MIMI JONES: PURE TALENT - Review by John Books

THIS IS BOOK'S MUSIC

REVIEW: Mimi Jones’ “A New Day” by John Books Published July 1, 2009

To read entire review: http://www.thisisbooksmusic.com/2009/07/01/review-mimi-jones-a-new-day/

Bassist/vocalist Mimi Jones has released a great album called A New Day (Hot Tone Music) and she is seen on the cover with her left hand on the neck of a stand-up bass.

But as I played this album a number of times, I’m thinking to myself that Miss Jones should be playing on The Today Show, The Carson Daly Show or even Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. In other words, she is deserving of mainstream success and I’ll tell you why. The music on A New Day is like a cross between Cassandra Wilson and Me’Shell NdegeOcello, not so much in their vocal style or tone but in the passion they put into their music.

In 2009, marketing can make the worst sounding music sound like the best thing you ever heard in your life. But marketing cannot take away pure talent, and Mimi Jones is someone who has this in abundance

Saltman Knowles Review: Blogcritics.org

Music Review: SaltmanKnowles - Return of the Composer

Written by Kit O'Toole
Published December 22, 2008

http://blogcritics.org/archives/2008/12/22/024553.php
Blogcritics.org - published by Eric Olsen
Blogcritics is an online magazine, a community of writers and readers from around the globe.

Fans of modern jazz should seek out SaltmanKnowles’ newest release, Return of the Composer. The Washington, D.C.-based jazz group includes Mark Saltman (bass), William A. Knowles (piano), Lori Williams Chisholm (vocals), Jimmy “Junebug” Jackson (drums), Rob Landham (alto saxophone), and Alvin Trask (trumpet). The band cites Billy Strayhorn, Horace Silver, and Charles Mingus as major influences. This somewhat free-form type of jazz pervades their fourth release.

The group makes heavy use of vocalese throughout the album, with Williams Chisholm’s voice becoming another instrument on such cuts as “Bellport,” where she trades lines with the saxophonist. During the Brazilian-tinged “A Study in Purple,” her voice complements the elaborate percussion. Her soulful vocals add a touch of soul on “Seeds and Deeds,” while Jackson’s drums and Saltman’s bass provide a driving, almost funky beat.

While vocalese is prominently featured, the deft instrumental skills of the band still impress. “Homeland” features an extended (and blazing fast) saxophone solo by Landham, and “Shalom and Salaam” works due to the tight syncopation of Knowles, Landham, Trask, and Saltman. Once again the saxophone and piano solos are the true standouts, their improvisation accompanying but never dominating the driving beat and melody. Trask occupies the spotlight on the midtempo “Disfavor,” his muted trumpet skillfully navigating the frequent tempo fluctuations. Landham and Trask trade lines, never overshadowing the other’s playing.

The lone track featuring actual lyrics, “Pain Management” serves as a welcome respite from the scatting and instrumental songs. The tune begins as a lament, suddenly launching into a ripping saxophone solo. The real star of “Pain Management,” though, remains Jackson’s intricate percussion. He consistently impresses with his ability to smoothly change the tempo throughout the song without any abrupt transitions.

SaltmanKnowles enjoys performing as a “cohesive unit,” and Return of the Composer exemplifies this statement. The musicians complements one another, letting a player solo while the others play an accompanying melody or beat. Williams Chisholm appears very comfortable with singing vocalese, her scatting providing the perfect instrumentation or flourish for various songs. It’s refreshing to hear straightforward modern jazz performed by some excellent artists, encapsulating traditional improvisation while occasionally injecting some soul and funk into the music. Any fan of modern jazz will enjoy Return of the Composer, and it will be interesting to see how SaltmanKnowles continuously evolves in the jazz genre.

Sheila Jordan Review and NY TImes Listing

Review: Chris Spector, Midwest Record www.midwestrecord.com

11/13/08
SHEILA JORDAN/Winter Sunshine-Live at Upstairs: Reprising her 76th birthday recording with a set for her 80th birthday, this grande dame of jazz vocal shows about as much signs of slowing down as Marian McPartland. Certainly a survivor with a rich jazz history under her belt, she didn’t think she’d live to make this recording as the last birthday recording was done the night before surgery to fix a 99% blocked artery. None of that has slowed her down showing her to be a perfect example of music keeping you young. A stellar set for jazz vocal fans that want it old school without having to sit through the lessons. (Justin Time)

Listing: 11/13/08 - New York Times

SHEILA JORDAN (Tuesday through Thursday) Ms. Jordan is what they call a musician’s singer, sure of phrase and light on her feet. For this celebratory engagement, which kicks off on her 80th birthday, she corrals a handful of the players with whom she has a good rapport, including the pianist Steve Kuhn, the bassist David Finck and the drummer Billy Drummond. (Also on hand: a string quartet stocked with improvisers like the violinist Mark Feldman.) At 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Frederick P. Rose Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center, 60th Street and Broadway, (212) 258-9595, jalc.org; cover, $35, with a minimum of $10 at tables, $5 at the bar. (Chinen)