Ben Higgins Badass Downnload

As much as my favourite rock and metal bands kept fuelling my inspiration, the first guitarist who really turned my head around was Joe Satriani with his Surfing With The Alien album. His playing seemed untouchable… divine, in fact. However, the player who spoke to me the most is Marty Friedman. It's the way he really gets into his guitar and bends and phrases like his hands are both elasticated but also made of iron… the passion of a true master. Ben Higgins

Eddie Higgins - It's Magic (2006)
Smooth Classic Jazz/Bop | Venus Records, Tokyo | MP3 | VBR 192-320 | inlay scans | 64:16 | 137 MB

Eddie Higgins has been an active jazz musician since the late '50s, though he has developed an especially strong following in Japan, resulting in numerous opportunities to record for Japanese jazz labels. This single-disc set features the bandleader with tenor saxophonists Scott Hamilton and Ken Peplowski, along with bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Ben Riley. The primary focus is on slow, lush interpretations of ballads, with Hamilton having more of a straight-ahead approach when compared to Peplowski's more personal, conversational style. Exceptions include the snappy, swinging take of "I Never Knew," a breezy arrangement with Peplowski's gritty solo taking top honors, and the driving explorations of "Autumn Leaves." Peplowski switches to clarinet for part of the session, especially the gorgeous take of "Mood Indigo." Throughout the date, Higgins' engaging piano seems effortless, as the songs have likely long been a part of his repertoire.

Eddie Higgins has been a solid bop pianist for decades, though he seems most appreciated by the folks who run the Japanese label Venus, for whom he has recorded frequently in his golden years. Joined by two-thirds of Phil Woods' longtime rhythm section (Steve Gilmore and Bill Goodwin), along with special guest Scott Hamilton on tenor sax, Higgins explores a dozen ballads, most of which have been favorites of jazz musicians longer than the pianist has been playing professionally…