Reviews of new jazz albums by Nicola Conte, Rodney Whitaker and Jamila Ford
New Jazz: Nicola Conte, Rodney Whitaker and Jamila Ford
Nicola Conte's new record is pretty groovy, Rodney Whitaker's strong and Jamila Ford proves herself a talent worth greater recognition. Read on!
Nicola Conte - Free Souls (Schema)
If it weren’t for the fact Nicola Conte is listed on the back of the album as ‘guitarist,’ it would be impossible to guess what instrument he plays, such is his humble approach to the bandstand. But his skills as a composer and producer are formidable, as he once again delivers a strong collection of music that blends Ramsey Lewis cool with Mel Torme cool with Johnny Hartman cool with Zero 7 cool.
The best songs on this set are sung by the gentlemen: Jose James swings lightly on the Conte composition “Goddess Of The Sea” while Marvin Parks’ creamy baritone is fabulous on the opener, “Shades Of Joy,” Conte’s “African Other Blues” and the Ralph Rainger piece, “If I Should Lose You.” Though I generally skewer jazz covers of pop songs (like Rick Braun’s “Take Me To The River” and Cyrille Aimee’s horrific “Off The Wall”), I was OK with Conte’s take on “Ode To Billie Joe,” though 6-plus minutes was a bit too much of a good thing.
Overall, though, this a very good record from one of Italy’s top dogs on the Acid Jazz scene. Get groovy to it.
Rodney Whitaker’s forthcoming release (due to drop on August 19th) finds well-respected bassist and educator surrounding himself with a solid quartet that includes pianist Bruce Barth, drummer Greg Hutchinson and saxophonist Antonio Hart (along with an appearance or two from his daughter, singer Rockelle Fortin).
Bartz leads the way on the album’s opener, “When The World Falls Away,” a medium tempo swing number that was inspired by a Valentine’s Day card Whitaker once received from his wife.
Noting the fan appreciation he received when he played with Roy Hargrove, Whitaker concocted “When You Played With Roy,” a light bossa piece that highlights both the bassist and his saxophone foil. Other highlights include Fortin’s rich voice dueting with her Dad on “Autumn Leaves” and the slightly funky vibe of “You Go To Head,” another showcase for Fortin’s talents.
Certainly more conducive to critical listening rather than passing fancy, this is a solid effort from a strong group and a notable bandleader.
Jamila Ford is a Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter who’s earned a strong reputation both as a soloist as well as a touring singer for the likes of Melody Gardot and Bonnie Pointer.
Several months back, I reached out to Miss Ford and requested she send me her latest album. She kindly noted she was working on new material and promised to send it along when it was finished. And she kept her word (which, you might be surprised to learn, is not always the case with independent artists).
Her newest work, scheduled to release on September 1, is a five song EP that includes covers of four standards along with one original. The lead cut, her reading of “All Blues,” proves Miss Ford to be a muscular singer with a hearty command of her instrument and features solid guitar and piano work from Mitchell long and Pete Kuzma, respectively. On Stanley Turrentine’s “Sugar,” she restrains herself admirably, turning the song into a sultry, mid-tempo swinger. Her interpretation of “Wild Is The Wind” is darkly rich and earthy, set primarily over Long's solo guitar. Long’s a strong player, as is Kuzma, showing that Miss Ford’s confidence to surround herself with talented players.
Propers to her for delivering a nice, albeit too short, recording. Hopefully the future will bring the financing necessary to expand her next set into a full fledged album. Jamila Ford is an artist worthy of your attention.
More information on Jamila Ford.
Tour dates
Nicola Conte's new record is pretty groovy, Rodney Whitaker's strong and Jamila Ford proves herself a talent worth greater recognition. Read on!
Nicola Conte - Free Souls (Schema)
If it weren’t for the fact Nicola Conte is listed on the back of the album as ‘guitarist,’ it would be impossible to guess what instrument he plays, such is his humble approach to the bandstand. But his skills as a composer and producer are formidable, as he once again delivers a strong collection of music that blends Ramsey Lewis cool with Mel Torme cool with Johnny Hartman cool with Zero 7 cool.
The best songs on this set are sung by the gentlemen: Jose James swings lightly on the Conte composition “Goddess Of The Sea” while Marvin Parks’ creamy baritone is fabulous on the opener, “Shades Of Joy,” Conte’s “African Other Blues” and the Ralph Rainger piece, “If I Should Lose You.” Though I generally skewer jazz covers of pop songs (like Rick Braun’s “Take Me To The River” and Cyrille Aimee’s horrific “Off The Wall”), I was OK with Conte’s take on “Ode To Billie Joe,” though 6-plus minutes was a bit too much of a good thing.
Overall, though, this a very good record from one of Italy’s top dogs on the Acid Jazz scene. Get groovy to it.
Rodney Whitaker’s forthcoming release (due to drop on August 19th) finds well-respected bassist and educator surrounding himself with a solid quartet that includes pianist Bruce Barth, drummer Greg Hutchinson and saxophonist Antonio Hart (along with an appearance or two from his daughter, singer Rockelle Fortin).
Bartz leads the way on the album’s opener, “When The World Falls Away,” a medium tempo swing number that was inspired by a Valentine’s Day card Whitaker once received from his wife.
Noting the fan appreciation he received when he played with Roy Hargrove, Whitaker concocted “When You Played With Roy,” a light bossa piece that highlights both the bassist and his saxophone foil. Other highlights include Fortin’s rich voice dueting with her Dad on “Autumn Leaves” and the slightly funky vibe of “You Go To Head,” another showcase for Fortin’s talents.
Certainly more conducive to critical listening rather than passing fancy, this is a solid effort from a strong group and a notable bandleader.
Jamila Ford is a Los Angeles-based singer and songwriter who’s earned a strong reputation both as a soloist as well as a touring singer for the likes of Melody Gardot and Bonnie Pointer.
Several months back, I reached out to Miss Ford and requested she send me her latest album. She kindly noted she was working on new material and promised to send it along when it was finished. And she kept her word (which, you might be surprised to learn, is not always the case with independent artists).
Her newest work, scheduled to release on September 1, is a five song EP that includes covers of four standards along with one original. The lead cut, her reading of “All Blues,” proves Miss Ford to be a muscular singer with a hearty command of her instrument and features solid guitar and piano work from Mitchell long and Pete Kuzma, respectively. On Stanley Turrentine’s “Sugar,” she restrains herself admirably, turning the song into a sultry, mid-tempo swinger. Her interpretation of “Wild Is The Wind” is darkly rich and earthy, set primarily over Long's solo guitar. Long’s a strong player, as is Kuzma, showing that Miss Ford’s confidence to surround herself with talented players.
Propers to her for delivering a nice, albeit too short, recording. Hopefully the future will bring the financing necessary to expand her next set into a full fledged album. Jamila Ford is an artist worthy of your attention.
More information on Jamila Ford.
Tour dates
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