robert Mitchell 3io: Quantum
Reviewed by Walter Kolosky
Tim Ries: Miss You
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Michael Bates: Great Exhibition
Reviewed by S. Victor Aaron
The Stryker/Slagle Band: Fingers in the Wind
Reviewed by Ralph A. Miriello
Vassilis Tsabropoulos: Gift of Dreams
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Jimmy Herring: New Moon
Reviewed by Walter Kolosky
Todd Sickafoose: Future Flora
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Arturo O’Farrill & Claudia Acuna: Moodance
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Tuck & Patti: In a Sentimental Mood
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Taj Mahal: Zanzibar
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Erik Friedlander: Jim Zipper
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Rachael Price: Mood Indigo
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
Asaf Sirkis: Stoned Bird
Reviewed by Walter Kolosky
Todd Coolman: Crescent City Ditty
Reviewed by Walter Kolosky
Donna Lee Saxophone Quartet: Four to Go
Reviewed by Scott Albin
Take 6: Someone to Watch Over Me
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Denise Donatelli: Crystal Silence
Reviewed by Ralph A. Miriello
Charlie Haden: He's Gone Away
Reviewed by Ted Gioia
Chico Hamilton: Ain't Nobody Calling Me
Reviewed by Mark Saleski
This blog article posted by Ted Gioia.
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