Tony Z

Keyboardist Tony Z uses the Hammond B-3 organ blues sound and style to paint a new tapestry of music on this disc. The groove on this album is immensely fortified by the formidable presence of Cornell Dupree on guitar, Bernard Purdie on drums and Chuck Rainey on bass as the rhythm section. But instead of aping the tunes and styles of B-3 masters like Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff or Groove Holmes, Tony comes to the plate with a batch of his own songs for this album. With Lenny Pickett emoting soulfully on saxophone and a two-song guest turn from Kim Wilson on harmonica, this session goes into realms previously uncharted by your Hammond B-3 practitioner, retro or otherwise. Highlights include "Voodootize Me Baby," "All Alone," "You Ain't Who You Think You Are" and "Communicate."

Keyboardist Tony Z uses the Hammond B-3 organ blues sound and style to paint a new tapestry of music on this disc. The groove on this album is immensely fortified by the formidable presence of Cornell Dupree on guitar, Bernard Purdie on drums and Chuck Rainey on bass as the rhythm section. But instead of aping the tunes and styles of B-3 masters like Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff or Groove Holmes, Tony comes to the plate with a batch of his own songs for this album. With Lenny Pickett emoting soulfully on saxophone and a two-song guest turn from Kim Wilson on harmonica, this session goes into realms previously uncharted by your Hammond B-3 practitioner, retro or otherwise. Highlights include "Voodootize Me Baby," "All Alone," "You Ain't Who You Think You Are" and "Communicate."

During the fall of 2013, they first met at November Music Festival and since then there has been a successful collaboration and a deep friendship between the Iranian kamancheh grand master Kayhan Kalhor and the three Dutch jazz musicians of the Rembrandt Frerichs Trio.

Tony Bennett and Diana Krall's partnership didn't begin with the 2018 duets album Love Is Here to Stay. Krall popped up on two prior duets albums from Bennett and the pair toured at the dawn of the 2000s, but Love Is Here to Stay marks their first full record together, and it's an elegant affair. Conceived as a tribute to George Gershwin, the album is filled with familiar tunes, but hints of imagination lurk around the edges, such as the revival of "Fascinating Rhythm," the tune Bennett recorded for his first single in 1949. Nearly 70 years separate that version of "Fascinating Rhythm" from this 2018 rendition, and while Bennett certainly sounds older – his voice is slightly raspy, he can't hit the high notes the way he used to, nor does he sing with quite as much force – he still sounds spry and commanding, happily dancing through these cozy melodies, singing with as much rhythm as lyricism.