j-notes.com

Three for Tuesday

      

Three great new releases hit the stores today. I have had the pleasure of listening to each album and I am very impressed.

Jeremy Pelt – Close To My Heart – MAXJAZZ

Jeremy Pelt has big chops, great stage presence and enormous talent for composing and playing. He’s one of those rare young performers who seems like he’s been around a very long time, because he loves what he’s doing and is very comfortable doing it. Moreover, he is all about being himself.

Geoffrey Keezer – Falling Up – MAXJAZZ

Due to his taking to the piano at age three, Geoffrey Keezer worked early with such legends of jazz as Dizzy Gillespie, Ray Brown and Art Blakey, becoming the last pianist – and one of the youngest at age 18 – to join Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Keezer has also played with current jazz stars Benny Golson, Diana Krall, Joshua Redman and Dianne Reeves among others. Most frequently, he has collaborated and toured with the Christian McBride Band. As a leader, Keezer leads a variety of groups spanning jazz, classical, rock and world genres.

Various Artists – A Twist of Motown – GRP

Guitarist/producer Lee Ritenour brings a fresh twist to Motown classics on A Twist of Motown. Ritenour’s latest CD in the the Twist Of series brings together a host of contemporary jazz stars including George Benson, Gerald Albright, Richard Elliot, Bob James, Mindi Abair, and others. Vocal guests include Will Downing on The Temptations classic, “Just My Imagination”, Lisa Fischer (yes, Lisa Fischer!!!) on “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and Brenda Russell on “Tracks of My Tears.”

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2003 at 8:37 pm. It is filed under Music News/Info and tagged with A Twist of Motown, Bob James, Brenda Russell, Close to My Heart, Falling Up, Geoffrey Keezer, George Benson, Jeremy Pelt, Lee Ritenour, Lisa Fischer, Mindi Abair, Richard Elliot, Will Downing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.