CD Review: Doug MacDonald "Live In Hawaii"

Guitarist, Composer, Arranger and Radio personality, Doug MacDonald has recently released his latest CD, "Live In Hawaii" and it's a beauty.  MacDonald has been praised many times over the years for his beautiful and sensitive renditions of some of the great ballads from the Great American Songbook,  but he has taken off the gloves for his new CD and comes out swinging!  He has put together a super, talented group of musicians for this up-tempo CD.  As soon as I listened to the first song on this CD, "My Shining Hour" it reminded me of one of my very favorite Jazz groups from the past, the Modern Jazz Quartet.  I have to say adding the very talented Noel Okimoto on Vibraphone to Doug's usual configuration of Drums and Bass gives the quartet the room they need to swing out.  Darryl Pellegrini is on Drums and Dean Taba is on Bass.  

This new CD takes no time to get used to, instant gratification for any Jazz buff.  It's so great to hear a  Vibraphone playing in a Jazz quartet again!   Doug has written two of the 7 songs on this CD, and they are both terrific Jazz tunes, "Cat City Samba" and "Bossa Don".  The arrangements are classic Doug MacDonald, new, exciting and understandable.  

I have been very fortunate to know and hear Doug play for many years in the California desert,  mostly in  a Jazz Club in Cathedral City, CA where I am sure the inspiration for "Cat City Samba" was born.  Doug performs all over the country including in Hawaii where he lived for several years.  This CD was recorded live at the Hawaii Public Radio's Atherton Performing Arts Studio in Hawaii.  Doug has performed with most of the giants of jazz during his long successful Jazz career including the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Rosemary Clooney, Jack Sheldon, Ray Brown and Buddy Rich just to mention a few.

If you love to listen to a swinging Jazz quartet this CD will thrill you.  Thank you Doug MacDonald for all your efforts to bring us the best in Jazz in this CD and all your other great releases!

I have attached two cuts from this CD, the first is "My Shining Hour" and the second is a Doug MacDonald original "Cat City Samba".     

                                           

                                                                       "My Shining Hour"

                                                                        "Cat City Samba"

     PLAYLIST:

1. My Shining Hour

2. Cat City Samba

3. Blues in the Closet

4. Star Eyes

5. Bassa Don

6. Lester Leaps In

7. Stranger In Paradise                  

       PLAYERS:

Doug MacDonald- Guitar

Noel Okimoto- Vibraphone

Dean Taba- Bass

Darryl Pellegrini- Drums

CD Review: Alan Goidel and Howard Levy Slide Attack, "Road Trip"

 

Ok, all you Trombone lovers, here is a treat especially for you.  Alan Goidel and Howard Levy and their quintet Slide Attack have just released their new CD, "Road Trip".  The CD is a nod to the great J.J. Johnson and Kai Winding whose musical while recordings made over 60 years ago under the group name "J & K" and are still popular today.  I still have the album they recorded in the late 50's, "J & K at Newport".  At first blush, a recording with two Jazz Trombone players might seem unusual.  But fear not, these two bone players can really play and all of the music on this CD  were composed by Goidel and Levy with the exception of one from their Piano Player, Hiroshi Yamazaki.  The CD really cooks with straight ahead Jazz.  Both of these top-level Jazz musicians went to music school in New York.  Alan is a graduate of the State University of New York and received a masters in Jazz/Commercial music from the Manhattan School of Music.  Howard is a graduate of the Manhattan School of Music and received his master's degree from the Lehman College in Applied Music.  Both of these gentlemen have extensive musical resumes performing with many of the most outstanding big bands of the last 60 years. 

Players:     

Howard Levy- Trombone

Alan Goidel- Trombone

Hiroshi Yamazaki- Piano

Michael Goetz- Bass

Chuck Zeuren- Drums

Playlist:  

1. Spring Roll

2. Road Trip

3. Clauditti

4. Struttin

5. Look Within

6. Owens

7. A Walk In The Park

8. Early Morning

9. Bluedemic 

I know you will enjoy the two songs that I have attached from this CD.  The first song is called "Struttin"  written by Howard Levy.  His inspiration for this composition came from Herbie Hancock's classic "Watermelon Man".  The selection is the title tune from the CD "Road Trip" written by Alan Goidel. It's a fun piece that relates to the great feeling of getting away on a road trip.

                                      
                                                                     "Struttin"

                                                                          "Road Trip"

CD REVIEW: Jonathan Karrant and Joshua White, "Shadows Falls"

 

Singer Jonathan Karrant and Pianist Joshua White are two of the most brilliant young performers on the Jazz scene today and have just released their new album, "Shadows Fall".  The CD is a collaboration between two very talented musicians.  The playlist is intriguing with songs of traditional standards joined by some contemporary songs.  All the songs while different are brought to life by the refreshing new voices of Karrant and White.  Jonathan Karrant's vocal phrasing and lush voice work perfectly with these unusual paring of songs.  Joshua White would be treasured by any vocalist.  His playing is always sensitive and he is careful to keep the spotlight away from his wonderful piano performances and on the singing of Karrant.  And ,yet, he is able to blend together with Karrant's voice to make it one voice.  

Jonathan Karrant has paid his dues to reach his current level of vocal performance.  He has studied privately under the direction of Marilyn May and Kurt Elling two of the greatest Jazz Vocalists of our times. Jonathan has received many awards for his singing as you would expect.   He has learned his lessons well and his phrasing and warm rich voice are as good as any Jazz singer could hope for.  Joshua White is a creative and technically accomplished pianist.  Herbie Hancock called White an "Immense

Talent" and lauded him for his daring and courageous approach to improvisation.  He placed in the top two of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Piano Competition.

I highly recommend this new album to anyone who appreciates the very best in Jazz singing and performance. 

Players:

Jonathan Karrant- Vocals

Joshua White- Piano

Playlist:   

1. Simply the Best

2. My Romance

3. Detour Ahead

4. I Try

5. Stop This World

6. Lush Life

7. Wrap You Troubles in Dreams

8. So In Love

9. Your Smiling Face

10. I'm Afraid the Masquerade Is Over

11. I Thought About You

12. My One and Only Love

13. Being Me

I had a tough time picking just two songs because every song on this album is so unique and so pleasurable to listen to.  If you are a fan of Jazz vocals you must add this CD to your collection.  I have to mention that I was blown away with Jonathan singing on the Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life".  In my opinion this great classic is one of the hardest songs for any singer to conquer.  It's complicated and yet produces a simple story of romance, pain and reality.   My favorite is the Johnny Hartman cover and it's almost unfair to compare any other performance to his version.  But Jonathan and Pianist Joshua White do a mighty fine job with this song.  The two songs I have attached from YouTube are "I'm Afraid the Masquerade is Over" and a Mose Allyson classic, "Stop This World".  

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                                                          "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over"

                                                                 "Stop This World"