Sunday Music Muse Day - Peter Erskine, Oz Noy

For today's Sunday Music Muse Day there are two more selections from the  Jazz90.1 Rochester Jazz Festival tent CD bin (see my last Sunday Music Muse Day post). First up,  Peter Erskine & the Jam Music Lab All-Stars - Vienna to Hollywood - Impressions of E.W. Korngold & Max Steiner (The CD title is a real mouthful)  Of course, Peter Erskine's name caught my eye, as I'm a fan of his drumming from his days with Weather Repor and his solo career as a leader.  I recognised Max Steiner as the composer of the 1933 King Kong movie score.  Erskine related the project started from him overhearing Joe Zawinul, the keyboardist and co-founder of Weather Report playing "one of the loveliest melodies I'd ever heard" at concert hall soundcheck.  Written by Erich von Krongold, who had fled Nazi Austria for hollywood to do film scoring. This is a really interesting CD for all the levels of music it explores and includes.

Next up is Oz Noy - Fun One. Oz Noy is a jazz fusion guitar I first came to know from a track on a CD of his that John Sneider, brother of Bob Sneider, played trumpet on.  This quartet session features several well-known jazz tunes, and great playing by Noy, so it's well worth giving it a listen.

There's been a heat wave sweeping the country, but I hope everyone is staying cool and safe.  Peace.

Bixby Grant - Private Eye: Fangs & Brimstone

I got a nice delivery as TGIF surprise, the latest Bixby Grant comic by Patrick Coyle, Writer/Artist, with extra goodies.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Gilad Barakan, Jason Keiser

For my Sunday Music Muse Day, is a by-product of the volunteering at the table for the Jazz90.1 radio station at last week's Rochester Jazz Festival.   One of the fun games for patrons who come by the table is a chance to win free music CD with the roll of over-sized foam dice.  Rounding  a "double" in two tries wins you a CD.  Derrick Lucas allows me to pick CDs from bin collected CDs, I try to pick well-known musicans as options for winners to choose from.  Derrick, knowing my love for new music, invited me to pick any CDs from the bin to take home.  So, here are two "Music from the Bin"selections.

First is Gilad Barakan - Unsettled. it seems to be a self-produced 2026 production. To be honest, I picked out for the CD cover art, and being featuring guitar . It's nice laid back quartet with Barakan on acoustic guitar, Ahmon Alom on piano, Tad Mashiach on bas, and Orfri Nehemya on drums.  I like the session, there hint of world music, a mediterranean vibe in some tunes, and I would like to hear from them, and see them live.

My second pick from the "Bin" is Jason Keiser - Kind of Kenny. Again, I choose this CD because Keiser is a guitarist, playing steel string& nylon string acoustic guitars.and because he is joined by well-known guitarist John Stowell. I have several of Stowell's CDs and saw him perform in duet with Bob Sneider at the Bop Shop Record store several years ago. Rounding out the quintet is Danielle Wertz, vocals, Erik Jekabson on Trumpet and flugelhorn, and Mickael Zilber on tenor and soprano saxophones.  This very much a tribute CD of music of the late Kenny Wheeler (1930-2014).  I knew of Kenny Wheeler from his ECM recordings as a leader and sideman. This very interesting and satisfiying recording.  Well worth a listen.

For this 4th of July weekend, the country is celebration (as best as we can) 250th anniversary of the birth of the nation. It's bittersweet considering he current stressful political situation, but "We the People" will endure, and work together to get back on the right track for benefit of every American.

Peace.