jazz2love

Album:  Urbanessence Artist: Tito Carrillo Label: Origin Records Website:  www.titocarrillo.com Urbanessence is the second solo album from trumpeter/composer Tito Carrillo, fusing elements of pop, blues, funk, soul, and Latin swing, all the cultural flavors Carrillo has been exposed to and performed.  Comprised of nine original scores composed by Tito and one original by Phillip Kocheril, the recording is a pleasing ride through multi-shaded landscapes and multi-shaped arrangements. Accompanying Carrillo are Troy Roberts on tenor and soprano saxophones, Ben Lewis on piano, Clark Sommers on bass, Jay Sawyer on drums and cymbals, and Victor Gonzalez, Jr. on congas.  The slow burn of "Fire and Ice" showcases a dynamic drum solo that wilts away into the gentle musings of Carrillo's trumpet and Roberts' sax, entangling and moving in tandem.  Following along the slow burn theme is "Bliss Point," projecting a reflective mood tinseled in the willowy toots of Carril

Album:  No Mentions, No Worries Artist:  Jonathan Mills Label Name: Self-Released Website:  www.jonathanmillsdrums.com No Mentions, No Worries is leader, composer and drummer Jonathan Mills’s debut full-length album intermingling a traditional straight-ahead jazz fare with contemporary stylizing, designed as a collection of thoughtful journeys that describe a harmonious world.  The lulling riffs of "For Hadley’s Folks” put listeners at ease with Luke Weathington's alto sax providing a stream luxuriating sonic clusters.  The fibrillating saxophone toots leisurely stroking “When My Mind’s Quiet” stokes a fireside warmth that lets the listener melt into its palliative fumes, coalescing the vibes of swing, bebop and bossa nova. “Solecism” is latticed in breezy saxophone swirls, eliciting a relaxing atmosphere as Patrick Arthur's guitar strings disseminate a soothing aroma through the homespun broth.  Wafting of bebop impulses permeating from Tyrone Jackson's improvisation

Album: The Dryad Artist: IFIHADAHIFI Label: Naked Muse Website:  nakedmuse.net It's no secret that Melbourne, Australia’s long bursts of lockdowns, the world’s longest as it turned out, had incarcerated and frustrated a great many people. Composer and keyboardist Gideon Frankel used the solitary time to peruse the stockpile of experiences he accumulated in his memory, and concentrate on crafting introspective and imaginative creations.  His refreshing hybrid of styles found on The Dryad , the new release from his ensemble If I Had A Hi-Fi, a palindrome, seamlessly fuses influences steep in jazz, Latin, world, folk, classical, reggae, and blues, producing a sonic atmosphere built from multiple cultural perspectives and characteristics.  Evocative, penetrative, enchanting, and so uplifting that listeners feel like they are floating above the melodies, Frankel heightens the sensory channels.   The feathery flutters of flutist Jamichael Frazier paint every track in stimulating hues enh

Album:  BLOOZ Artist:  Grant Geissman Label: Futurism and Mesa/Bluemoon Recordings Website:  www.grantgeissman.com BLOOZ , a slang term for blues is the title of guitarist/composer Grant Geissman's sunshine-soaked release.  With all compositions written by Geissman, he explores a panoply of bluesy shades from the Caribbean/rhumba-infused grooves of "Side Hustle" to the club rock fusion of "Carlos En Siete," highlighting the jangly ringlets of David Garfield's piano keys and the percussive beats of Tiki Pasillas on congas, timbales, and shakere.  The integrating motifs create a festive street fair/Mardi Gras-like atmosphere. The breezy ripples of Geissman's guitar chords ruminating across "Time Enough at Last" offer a lolling escape for listeners as Garfield's sprinting keys accelerate the rhythmic pulse.  Spicing up the melodic trimmings with a funky R&B thrust propelled by Tom Scott's glaring saxophone spurts along "Fat Back&q

Album:  Stories From Solitude Artist:  Domi Edson Trio Label Name: Self-Released Website: www.domiedson.com A musician and leader well beyond her years, bassist Domi Edson shows melodic sensibilities comparable to the best swing and bebop players around the world.  Her interplay with her trio, comprised of pianist Spencer Zweifel and drummer Bobby Wiens, on her latest release Stories from Solitude , displays a simpatico repartee where the players mingle freely as each participates in the conversation while keeping a swing-inspired continuity.  Made up of several original compositions penned by Edson alongside a few jazz standards, the recording is multi-faceted. The harmonious consistency fashioned from Zweifel's trotting keys and Edson's percolating beats, with Wiens' drum palpitations seamed along Edson's original work "Domi’s New Blues," has a rich bebop luster.  The trickling keys scampering briskly across "In Waltzed Minnie" have a playful cante

Album:  My America 2:  Destinations Artist:  Jim Self Websites:  bassethoundmusic.com facebook.com/JimSelfMusic The second installment to tuba player Jim Self's 2002 recording My America , which featured iconic melodies reflective of America's early songwriters like Katharine Lee Bates and Samuel A. Ward's perennial "America the Beautiful" and Redd Stewart and Pee Wee King's country classic "Tennessee Waltz," changes course on his recording My America 2:  Destinations .  His second installment in his America series concentrates on iconic melodies descriptive of America's states and cities, of which Self had lived or worked like the luxurious and bucolic destinations of Kansas City and Georgia.  The recording is a collaboration between Self and arranger Kim Scharnberg, who offer the ensemble of musicians ample space for soloists to play stirring improvisations and demonstrate their fluency in the jazz language. The album starts off with Scharnber