Monday, July 20, 2026
Kenny Garrett • Sounds from the Ancestors
Review from DownBeat (by James Hale)
Always a highly percussive saxophonist, Kenny Garrett has found an exceptional partner in drummer Ronald Bruner. Their connection pushes Garrett to some intense heights... In sum, this is a rare artwork that has a clear conceit yet doesn't sound contrived. In addition, Garrett succeeds at combining deep, joyous grooves like 'When The Days Were Different,' introspective solo piano explorations, and the ecstasy of his freer improvisations without making the album seem like a pastiche of styles.
httpsdownbeat.comreviewsdetailsounds-from-the-ancestors
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Resena de DownBeat (por James Hale)
Siempre un saxofonista profundamente percusivo, Kenny Garrett ha encontrado un companero excepcional en el baterista Ronald Bruner. Su conexion impulsa a Garrett hacia momentos de enorme intensidad... En conjunto, esta es una obra poco comun con un concepto muy definido que nunca resulta forzado. Garrett logra combinar grooves profundos y jubilosos como 'When The Days Were Different', exploraciones introspectivas al piano y la energia extatica de sus improvisaciones sin que el album parezca un collage de estilos.
httpsdownbeat.comreviewsdetailsounds-from-the-ancestors
Brian Charette • You Don't Know Jack
Review from DownBeat (by Michael J. West):
With the Hammond organ riding a wave of visibility it hasn't seen since late-'60s soul jazz, what better stratagem than a tribute to one of the avatars of that sound? Brian Charette first established himself in New York playing at a Harlem club on an organ that once belonged to "Brother" (or "Captain") Jack McDuff, whose vinegary sound and soulful licks Charette successfully channels and extends on You Don't Know Jack! It's not an album of McDuff's music, per se; only two of his tunes, the blues "Jolly Black Giant" and the bossa nova "6:30 In The Morning," stand against originals by Charette (and one by tenor saxophonist Cory Weeds, who also produced the album in Vancouver). But it groks the sound and style that made McDuff tick, compositionally -- place Charette's opening "Early America" next to McDuff's 1969 "Theme From An Electric Surfboard" and see if they're not congruent -- and improvisationally. "Microcosmic Orbit" might sound like a title from a Sun Ra record, but it's a vehicle for the kind of punctilious, singsong phrasings that McDuff loved. (Not to mention his weirdly scratchy organ timbre; I don't know how the hell McDuff made that sound, but Charette does.) All that is not to say that there's no originality on You Don't Know Jack! The title track, oddly enough, features Charette playing a hiccup-y blues line that Jack would probably never touch. And while Weeds and guitarist Dave Sikula easily evoke the greasy, gritsy feel of down-home soul jazz, neither conjures the sound of any instrumentalist in particular. (As for drummer John Lee, he simply and tastefully swings: What else is there?) What's more, Weeds' "Have You Met Joan?" is a Bird-style bebop head that, for its six-minute length, recontextualizes the whole affair.
https://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/you-dont-know-jack
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Resena de DownBeat (por Michael J. West):
Con el organo Hammond cabalgando una ola de visibilidad que no habia visto desde el soul jazz de finales de los 60, que mejor estrategia que un tributo a uno de los avatares de ese sonido? Brian Charette se establecio por primera vez en Nueva York tocando en un club de Harlem en un organo que una vez pertencio al "Brother" (o "Captain") Jack McDuff, cuyo sonido avinagrado y sus licks llenos de alma Charette canaliza y extiende exitosamente en You Don't Know Jack! No es un album de la musica de McDuff, per se; solo dos de sus temas, el blues "Jolly Black Giant" y la bossa nova "6:30 In The Morning", se enfrentan a los originales de Charette (y uno del saxofonista tenor Cory Weeds, quien tambien produjo el album en Vancouver). Pero capta el sonido y el estilo que hacia funcionar a McDuff, composicionalmente -- coloca el "Early America" de apertura de Charette junto al "Theme From An Electric Surfboard" de McDuff de 1969 y comprueba si no son congruentes -- e improvisacionalmente. "Microcosmic Orbit" podria sonar como un titulo de un disco de Sun Ra, pero es un vehiculo para el tipo de fraseados meticulosos y cantarines que McDuff amaba. (Sin mencionar su extranamente aspero timbre de organo; no se como diablos McDuff lograba ese sonido, pero Charette si lo sabe.) Todo eso no quiere decir que no haya originalidad en You Don't Know Jack! El tema titular, curiosamente, presenta a Charette tocando una linea de blues sincopada que Jack probablemente nunca tocaria. Y si bien Weeds y el guitarrista Dave Sikula evocan facilmente el sabor grasiento y rasposo del soul jazz de barrio, ninguno conjura el sonido de ningun instrumentista en particular. (En cuanto al baterista John Lee, simplemente swingea con buen gusto: que mas hay que decir?) Ademas, "Have You Met Joan?" de Weeds es un head de bebop al estilo de Bird que, en sus seis minutos de duracion, recontextualiza todo el asunto.
https://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/you-dont-know-jack
Eddie Kirkland • Man of Stone
Review from eCoustics (by Glen Strauss):
Craft Recordings' Bluesville series continues to make the case that blues deserves the same serious reissue treatment usually reserved for jazz titles. Originally released in 1962 on Bluesville, Kirkland's album returned on June 12, 2026 with AAA remastering from the original analog tapes by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab, 180 gram vinyl pressed at Quality Record Pressings, a tip on jacket, obi strip, and new notes by Scott Billington.
It's the Blues Man! arrived in 1962 on Tru-Sound, the short-lived Prestige imprint, and it sounds like a record made by someone who had already put in the miles. Rudy Van Gelder engineered the session, and the presence of King Curtis and his band gives the album its shape: tight, swinging, and grounded in R&B without losing its blues center. There is no museum dust here, and thankfully no attempt to make Kirkland sound more respectable than necessary. The album moves with real range. "Train Done Gone" has forward motion, "Man of Stone" digs into a tougher groove, and its later appearance in John Mayall's world says something about how far Kirkland's writing carried. The slower material, including "I'm Gonna Forget You" and "Have Mercy on Me," shows that Kirkland did not need volume or stage theatrics to make the songs land.
Eddie Kirkland was not shaped by classrooms, critics, or anyone's tidy blues origin story. His own account placed his birth in Jamaica in 1923, though the details around his early life have never been perfectly clean, which somehow feels appropriate for a musician who spent most of his career moving. Raised in Alabama, Kirkland learned by doing: church music, street corners, road bands, long nights, bad rooms, better rooms, and whatever passed for opportunity when nobody was handing out invitations. Detroit became one of the important stops. That is where Kirkland spent years working with John Lee Hooker, which was less a job than a nightly lesson in feel, instinct, and how to survive behind a performer who did not always treat rhythm like a posted speed limit. Kirkland absorbed that looseness without becoming a copy. He had his own thing: lean, sharp, direct, and a little rough around the edges in the best possible way.
https://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/eddie-kirkland-blues-man/
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Resena de eCoustics (por Glen Strauss):
La serie Bluesville de Craft Recordings sigue demostrando que el blues merece el mismo tratamiento serio de reedicion usualmente reservado para titulos de jazz. Originalmente publicado en 1962 en Bluesville, el album de Kirkland regreso el 12 de junio de 2026 con remasterizacion AAA de las cintas analogicas originales por Matthew Lutthans en The Mastering Lab, vinil de 180 gramos prensado en Quality Record Pressings, cubierta tip on, obi strip y nuevas notas de Scott Billington.
It's the Blues Man! llego en 1962 a Tru-Sound, el efimero sello de Prestige, y suena como un disco grabado por alguien que ya habia recorrido muchos kilometros. Rudy Van Gelder ingeniero la sesion, y la presencia de King Curtis y su banda le da forma al album: ajustado, swingueante, y arraigado en el R&B sin perder su centro blues. No hay polvo de museo aqui, ni intento de hacer que Kirkland suene mas respetable de lo necesario. El album se mueve con un rango real. "Train Done Gone" tiene movimiento hacia adelante, "Man of Stone" se hunde en un groove mas duro, y su posterior aparicion en el mundo de John Mayall dice algo sobre hasta donde llego la escritura de Kirkland. El material mas lento, incluyendo "I'm Gonna Forget You" y "Have Mercy on Me", muestra que Kirkland no necesitaba volumen ni teatralidad escénica para que las canciones calaran.
Eddie Kirkland no fue moldeado por aulas, criticos ni la historia de origen del blues que a nadie le queda perfecta. Su propio relato situa su nacimiento en Jamaica en 1923, aunque los detalles de su vida temprana nunca han sido perfectamente claros, lo que de alguna manera resulta apropiado para un musico que paso la mayor parte de su carrera moviéndose. Criado en Alabama, Kirkland aprendio haciendo: musica de iglesia, esquinas de calles, bandas de carretera, largas noches, malos locales, mejores locales, y lo que fuera que pasara por oportunidad cuando nadie repartia invitaciones. Detroit fue una de las paradas importantes. Alli fue donde Kirkland paso anos trabajando con John Lee Hooker, lo que era menos un trabajo que una leccion nocturna de feeling, instinto y como sobrevivir detras de un interprete que no siempre trataba el ritmo como un limite de velocidad publicado. Kirkland absorbe esa soltura sin convertirse en una copia. Tenia su propia cosa: delgada, afilada, directa y un poco aspera en los bordes de la mejor manera posible.
https://www.ecoustics.com/reviews/eddie-kirkland-blues-man/
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