In a modern jazz world where the forms of expression have become more varied and strange and untethered from the original sounds that marked the first giant steps of jazz, it’s a welcome experience to encounter a recording to remind us what got us all crazy about this music in the first place. Gerald Cleaver’s live performance recording at Firehouse 12 with his Violet Hour ensemble swings like mad as it charges straight ahead. The solos make you wish they’d never end except when the sextet comes back together and makes you wish for them to never part ways again. The production is such that it brings the electricity of the live environment right into your home without any drop-off, and, yet, also leave you a bit jealous of those who were there to hear it in person. This is Jazz today, this is Jazz as it ever was.
Your album personnel: Gerald Cleaver (drums), J.D. Allen (tenor sax), Andrew Bishop (bass clarinet, soprano & tenor saxophones), Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), Ben Waltzer (piano), and Chris Lightcap (bass).
Just a thrilling album from veteran flautist, Mark Weinstein, who employs concert, alto and bass flutes for this session. On Latin Jazz Underground, he's joined by a strong line-up consisting of bassist Rashaan Carter, drummer Gerald Cleaver, percussionist Roman Diaz, and pianist Aruan Ortiz. Ortiz composed the songs for…
This is one of those recordings where the musicians hurtle forward and anything that gets in their way does so at its own risk. But the driven intensity of the Detroit-Cleveland Trio of saxophonist Jason Rigby, bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Gerald Cleaver possesses the essential counterweight of differentiating…
And here we go. Let’s do some more catch-up on notifications about my latest Best Jazz on Bandcamp recommendations posting on The Bandcamp Daily. This monthly installment covers albums for November 2019. There’s ten primary recommendations in total, plus some bonus recommendations, to boot. There’s been no let-up on…
Jan 30 2020
Best of 2019 #22: Gerald Cleaver & Violet Hour – “Live at Firehouse 12”
Your album personnel: Gerald Cleaver (drums), J.D. Allen (tenor sax), Andrew Bishop (bass clarinet, soprano & tenor saxophones), Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), Ben Waltzer (piano), and Chris Lightcap (bass).
Released on Sunnyside Records.
Music from New York City.
I wrote about the album for The Bandcamp Daily.
Listen | Read more | Available at: Bandcamp – Amazon
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Mark Weinstein – “Latin Jazz Underground”
Just a thrilling album from veteran flautist, Mark Weinstein, who employs concert, alto and bass flutes for this session. On Latin Jazz Underground, he's joined by a strong line-up consisting of bassist Rashaan Carter, drummer Gerald Cleaver, percussionist Roman Diaz, and pianist Aruan Ortiz. Ortiz composed the songs for…
In "Jazz Recommendations"
Recommended: Jason Rigby: Detroit-Cleveland Trio – “One”
This is one of those recordings where the musicians hurtle forward and anything that gets in their way does so at its own risk. But the driven intensity of the Detroit-Cleveland Trio of saxophonist Jason Rigby, bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Gerald Cleaver possesses the essential counterweight of differentiating…
In "Jazz Recommendations"
Now up: November’s Best Jazz on Bandcamp recommendations
And here we go. Let’s do some more catch-up on notifications about my latest Best Jazz on Bandcamp recommendations posting on The Bandcamp Daily. This monthly installment covers albums for November 2019. There’s ten primary recommendations in total, plus some bonus recommendations, to boot. There’s been no let-up on…
In "Announcement - Music"
By davesumner • Recap: Best of 2019 • 0 • Tags: Best Jazz of 2019, Chris Lightcap, Gerald Cleaver, JD Allen, Jeremy Pelt, New York City, Sunnyside Records