Posts Tagged Piano
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March 4, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Anita Schwabe: Eat Your Greens
Anita Schwabe Eat Your Greens Rattle I wanted to say something like this is a bunch of old-school jazz-heads playing old school jazz ‘heads’ for old schooled jazzheads – and leave it at that. The assignment ticked off. This is good! And jazz fans should check it. Job done. By all the players. And a rewarding listen.Archive
March 2, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Tyshawn Sorey: Pillars
Tyshawn Sorey Pillars Firehouse Records Tyshawn Sorey is the type of multi-instrumentalist and all-around musical force (composer, arranger, conductor, sideman and leader) that it’s nearly impossible for us mere mortals to wrap our thinking-gear around it really. There he is behind the kit making strange, alluring shapes with an improv legend like Roscoe Mitchell or re-inventing post-bop yet again as part […]Archive
February 20, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
UNWIND Chisholm/Meehan/Dyne: Orange
UNWIND: Chisholm/Meehan/Dyne Orange Rattle I first heard Hayden Chisholm (saxophones) – well at least first really took notice on the glorious collaborative album Small Holes In The Silence featuring Hannah Griffin’s voice and Norman Meehan’s piano. The music was sparse, the lyrics drawn from famous New Zealand poems. Griffin and Meehan have an ongoing project in collaboration with Bill Manhire. Chisholm was the silent star of […]Archive
January 16, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Gig Review: Nick Cave (January 15, Wgtn)
Conversations with Nick Cave: An Evening of Talk & Music MFC Tuesday, January 15 It was almost to the day two years ago that Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds played in Wellington as part of the Skeleton Tree tour. It’s always a different show when you see Cave, he’s played in Wellington with truncated […]Archive
January 1, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 345
Michael Houstoun, Piano (1979) This is my favourite $1 op-shop find. For now at least. I love Michael Houstoun – amazing talent, I feel lucky thinking about the number of times I’ve seen him perform. He threatens retirement this year but I always enjoy his playing. I love classical piano and Beethoven too – so it’s […]Archive
November 28, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Roger Kellaway Trio: New Standards Vol. 3
Roger Kellaway Trio New Jazz Standards, Vol. 3 Summit Records Trumpeter Carl Saunders has worked with big names in music – really big names! -Sinatra…Ella…Paul Anka, Budy Rich, Stan Kenton…he’s been a bandleader, arranger and composer. And a great guy to have on the bench. But he’ll be known to the next generation for his […]Archive
October 25, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
St. Vincent: MassEducation
St. Vincent MassEducation Loma Vista I rather like St. Vincent’s music – but just recently, I watched her rather amazing performance at Austin City Limits (a highlight, topped only by Sir Paul of Macca) – and commented that it would be nice if she had some songs. That’s where it all falls over. Art as […]Archive
September 1, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 378
Keith Jarrett, The Survivors’ Suite (1977) Some days I feel like if all that was left in the world, music-wise, was albums by Keith Jarrett then that would be just fine. Hit and miss, a little bit, sure, but the hit-stuff is just so fucking ON. So good. Here’s an example. Killer quartet – his […]Archive
August 19, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Tom Rogerson with Brian Eno: Finding Shore
Tom Rogerson with Brian Eno Finding Shore Dead Oceans Tom Rogerson is from the British experimental rock trio Three Trapped Tigers. Where, in that context he was vocalist and keyboardist here he submits his piano offerings – with some synths and electronic ideas – to ambient-music’s overlord Brian Eno. It’s collaboration in that Mercurical Eno […]Archive
July 31, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Roger Eno: Dust of Stars
Roger Eno Dust of Stars Painted World Music Roger Eno – the Mike McGear of Ambient Music? The Pat McEnroe of line calls? It’s a churlish chap that mocks this master pianist, I reckon. He’s not only been involved in some of his brother’s great recordings, he has made plenty of his own. Laugh if […]Archive
June 9, 2018 by Simon Sweetman