The Whole Music Experience

Jazz Joe Locke   Lay Down My Heart Blues & Ballads, Vol. 1   Motema On his January release, Wish Upon a Star , jazz vibraphonist Joe Locke paired up with Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra exploring rich harmonics of popular songs.  And on Lay Down My Heart , Locke dives into blues and ballads thus creating another set of relaxing songs for people to unwind at the end of the day (this mission mentioned in the liner notes).  Opening with Bill Wither’s signature tune, Ain’t No Sunshine , we might say that the musical journey also heads down memory lane.  The blues y cover Makin ' Whoopee (Walter Donaldson/Gus K ahn), offers a similar respite. Locke’s original, Broken Toy possesses a sweet and lilting motif that both charms and relaxing with its interlocking vibraphone and piano.  Bittersweet (Sam Jones) picks up the tempo in be bop fashion.  Then the pace slows way down on I Can’t Make You Love Me (Michael Reid/Allen Shamblin) w...

The Joe Locke Quartet Lincoln Symphony Orchestra Wish Upon a Star Motema When I was in second or third grade, the music teacher introduced me to musical timbre and I fell in love with musical instruments as well as, instrumental arrangements.   Enters jazz vibraphonist Joe Locke and his collaboration with the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra on the lush recording Wish Upon a Star and I remember those early days of my love affair with music. When music audiences think of jazz or pop musicians recording with symphonies, they usually recall walls of strings arrangements from the 1960s and early 1970s, but this recording offers a lot more musical flavors, jazz grooves, and musical twists than those 1960s collaborations.   In fact, this partnership shows us where enchantment meets with adventure.   I would use the adjectives beautiful and exciting to describe the six arrangements that appear on the CD, including two originals penned by Locke, Avai...

Mark Sherman With Bill Cunliffe, John Chiodini, Charles Ruggiero The LA Sessions Miles High Records While I have reviewed instrumental recordings featuring an array of instruments Mark Sherman’s The LA Sessions is the first vibraphone album that has ended up in my mailbox. Vibraphones have wonderful resonance that warms up the heart chakra and the be bop jazz classics that appear on this recording certainly provide an uplifting groove.  Sherman’s quartet includes Bill Cunliffe on hammond organ, John Chiodini on guitar, and Charles Ruggiero on drums and this combo's be bop renovations turn heads and get feet tapping. This uptempo album features songs by Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Miles Davis, Milt Jackson, John Coltrane, Benny Golson, Burke Van Heusen, and one lone track by Sherman.  The album acts as an homage to the musicians who inspired Sherman during his formative years and when at 18 years of age he switched from drums to vibraphone t...