Sunday Music Muse Day - Steve Brown / Guillermo Bazzola, John Stein

The Sunday Music Muse Day marks the opening weekend of the Rochester International Jazz Festival. I'm looking forward to catching some of the performances.  In the meantime, here's two guitar offerings to act as a warm up.  First, John Stein Lifeline, a compilation of 20 + years of Stein's recordings. After buying my first John Stein CD back in 2019 , I wrote, "quick online search reveals he is a "Internationally renowned jazz guitarist... born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri USA ...His talent for and love of music ultimately earned him a faculty position at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he is a Professor in the Harmony Department.  John Stein is an experienced teacher, clinician, recording artist, and author. John has performed as a leader or a sideman with some of the world’s finest jazz acts, and his compositions and performances cover the spectrum of jazz styles."  He has 14 releases to his credit, still I've never come across him before. " Well, counting this 2 disc set I have sixof his CDs , and will continue to seek out more. His being a jazz guitar instructior and performer reminds me of my friend Bob Sneider, will be was busy this performing the RIJF, in several venue., including MC at the after hours jam seesion. Check the festival schedule to seek him out. Maybe someday, there's be a John Stein-Bob Sneider festival gig.

My second selection is semi-shot in the dark.  Steve Brown / Guillermo Bazzola - Jazz Guitar Duo, Una Penquena Alegria. Although, I do have another CD by Guillermo Bazzola I bought without hearing of him before. I sampled a cut at the Bop Shop Record store and thought was worth a try.  I did enjoy it, so this was also worth a chance.  Steve Brown was also another guitarist I wasn't familiar with, but this duo recording makes me want to hear more of his music.

Again, if you have a chance, go out and support our local jazz by attending a couple of the many performances of the RIJF.  There are always plenty of free events on Gibb Street, renames "Jazz Street", and at Parcel 5, across the Sibley Building on Main St.  See you there.
 

Sunday Music Muse Day - John Stein, Marcus Doneus

Another gloomy, gray day in Rochester, NY. Just the perfect time to explore some new music.  First up, John Stein No Goodbyes, an excellent and breezy trio set with a vocalist on several tracks, especially in the wake of the serious medical event the struck John at the end of covid (read the first two paragraphs of the liner notes pic) that could have spelled the end of his playing days. This is my fifth  CD I've picked up of his music, which I've come to enjoy immensely. He musical status as performer and educator, being a college jazz guitar instructor, reminds me  of friend, Bob Sneider, and other local musician friends, who are also jazz instructors at The Eastman School of Music, and preforms with their own groups, appears in various venues around town. Their dedicated to the music rings out in every note.  For John Stein, "No Goodbyes" is a welcomed title, and well worth a listen.

My second selection is another one of my shots in the dark, since I had never heard of the guitarist.  Marcus Doneus Spirit of the String. With the phase "Acoustic Fingerstyle Guitar", behind his name, I had an idea what to expect and I wasn't wrong.  This is a 2004 release from Austria, but I can't find much background on the guitarist himself.  It's interesting to me as a guitar player, he notes the string tunings of each song after their title. This is pleasant guitar music in the same vain as Windham Hill recordings of Michael Hedges, Leo Kottke, and French guitarist Pierre Bensusan, to name a few.  I like listening to this type acoustic playing on occasion. Although it can border "New Age" music, but it also can be good background music for causal social gathering.  Again, if you're in a mellow mood, it's worth a listen.

As I finish writing this, we're getting a heavy rain down pour.  Better that than snow that's in our forecast in a few days.  The weather just add a texture to the music.  Enjoy.

Sunday Music Muse Day - John Stein, Julian Lage

This Sunday Music Muse Day still finds us in the glow of the Holiday Season.  But personally I've had enough of the Christmas music, sorry.  So, lets move on with these two selections from two jazz guitarists I've only personally discovered in the past few years.  First, John Stein Watershed is the jazz guitartist's first effort after stepping down from his long teaching career at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. This a nice straight ahead seesion of most original.  I'll be sure to look for more John Stein CDs.

Next is Julian Lage Squint. Lage is well known Grammy Awards (2010, 2018, & 2019) winning guitarist, "A child prodigy, Lage was the subject of the 1996 short documentary film Jules at Eight.^[1] At 12, he performed at the 2000 Grammy Awards." - Wikipedia. I just hadn't come across him before several years ago.  Squint is his latest release and has shown up on several Jazz best albums of the year list.  I do have several of his releases as a leader and with other leaders like vibraphonist Gary Burton. So, I guess for me it's better late than never.

As we continue our Holiday Season, stay safe, stay health, and enjoy family and friends.  And be grateful for the good things in your life. Enjoy, and peace.

Sunday Music Muse Day - John Stein, Kenny Werner Lionel Loueke

This Super Bowl Sunday edition of my Sunday Music Muse Day finds me skipping all the pre-game hype and enjoying the following tunes. First up, is a follow up one last's week selection with John Stein and Dave Zinno Wood and Strings. After enjoying my first intro to John Stein's music with his Color Tones CD, I picked up this one.  Wood and Strings is mellow guitar and bass outing squarely in the tradition and feel of legendary performances of Jim Hall (guitarist) and Ron Carter (bassist) as compared to in the liner notes by John Thomas, Field Editor of Fretboard Journal, a high end, high quality magazine for string instrument players. That very great compliment and worth earned with this CD.

 Next up is a CD titled Coalition with Kenny Werner pianist-composer (noted in online reviews as nominally the leader), Lionel Loueke, guitar, bass, and vocals, Miguel Zenon, alto saxophone, Benjamin Koppel, saxophones, ans Ferenc Nemeth, drums.  Online reviewers praise the music for its international flavor. I picked this up due to guitarist  Lionel Loueke, as he was the only musician on the project I knew,  I've given it several listens and it doesn't quite jell for me, and I really can't put my finger on why not.  The over all feel is too choppy in a way.  That's the best I can describe for now.  But, I haven't given up on it totally.  Some times to let music grow on you.

So, as kickoff nears, lets hope for good game. no blow out by half-time. (Sorry, not picking a winner) I usually mute the half-game show, since they rarely have a good a jazz act (just kidding).  Enjoy the game.

Sunday Music Muse Day - Jake Hertzog, John Stein

This Sunday Music Muse day find me encountering a typical Rochester morning. Up at 7:30 am to light snow, followed by heavy blowing snow result in near whiteout conditions. Ten minutes later bright sunshine, and still cold as the North Pole. You got to love it. Nothing better to do than to do a little house cleaning and listen to some new tunes.  I did just that with two guitarist who were new to me. I previewed them at the record shop and decided to give them a try.  First up, Jake Hertzog Throwback, it's in the vain of the post Pat Metheny new generation of jazz guitarists, like Gilad Hekselman and Matthew Stevens.  An online search describes him as "a critically-acclaimed guitarist, composer and educator whose music transcends genres ranging from jazz and jazz/rock to contemporary classical."  Throwback is solid outing, with able assist by Randy Brecker (Grammy Award winner with Brecker Bros. and countless others) on trumpet and flugelhorn.  The liner notes are by Bill Milkowski, who. I think, is friends with some of my musician friends.  Hertzog has six CDs out, so I'll have to keep an eye out for them.

Next up is and another shot in the dark for me is John Stein Color Tones. Again, the cover art and packaging caught my eye and I'm always on the hunt for new guitarists.  I quick online search reveals he is a "Internationally renowned jazz guitarist... born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri USA ...His talent for and love of music ultimately earned him a faculty position at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where he is a Professor in the Harmony Department.  John Stein is an experienced teacher, clinician, recording artist, and author. John has performed as a leader or a sideman with some of the world’s finest jazz acts, and his compositions and performances cover the spectrum of jazz styles."  He has 14 releases to his credit, still I've never come across him before.  Color Tones is very enjoyable, easy swinging set of all original tunes, except for one.  I'll definitely pick up more of his other CDs, in fact there was another one at the record shop I'll pick up next time.

John Stein's cover art  make me miss the LP sized graphics, worth framing and hanging on a wall. Still the music the thing to enjoy.