Blogcritics Author: Big Geez

Music Review: Enclave - Enclave Diaspora

Big Geez — Thu, 8 Jan 2009 09:06:24 EST

Don't try to figure out the name -- just enjoy the music.
A few years back, multi-instrumentalist Hilary Noble brought his remarkable talents into a partnership with equally skilled pianist Rebecca Cline and formed Enclave, a group dedicated to their concept of an Afro-Latin/post-bop jazz fusion. The quartet's initial album, 2005's Enclave, found a receptive audience among jazz fans and critics...

Retro Redux: Granddad and the Victrola

Big Geez — Tue, 6 Jan 2009 09:20:53 EST

Music affects each of us in a different way.
When I look at old pictures, I sometimes see beyond the obvious subject matter and sort of re-imagine it. Or to be more accurate, I guess I should say that I combine what I see in the picture with selected memories, and throw in a touch of guesswork. The result can be interesting. Recently I ran across an unusual old picture of my maternal...

Retro Redux: The Beau Brummels' Answer To The British Invasion

Big Geez — Sun, 4 Jan 2009 05:24:04 EST

Even though one member of the group was British, they weren't quite what they seemed.
Pop music in the 1960's sometimes seemed to be all about bands like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and others -- an era that came to be known as the British Invasion. But there was also a secondary effect. Many of the American groups scrambling for success during that period found themselves - consciously or not - emulating the British bands....

Music Review: Michael Higgins - The Moon And The Lady Dancing

Big Geez — Fri, 2 Jan 2009 14:57:57 EST

Start off your new year with some solid, traditional jazz.
My first review of the new year is - ironically enough - an album that seems to have a couple of different issue dates. Jazz guitarist Michael Higgins' effort, The Moon And The Lady Dancing, appears to have been available in some spots last Summer, but the album's official street date is January 1st, 2009. But we're here to talk about...

Retro Redux: Ringing In The New Year With Auld Music

Big Geez — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 02:41:29 EST

With this information, you can be the envy of other party-goers...or maybe not.
I have to confess that I haven't been to a New Year's Eve party for a long time, but I would be willing to bet that at least a few party-goers will still follow the tradition of singing "Auld Lang Syne" when midnight arrives. I would also guess that most of them will have no idea of the origin of the song, and by that point of the...

Retro Redux: Sometimes You Can Have Too Much Tequila

Big Geez — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 22:25:28 EST

You might want to take some advice from the guys who made Tequila famous.
Now that Christmas is in the rear-view mirror, a lot of folks will be looking towards New Year's Eve for their next celebration. If you're one of those who plan to host a party, you might want to heed the advice of an oldies-era instrumental group -- it's possible to have too much tequila. In the late 1950's pop music was in a state...

Music Review: Cynthia Hilts - Second Story Breeze

Big Geez — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 02:54:05 EST

A lot of talent showcased in a small package -- a description that fits both the artist and her new album.
If you're unfamiliar with New York-based jazz artist Cynthia Hilts, you might assume that she's just one of many conventional female vocalists active on the current music scene. But if you listen to her new album, Second Story Breeze, now out on the Blond Coyote label, you'll discover that she's something special. Hilts is a...

Retro Redux: From Summer Camp To Pop Music Stardom

Big Geez — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 09:41:40 EST

Most kids come home from summer camp with a bag of dirty clothes and a case of poison ivy.
One of the quirkiest musical stories of the 1950s had to be that of the singing sisters known as Patience and Prudence. Their first two recordings reached hit status in the same year and that made them pretty special, but the really surprising part is that the young ladies were only 14 and 11 years old. The girls were the daughters of a...

Music Review: Barbara King - Perfect Timing

Big Geez — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 10:24:23 EST

Barbara makes her move. Was the timing really perfect?
Although she's been a hit on tour and in clubs for many years, New York-based jazz singer/songwriter Barbara King recently decided that the time was right to take her turn in the recording studio. Her debut album - appropriately named Perfect Timing - is now out on the CCC Music Group label, and it gives listeners the opportunity to see if she...

Retro Redux: How Grandma Found Her Christmas Groove

Big Geez — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 09:12:29 EST

Memorable holiday experiences can appear in unusual ways.
The music of ukulele wizard Jake Shimabukuro might seem to be an unusual starting point for a piece about memories of Christmas. But when that tune is something called "Grandma's Groove," it inevitably makes me remember my own grandmothers — and how they each found their holiday groove in different ways. My maternal grandmother...