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Showing posts with the label easy listening

Album Review: Imaginably from Yuto Mitomi and Yuto Kanazawa

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Album:  Imaginably Artist:   Yuto Mitomi and Yuto Kanazawa Label:   Self-Released Website:  yutomitomi.com   Saxophonist-composer Yuto Mitomi and guitarist Yuto Kanazawa perform one of a kind recording Imaginably .  Pairing the soulful strumming of the guitar with the malleable curves of the saxophone, the duo create a dulcet sojourn that magnetizes the listener to their performance. "Sweet Lorraine" is a warm ballad that displays the duo's impeccable timing and complementing response to each other's assertions.   The title track is a charming tune that spotlights Mitomi's agile dexterity on the saxophone, demonstrating a flexibility in his performance that is admirable.   "Karatachi no Hana" is a serene melody that integrates caressing strokes and wistful flutters, interpolating glinting swells.     The buoyant musings of the saxophone splayed across "Dorelice" are cradled in the tender strums of the guitar, shifting into the languid w...

Album Review: The View From The Top from Gemma Farrell Quintet

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Album:  The View From The Top Artist:  Gemma Farrell Quintet Label:  Self-Released Website:  http://gemmafarrellmusic.com Gemma Farrell Quintet's second endeavor, The View From The Top , is a modern jazz-leaning recording filled with easy listening scores that complement people's lifestyles.  Based in Australia, saxophonist Gemma Farrell leads her quintet through original works composed by her, showcasing a penchant for hard bop hydraulics, straight-ahead jazz motifs, and improvised spins.  Supported by Sam Hadlow on trombone, Dan Garner on guitar, Kate Pass on bass, and Ryan Daunt on drums, the Gemma Farrell Quintet create a pleasant listening experience. The harmonious communication formed by Farrell and her crew on "Every Year" is reminiscent of luminary voices familiar to audiences like David Brubeck and Thelonious Monk.  The meandering tweets of Farrell's sax infuse bends and curves which keep the track advancing, acting as a thickening agent that...

Album Review: Transitions from Yaron Gershovsky

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Album:  Transitions Artist:  Yaron Gershovsky Label:  Dorron Music Website:  http://www.yaronmusic.com A compilation of original music and cover tunes, Transitions , the latest CD from pianist/keyboardist, arranger, composer, and producer Yaron Gershovsky, delves into a wide range of jazz-imbued styles from hard bop to samba, swing, easy listening, and stride piano.  His arrangements are upbeat and well-tailored for the jazz connoisseur palate. Opening with the revving grooves of "Northern Light," Gershovsky's jaunty keys bask in the hard bop flurries amassed by Boris Kozlov on upright bass and Cliff Almond on drums.  Switching to a smooth jazz climate in the title track, Gershovsky's sleek key strokes are scaffold by the floating sensations of David Mann's alto flute as the coasting beats of drummer Clint de Ganon and electric bassist Will Lee prop lolling swells along the melodic progressions. The ambient emanations traverse blissfully across the track ex...

Album Review: Passage from Bill Heller

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Album:  Passage Artist:  Bill Heller Album:  Billunatic Music Website:  https://www.billunaticmusic.com Composer-keyboardist-bandleader Bill Heller fuses contemporary jazz with easy listening melodies on his latest release Passage .  The uplifting spirit of the tracks is infectious, seething with elation in each phrasing.  The sleek stride of the saxophones paired with the pulsating beats of the rhythm section and the warm aesthetics of the guitar riffs make for a pleasing experience from beginning to end. Heller's original work "Viaggio" is a soft, simmering bossa nova melody twined in the silky glitters of Brandon Fields's alto sax, infusing a romantic glint in the soothing mood.  The recording switches to a festive ambience with the funky squiggles of Heller's keyboards braiding across "FT Shuffle," and shifting to a cheerful saunter along "Journeys End."  Following is a flowering bouquet of textures through "The Flow," gilded in t...