BOB MINTZER BIG BAND/NEW YORK VOICES, Meeting of Minds
One of the sturdiest, most stylistically adventurous ensembles in contemporary jazz, the Bob Mintzer Big Band began its more than three...
THE JW VIBE
Music That Sticks To My Soul
Jonathan Widran
- Jun 3, 2018
JIM BRICKMAN, Home
Since the release of his debut album No Words, in 1994, pianist/composer Jim Brickman has not only become, as his website bills him,...
Jonathan Widran
- Jun 3, 2018
MICHAEL GETTEL, The Art of Nature
When it comes to conveying the majesty and mystery of planet Earth and all its attendant glories, Michael Gettel is a musical...
Jonathan Widran
- Jun 3, 2018
DAVID LANZ, Songs From an English Garden
As David Lanz demonstrates Songs From an English Garden, his first ambition in life was to be a rock & roll pianist based on the music he...
Jonathan Widran
- Jun 3, 2018
YANNI, Devotion: The Best of Yanni
For a time in the mid-'90s, Private Music was issuing Yanni samplers on a regular basis, prompting the casual fan to wonder if the...
Jonathan Widran
- Jun 3, 2018
LEE RITENOUR & DAVE GRUSIN, Amparo
The careers of these two jazz legends have diverged wildly since they celebrated a lifetime of friendship and collaborations with their...
Jonathan Widran
- Jun 3, 2018
MAYSA, Metamorphosis
One of the most sensuous singers in the urban adult contemporary/urban jazz realm since the early '90s, Maysa's unique dual career, while...
Jonathan Widran
- Jun 2, 2018
40TH ANNUAL PLAYBOY JAZZ FESTIVAL at The Hollywood Bowl
When Hugh Hefner died in September 2017, Andrew Dalton of the Associated Press wrote that he “turned silk pajamas into a work uniform,...
Jonathan Widran
- May 30, 2018
ALESSA RAY, "Mamacita"
The timing of Alessa Ray’s wildly infectious, hard not to sing and groove along with Spanglish track “Mamacita” couldn’t be better. In a...
Jonathan Widran
- May 25, 2018
FLOW Live at the Grammy Museum
A little over a year ago, when I first got wind of the newly formed new age/contemporary instrumental super group FLOW, I immediately...
Jonathan Widran
- May 24, 2018
STEVE HOBBS, Tribute To Bobby
In his deeply detailed liner notes to an excellent ensemble album that embodies the enduring sonic magic of the marimba and vibes, Steve...
Jonathan Widran
- May 24, 2018
BRAD GARTON/DAVE SOLDIER, The Brainwave Music Project
If you’ve ever wondered if human beings could dissect the art form of jazz in meaningful scientific ways, this fascinating but sonically...