jazz2love

Album:  Down & Dirty Artist:  Rich Willey's Boptism Big Band Label:  Wise Cat Records Website:  www.boptism.com Big Band leader Rich Willey conducts an ensemble of 20 musicians through a kaleidoscope of music, nuanced with shades of bop-tinged improv, swing, reggae, soft funk, Latin dance, power pop, and smooth jazz.  The 12-track CD entitled Down & Dirty features original numbers writtien by Rich Willey with one cover, "Old Folks," penned by Willard Robison and Dedette Lee Hill.   The music is pure enjoyment from start to finish. "Walter the Ferret" is a charming tune with frolicking horns, anchored by a funky rhythmic groove  played by bassist Edwin Livingston and drummer Peter Erskine.  The intersecting lines of the horns are aurally pleasing and meticulously executed.   The intervals of twinkling piano keys performed by Wally Minko on the title track add a sprightly feel to the music as Willey's bass trumpet and spec...

Album:  Shades of Shirley Horn Artist:  Coniece Washington Label:  Self-Released Website:  https://www.coniecewashington.com/ \ Shades of Shirley Horn is blues vocalist Coniece Washington's tribute to the iconic jazz vocalist Shirley Horn.  The collection of 12 tracks was chosen as a loving memorial to Horn and her repertoire, which features a number of timeless classics from the Great American Songbook.  Washington canvasses Horn's catalog from the sultry "Fever" to the swinging "I Just Found Out about Love."  Abound with the silky timbres of Washington, Shades of Shirley Horn is filled with after-hour melodies, rich in calming jaunts and beautiful tunage. Each track symbolizes the joy of life, cherishing each moment of living and loving the experiences that come with it, whether they result in a love lost or the deepening of feelings of love.  "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'" is a prime example of a heartbreak that is treat...