Derek Ansell, Author at Jazz Journal

Reviewed: Jaden Evans | Kalya Ramu | Fred Hersch, Steve LaSpina, Jeff Hirshfield | Dann Zinn | Donna Brooks | Bill Evans

Derek Ansell — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 21:08:20 +0000

Jaden Evans: Evans On Evans (Shamus Records) Jaden Evans is only 16 as I write this, and he has done his own trio date with two leading players. As he’s Bill Evans’ grandson perhaps that’s not so surprising. Nor is it surprising it that he is a skilled pianist with a light touch. Here he […]

Reviewed: Simon Moullier | Frank Sinatra | Dafnis Prieto | A Plane To Catch | Otis Rush | Sara Oschlag

Derek Ansell — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 14:42:12 +0000

Simon Moullier: Elements Of Light (Candid 33441) The basic quartet here of Moullier with piano bass and drums is a strong post-bop unit. Moullier’s fleet lines on vibes flow along neatly enough and contrast with pianist Lex Corton’s bright and chunky chords. Both these two are good improvisers and the vibes man plays some solos […]

Jazz Revolutionary: The Life And Music Of Eric Dolphy

Derek Ansell — Wed, 30 Oct 2024 10:57:58 +0000

This is a thoroughly comprehensive, complete biography of Dolphy’s life and music. After an informative foreword by Jeff Schwartz and an introduction by the author, the first chapter gives a brief resumé of his parents, Eric Allen Dolphy Sr. and his mother, Sarah Jr, mixed-race immigrants from Jamaica, and then covers Dolphy’s birth. Eric began […]

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Obituary: Benny Golson

Derek Ansell — Wed, 09 Oct 2024 10:15:22 +0000

One of the last survivors of the golden age of bebop – the 1950s – tenor saxophonist and composer Benny Golson died on Saturday, 21 September at home in Manhattan. He was 95 and had been ill for a short time. Best known in the jazz world as a composer and tenor soloist, Golson produced […]

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Reviewed: Anders Malta | John Wright | Charlie Parker | Jerome Sabbagh

Derek Ansell — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 15:45:18 +0000

Anders Malta: Introducing Anders Malta Almost Big Band (April APR 13) Young Anders Malta, a student in 2016, heard the visiting Ernie Wilkins Almost Big Band and was impressed. The Danish composer, trumpeter decided to form his own with 13 musicians. I counted 15 on the back cover of this album but maybe they didn’t […]

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Gabriela Martina: States

Derek Ansell — Sat, 21 Sep 2024 09:57:29 +0000

Swiss singer works out her states of mind and the states of America through a mixture of Latin waltz, pastoral ballad, rock, funk and rap

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Ray Charles: The Best Of

Derek Ansell — Sun, 15 Sep 2024 09:01:00 +0000

Long-playing vinyl collection covers late the 50s and early 60s and illustrates Charles's range, from pop to blues, jazz, R&B and gospel

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Gianfranco Menzella: Dedicated To Bob Berg

Derek Ansell — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 10:28:30 +0000

Italian saxophonist Menzella leads piano, bass and drums in an authoritative tribute to the playing and repertoire of the late Bob Berg

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Duke Ellington & John Coltrane

Derek Ansell — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 10:16:02 +0000

Another reprise of one of Coltrane's post-Vanguard chillout albums, here adding two additional tracks, bright red vinyl and new sleeve notes

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The Notebooks Of Sonny Rollins

Derek Ansell — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 10:40:35 +0000

The famously self-examining saxophonist wrote telegraphic notes on his musical and spiritual progress and how much he fancied Gene Tierney

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