Posts Tagged Covers
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May 27, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Adam Nussbaum: The Lead Belly Project
Adam Nussbaum The Lead Belly Project Sunnyside Adam Nussbaum is a journeyman jazz drummer who has worked with the likes of John Scofield, Michael Brecker, Paul Bley and John Abercrombie. He’s a class act – one of those safe sets of hands (like Peter Erskine). Here he does something a little different – as a leader he celebrates the influence of […]Archive
May 17, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
George Benson: Walking To New Orleans
George Benson Walking To New Orleans Provogue George Benson has performed many tribute songs (Wes Montgomery) and whole albums + shows (Nat King Cole) as well as working with the Count Basie Orchestra and just generally tipping his hat to the blues and jazz of the past. But here he steps out into the rock’n’roll that came from blues and boogie […]Archive
May 9, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
RNZ Music Feature: Prince’s Side-Projects, Collaborations and Songs He Wrote For Other People
I’m usually on RNZ once a month to have a chat about some new albums. But now and then I present features on the show too. Last year I had nearly an hour to explore the music of George Harrison. I followed that up with a chat about Ringo Starr and played some of his best Beatles drum bits […]Archive
April 19, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 315
Bob Dylan, Good As I Been To You (1992) Last year was a big year for me reconnecting with Bob Dylan – he’s always there of course. But the gig last year (which was great) had me going back through everything. Everything! I was in deep – going through the podcasts (many) and all the albums and Dylan’s own radio show archive […]Archive
April 10, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Alicia Olatuja: Intuition – Songs From The Minds of Women
Alicia Olatuja Intuition: Songs From The Minds of Women Resilience Music Alicia Olatuja is a classically trained singer who shot to fame as the soloist in a gospel choir that served at Barack Obama’s second inauguration ceremony. Such backstories are the stuff of fantasy, and the can come close to triviliasing the talents – suggesting it was luck and whim, as if […]Archive
February 27, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Kurt Elling: The Questions
Kurt Elling The Questions Sony Masterworks Kurt Elling remains the finest contemporary male jazz singer – I’ve been a fan across most of the last 20 years. It’s his voice, of course. The warmth. The depth. The heart. But it’s also the repertoire – and maybe those same descriptors can be applied, but it’s certainly […]Archive
February 26, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
José James: Lean On Me
José James Lean On Me Blue Note (BLU) When he’s not making his own great (original) music José James is the guy you want covering you. His tribute album to Billie Holiday is a gold standard. And now he gives the Bill Withers catalogue his touch – this is more of a straight reading, a warm tribute, James’ voice close to Withers […]Archive
February 12, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Kate McGarry/Keith Ganz/Gary Versace: The Subject Tonight is Love
Kate McGarry/Keith Ganz/Gary Versace The Subject Tonight is Love CD Baby Yes, nominally Kate McGarry is the ‘star’ – she’s the one out front, the voice, but this talented trio works together to pull new flavours and subtle nuance from oft-recorded chestnuts. There are only a handful of modern jazz vocalists actually doing something – actually working, exploring, instilling their personality, […]Archive
February 3, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 338
Lionel Hampton, Saturday Night Jazz Fever (1978) I took a punt on Lionel Hampton back in the day; bought a double CD comp from a closing down sale for $5-10 and loved it. I didn’t know what I was getting – beyond the fact that it was jazz. Clearly jazz. Then I looked him pup, found out about […]Archive
January 30, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Weezer: Weezer (The Teal Album)
Weezer Weezer (The Teal Album) Crush Music/Atlantic That Weezer has survived to make a dozen albums simply means they’ve recorded nine or ten albums more than necessary. Any of you getting raged and ready to defend Maladroit or Make Believe or to say any of the other self-titled/colour albums should be saved due to a single song like Pork and Beans or whatever, […]Archive
January 26, 2019 by Simon Sweetman