Concord Music Group - Voices

Sharing Memories Of Mom

Anne Farnsworth — Fri, 09 May 2008 19:19:12 +0000

For Mother’s Day, I asked two Concord Family artists, bassist/arranger/bandleader John Clayton and Grammy-nominated singer Tierney Sutton, to share memories of their mothers and how they influenced their music. (more…)

Find Joy Across The Tracks

Chris Slawecki — Wed, 07 May 2008 22:42:42 +0000

Who says that studying the classics can’t be fun? Certainly not Scott Hamilton, whose new release Across The Tracks explores tunes written by hallowed names like Duke Ellington and sounds like this saxophonist and his friends enjoyed great fun along their way. (more…)

Shining Stars

Jonathan Widran — Tue, 06 May 2008 17:23:49 +0000

Mindi Abair’s Stars, her Peak Records debut, showcases her trademark hip and edgy instrumental sound and includes more original vocal tracks than ever before. (more…)

Eclectic Esperanza

David Vienna — Fri, 02 May 2008 21:21:26 +0000

Esperanza Spalding defies classification. Her debut release Esperanza showcases the bass player’s unique blend of sounds and rhythms, all accompanied by her fluid vocals echoing great songstresses like Ella Fitzgerald. (more…)

Where There’s Great Bass

Chris Slawecki — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:16:42 +0000

Ron Carter is better known for his work on other peoples’ records but Where? is when the bassist first stepped out as a leader. (more…)

This Kind Of Carly

David Vienna — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 20:34:46 +0000

With a string of hits reaching all the way back to 1971, Carly Simon’s place in music history is undeniable. On her latest release, This Kind Of Love, she explores unique territories, experimenting with Latin touches and even rap. (more…)

The Latin Revolution

John C. Bruening — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:28:35 +0000

Cal Tjader’s Latino!, released by Fantasy in 1994, is actually a combination of two LPs originally released on the same label in 1960 — Latino! and Demasiado Caliente. (more…)

Blues With A Lot Of Soul

David Nathan — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:24:04 +0000

Drawing from a myriad of performing experiences that include seven years with the late great Muddy Waters, Mississippi-born Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson draws from influences such as Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and Freddy King, adds his own distinctive thing and the result is a potent combination of blues-drenched soulful music found on Talkin’ About Soul. (more…)

A Colorful Bolero

Vivien Schweitzer — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 01:38:27 +0000

Ravel’s sensual, hypnotic “Boléro” was described by one American critic in the early 1930s as the “most insolent monstrosity every perpetrated in the history of music.” That “monstrosity” has since become an audience favorite and is given a colorful, vibrant performance on Boléro: Music of Ravel, Borodin and Bizet – a new Telarc disc with Erich Kunzel leading the Cincinnati Pops. (more…)

All Dressed Up

Jonathan Widran — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:32:18 +0000

The title of Marion Meadows‘ most recent Heads Up release Dressed To Chill is sharply appropriate considering that the veteran saxophonist has long been one of smooth jazz’s most stylish performers. (more…)