By Esther Callens
Quartet Plus (First Orbit Sounds Music), the latest offering from Jazz guitarist, composer, educator and bandleader Mason Razavi, has proven to be quite impressive. Although this is Razavi’s sophomore release, he has confirmed that he knows great jazz and can perform and record with the best of them. Quartet Plus is comprised of eight tracks that are all Razavi originals. Half of the album features the quartet while the other half incorporates a horn section. Additionally the compositions are thoroughly modern and they run the gamut from smooth ballads to extraordinary improvisational numbers. The tracks Highrise and Moonlit Message are not to be missed.
Album listings: Moonlit Message; Highrise; From Thoughts to Words; Urban Jungle Blues; Prayer For Newtown; Luck Has Nothing To Do With It; Song for Another Day; Mad Dance. Album personnel: Mason Razavi (electric and nylon string guitar); Bennett Roth-Newell (piano and Keyboards); Dan Robbins (bass); Cody Rhodes (drums ); Justin Smith (trumpet and flugelhorn 1,5,6,8); Ben Torres (alto sax, flute, clarinet 1,5,6,8); Oscar Pangilinan (tenor sax, clarinet 1,5,6,8); Kevin Bryson (trombone 1,5,6,8); Cory wright (bari sax, clarinet, bass clarinet 1,5,6,8).
It goes without saying that award-winning singer and songwriter Jamila Ford is a powerhouse of a vocalist. Her range is exceptional and her vocals are impeccable. The Deep End, her latest album, showcases just how multifaceted this songstress is (in case you didn’t already know!). It offers four wonderful interpretations with an extraordinary original (Silencio) that Ford penned herself. The Deep End absolutely presents Ford in her element – making beautiful music.
Album listings: All Blues; Gentle Rain; Silencio; Sugar; Wild is the Wind.
Album personnel: Jamila Ford (vocals); Mitchell Long (guitar on tracks 1,2,3,4,5); Pete Kuzma (piano on tracks 1,2,3,4); Leslie King (bass on tracks 1,2,3,4); Chuck Staab (drums on tracks 1,2,3,4); Pete Korpella (percussion on tracks 3,5); Anthony Bonsera (trumpet on track2, flugelhorn on track 3).
