Brent Peterson

Lucky Peterson - Beyond Cool (1993) {Verve 521 147-2} (ft. Laurent Cugny)
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© 1993 Verve / Polydor / PolyGram / Gitanes Jazz | 521 147-2
Blues / Blues Rock / Soul Blues / Modern Electric Blues / Funk Blues

Here Lucky goes to Memphis. Several years into a solo career, the former blues whiz kid plays good keyboards and guitar, and sings stirringly on originals and covers from all over the black music map (Stevie Wonder, Jimi Hendrix, Les McCann & Eddie Harris, blues piano master Roosevelt Sykes, etc.) His modern soul-cum-blues is hot, sweaty, and aggressive, and he gets the job done in busy arrangements shared with the Memphis Horns, honey-throated back-up singers, and muscular hired guns like bassist Willie Weeks and drummer Crusher Green. Peterson had the good sense to collaborate with New Yorker Jim Payne when writing five songs for the album, including the killer slow blues instrumental that doubles as the album title.

Laurent Cugny & Orchestre National de Jazz - In Tempo (1996) {Verve 532 438-2}
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© 1996 Verve / PhonoGram / PolyGram | 532 438-2
Jazz / Modern Big Band / Contemporary Jazz / Progressive Jazz

Produced by Laurent Cugny and Daniel Richard for L'orchestre National de Jazz. Laurent Cugny - Bandleader. Ranks alongside George Gruntz as prime European contemporary composer, leader. His large orchestra is remniscent of Gil Evans big band in final stages; his pieces have quirky, unpredictable quality, as do his recordings.

Buddy Rich - Argo, Emarcy & Verve Small Group Sessions (1953-61) [7CD Set] (2005) {Mosaic MD7-232}
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© 2005 Mosaic / Universal | MD7-232 | 24-bit remaster
Jazz / Mainstream Jazz / Bop / Drums

Buddy Rich, the most remarkable drummer to ever play jazz, can easily have his career divided into three. During 1937-1945 he was a notable sideman with big bands including those of Bunny Berigan, Artie Shaw, and Tommy Dorsey. In 1966 he formed his own successful orchestra that capitulated him to his greatest fame. During the 20 years in between, Rich led short-lived bebop big bands, a variety of combos, toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic, recorded with all-star groups, and had stints with the orchestras of Dorsey and Harry James. This seven-CD set draws its material from Rich's second period and it can also be divided into two. The first half has Rich recording for producer Norman Granz in a variety of combos.

Livin' Too Close to the Edge is an exciting, blistering set of contemporary blues, drivin by Sonny Rhodes's innovative lap steel playing.

Even though he has had a spot with the Oscar Peterson Quartet since 1997 and has been on four Ray Brown CDs, including Some of My Best Friends Are…Guitarists, Ulf Wakenius has not yet gained the name recognition accorded to other European guitarists such as Philip Catherine. It's hard to figure out why, given his prodigious talent, which he displays in the company of fine New York jazz musicians, plus Danish pianist Niels Lans Doky. Wakenius favors the cleaner-cut to guitar. Individual notes can be heard and chords are not overly complex. He shows his harmonic creativity on such cuts as "The Way You Look Tonight." This cut has Wakenius making exceptional use of space, understanding that the guitar has to stop and breathe every now and then rather than demonstrating how fast and furious the axe can be played…