am i Blue

Scottish Jazz Awards finalists Rose Room have become one of Scotland’s leading ensembles influenced by the Gypsy Jazz genre. Sharing a love of Swing music and the style of the great Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli, their“vigorous and vivacious” performances seem to go “down a storm” with any audience as their 1930s ‘Hot Club’ standards and self-penned originals are always served up with great energy and panache…

Bill Doggett is a recent discovery for me. Nice, nice , nice piano player and really great on the B3 organ. I really have enjoyed other artists on this French series "Blues Reference" from Black and Blue. They carved a niche getting good US blues players over to France and recording them in really well-produced sessions. (Jimmy Johnson, Magic Slim, JB Hutto, Luther Guitar Jr Johnson, and about fifty others) Especially good since some of the blues recordings of the lesser-known artists in the 70's were poorly produced affairs trying to cater to a rapidly changing market.

Jazz vocalist, actress and model Melissa Pace Tanner has sung in many different bands over the years. Her alto voice is light and smooth, like a good wine. In more recent years Melissa has been focusing on her love of jazz, with her first solo album released in February 2004. Melissa's velvety sexy voice gives new life to Jazz classics such as "The Joint Is Jumpin'", "My Funny Valentine", and "Waters Of March".

This on-point guide to growing up by Instagram sensation Mari Andrew captures the feelings and comical complexities of millenials and adulthood with essays and illustrations. In the journey toward adulthood, it is easy to find yourself treading the path of those who came before you; the path often appears straight and narrow, with a few bumps in the road and a little scenery to keep you inspired.

It shouldn't be surprising that Harold Ashby has a decidedly Ellington slant to this CD. A tenor saxophonist in the mold of Ben Webster (who first introduced him to the maestro) Ashby was a frequent substitute on call until he replaced the departed Jimmy Hamilton in 1968, where he remained until the year after Ellington's death. On this relatively rare date as a leader, the veteran devotes half of his program to music from the vast Ellington repertoire, including a strutting take of "What Am I Here For?" and a lush treatment of "Mood Indigo" that initially features Mulgrew Miller's old-fashioned stride piano and Rufus Reid's arco bass in unison with Ashby.

Being used by God is an adventure you won’t want to miss!

Being used by God is an adventure you won't want to miss!