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Vocals? Sorta
by Patrick Burnette
From time to time this august podcast discusses the jazz vocal arts and opinions are expressed. Heavy hitters like Sinatra, Fitzgerald, Vaughan, and Torme have all been inspected. For this episode, the boys venture to the odder corners of the jazz vocal realm, looking at projects where the vocalist isn't the only--or sometimes even the main--talent featured. Also we talk about ELO. Playlist Discussion of Frankie Laine's album Jazz Spectacular (Columbia) 2:34 Discussion of Astrud Gilberto's album Follow ...
Continue ReadingDeborah Silver: Deborah Silver with the Count Basie Orchestra: Basie Rocks!
by Jack Bowers
Basie Rocks! A great idea? One best left on the cutting-room floor? Or perhaps a little of both? There are reasonable arguments to be made on all sides of the equation. On the one hand, this is the one and only Count Basie Orchestra, swinging in its own exceptional way. On the other, the orchestra has joined forces on every number with Mississippi-bred pop-rock singer Deborah Silver, the latest in a series of acclaimed guest vocalists that includes Ella Fitzgerald, ...
Continue ReadingDeborah Silver: Deborah Silver with the Count Basie Orchestra: Basie Rocks!
by Kyle Simpler
Jazz musicians frequently cover popular songs, but few do it quite like vocalist Deborah Silver. With Basie Rocks!, Silver teams up with the iconic Count Basie Orchestra for a genre-crossing collection that you truly have to hear to believe. This is a groove-charged big band album that reimagines classic rock and pop classics through the swinging lens of traditional jazz. While that premise might sound gimmicky on paper, the result is total sonic satisfaction. Produced by ...
Continue ReadingKurt Elling and Peter Erskine at the Michigan Theater
by C. Andrew Hovan
Kurt Elling Celebrates Weather Report featuring Peter Erskine Michigan Theater 49th Performance of the 146th UMS Season Ann Arbor, Michigan April 11, 2025 With two Grammy Awards to his name and a long list of press accolades--including holding the top spot in the DownBeat Critics and Readers Polls for over a decade--vocalist Kurt Elling could easily rest on his laurels. But instead, he continues to push creative boundaries, embarking on projects that many would ...
Continue ReadingAda Rovatti: The Hidden World Of Piloo
by Katchie Cartwright
Ada Rovatti's curiously titled album, The Hidden World of Piloo, has a tale attached (and a tail). Piloo is an affectionate name Rovatti's father has called her since childhood, after a “naughty" cat in a favorite children's book. She adopted it for her label as well (Piloo Records). Rovatti grew up in Mortara, Italy, outside of Milan, in an unusual household. Her mother was a semi-pro softball player and her dad a geologist, professional hunter and purveyor of cars. The ...
Continue ReadingElling, McLorin Salvant and Fortner: A Wish (Valentine)
by Katchie Cartwright
Clarence Penn: Behind the Voice
by Dan Bilawsky
Drummer Clarence Penn, a serious force on the scene for more than three decades, has worked with a who's who of vocalists--Betty Carter, Kandace Springs, Luciana Souza, Kate McGarry, Nellie McKay, Claudia Acuña, Paula Cole, Melissa Walker and Nneena Freelon, to name just a few. He knows more than a thing or two about history and creativity behind the voice, and he's here to show it with this sharply-constructed date. Working with a stacked lineup of singers and instrumentalists, and ...
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