MAIN EVENT. A Good Place to Get Started --- a.k.a "Table of Contents"
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MAIN EVENT. A Good Place to Get Started --- a.k.a "Table of Contents" |
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Corky Siegel was one of those fortunate musicians who reached public favor and gained fame when barely out of his teen years. As half of the Siegel-Schwall Band back in the 60s and 70s, the harmonica maestro toured relentlessly. His introduction to the blues came when he played at New Yorks Peppers, the blues club where the visiting acts included Willie Dixon, Little Walter, Muddy Waters, and Howlin Wolf.
Siegel has made 17 albums. "Solo Flight" (Gadfly Records) contains early solo work from this master of the harp. These cuts were recorded for two albums, "Corky Siegel" in 1976 and "Out of the Blue," released in 1981.
Guest musicians include Vassar Clements and Howard Levy. For anyone with the slightest interest in folk music or the blues, this should become a must-buy. Siegel's songwriting talents are plentiful and his singing voice give just the right sense of mood, whether it be silly or soulful.
The album leads off with "Idaho Potato Man," which has funny lyrics and an attitude both playful and determined.
"Aint No Joke" (Gadfly Records) originally came out in 1989 and now has been reissued in a nice package which should please anyone who enjoys roots rock with plenty of twang.
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The album is well-paced and the songs are unerring in their uplifting messages. Katzen-Guthrie has been performing in the Southeast for 17 years. She's unquestionably ready to reach out to a bigger audience.
In the time I've been writing these columns for G21, Arbors has sent me a bunch of their latest releases. Amazingly, each and every one has been good and many are simply fantastic.
Thats the case with "John Sheridan Solo Piano: They Can't Take That Away From Me." In this fifth release of Arbors piano series, Sheridan proves to be a magnificent performer. He's no star or leader, but he has played with some of the best in swing and jazz, including Jim Cullum.
The album contains a star lineup of familiar classics, including "You're a Lucky Guy," "Nobody Else But You," Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, and "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off."
In his new album, "April Kisses" (Arbors Jazz), Pizzarelli performs solo 7-string guitar on a program of jazz compositions by such legendary guitarists as Carl Kress, Eddie Lang, George Van Eps, George M. Smith, and Django Reinhardt.
The results are unquestionably impressive.
This collection of jazz winners also features the wonderful clarinet, tenor, and soprano work of Hockett.
Eanet is known to jazz fans around Washington, D.C. He has played jazz brunch at the Four Seasons Hotel there for the past 11 year. And when top-notch headliners come to the Nation's Capitol, Eanet often can be found sitting in. He recently retired from a long-time career as a dermatologist, which should allow him to escape Washington on occasion and to bolster his national reputation as a superb musician.
And how many musicians do you know who have had a career as a dermatologist?
Fay recorded his final album a year ago. "Rick Fay With Strings: With a Song in My Heart" was reviewed in this column some months ago.
Perhaps the last album to feature Fay is the newly released "Andy Fielding and Rick Fay: Tunes for Tommy" (Arbors Jazz), which was recorded in 1996. Fay was in fine fettle for this date, as he proves on each track. Perhaps because of his long association with Dixieland bands, Fay's sound was that of an old timer, proud of his abilities and assured that hes doing the right thing.
Pianist Fielding makes a terrific accompanist and occasionally shines when the spotlight goes on him.
An excellent album and a fitting memorial for a memorable musician. Twangsters
The Volebeats come from Detroit and were among the early entrants in a category of pop music dubbed "Americana Twangsters." (I admit to having looked the other way when this first erupted.)
The latest release from the Volebeats is "Solitude," on the Safe House label.
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Inspiring Sounds
Florida resident Joy Katzen-Guthrie has a wonderful singing voice, light and joyous, and she performs an unusual program of original inspirational music in her latest CD, "Passages" (Tune of the Century Music).
Piano Whiz
If you walk into a record shop and find an album by a musician whose name fails to ring a bell, check the name of the company that released the album. If it says Arbors Jazz, free safe to take it home.
Great Bucky
If I was Bucky Pizzarelli's manager, I would insist that this masterful guitarist receive a new billing. Henceforth, he would be advertised as "The Great One: Bucky Pizzarelli."
Why is this modest fellow deserving of such a title? He's perhaps the finest guitarist of the century. With magic fingers and unerring taste in popular music, Bucky Pizzarelli has continued to astound audiences and fellow musicians with his sensational abilities.
Swing Stomp
Ross Firestone, the wonderful pianist for Doc Severinsen's Tonight Show Orchestra, wrote the album notes for Larry Eanet's new album, describing Eanet as a "world class pianist." Just listen once to "The Larry Eanet Quartet featuring Ron Hockett: Summer Storm" (Arbors Jazz) and you'll probably agree.
Fabulous Fay
Rick Fay, one of the finest jazz performers on saxes and clarinet, lost a long battle with cancer earlier this year. During his long life, Fay performed with such jazz stars as Wild Bill Davison, the Firehouse Five Plus Two, and Red Norvo.
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