John t. Koch

Area Code 615 was a Nashville studio supergroup (615 is the Nashville telephone area code) formed in 1969 in the wake of Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline album, on which some of the future members played…

The Microscopic Septet - Take The Z Train (1983) {Koch Jazz - KOC-CD-7863 rel 1998} (Phillip Johnston)
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© 1983, 1999 Press / Phillip Johnston / Koch Jazz | KOC-CD-7863
Jazz / Progressive Jazz / Modern Creative / Post-Bop / Saxophone

The quirky music of the Microscopic Septet defies classification, other than it is swinging jazz blended with R&B and a host of other influences, full of twists and turns, yet remaining very catchy and accessible. Their debut LP originally came out on the Press label and was finally reissued as a Koch CD in 1998. Much like the musicians that made up Spike Jones' City Slickers in the 1940s, only some very talented players could follow these demanding charts; yet unlike the comparison to Jones' records, there is nothing that is obviously or purely cornball about this music.

While it would be utterly foolish to consider a two-disc set by guitarist John McLaughlin as anything other than a sample of the wildly diverse career he's enjoyed since the early '60s, it should be noted and underscored that what Legacy does with this set is to provide a solid look at not only the man's gifts but at the way he's employed them, exploited them, and let them get the best of him for the past 40-plus years.

"It was in Paris that John Lewis co-led this 1956 date with Sacha Distel, a French guitarist who never became well-known in the U.S. but commanded a lot of respect in French jazz circles. The same can be said about the other French players employed on Afternoon in Paris — neither tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen nor bassist Pierre Michelot were huge names in the U.S., although both were well-known in European jazz circles. With Lewis on piano, Distel on guitar, Wilen on tenor, Michelot or Percy Heath on bass, and Kenny Clarke or Connie Kay on drums, the part-American, part-French group of improvisers provides an above-average bop album that ranges from "Willow Weep for Me," "All The Things You Are," and "I Cover the Waterfront" to Milt Jackson's "Bags' Groove" and Lewis' title song. The big-toned Wilen was only 19 when Afternoon in Paris was recorded, but as his lyrical yet hard-swinging solos demonstrate, he matured quickly as a saxman. It should be noted that all of the Americans on this album had been members of the Modern Jazz Quartet; the only MJQ member who isn't on board is vibist Jackson. Originally released by Atlantic, Afternoon in Paris was finally reissued on CD in 1999 after being out of print for many years."

Collection includes 6 solo studio albums and 1 compilation by British singer-songwriter Ian Brown, best known as the lead singer of the alternative rock band The Stone Roses.

Playing sideman to Rick Braun, Larry Carlton, Gato Barbieri, the Neville Brothers, and many others introduced guitarist/vocalist Steve Oliver to smooth jazz fans, but it was with Steve Reid's band that Oliver found a following. It was 1996 when Reid contacted Oliver at the last minute to fill in for a canceled opening act. Oliver hit the stage as a solo act and Reid was impressed with the guitarist's vocalese skills and summery sound. Oliver had come to vocalese not through King Pleasure or Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, but through Bobby McFerrin and Pat Metheny's work with Richard Bona and David Blamires, who sang along with guitar solos. Being a fan of the earthy Metheny sound, Reid hired Oliver after the gig and featured him in his touring band. Reid's Mysteries and Passion in Paradise albums featured Oliver not only as guitarist but songwriter as well. Oliver struck out on his own in 1999 with his debut, First View, released by Night Vision. The album spawned three hit singles on smooth jazz radio and earned the guitarist a Debut Artist of the Year award from Smooth Jazz News.

Ron Braunstein, better known under his stage-name Necro, is a Jewish-American rapper, producer, director record label owner from Brooklyn, New York. He is the owner of Psycho-Logical-Records founded November, 1999. He is the brother of fellow rapper Ill Bill.

Ringo gives his revolving door All-Starr band another go in 2003. But this edition was the least interesting of the batch (now at Volume Five), predominantly because there was a substantial drop-off in the talents – and hits – of the musicians. Percussionist Sheila E. (returning from the 2001 band), bassist John Waite (the Babys), keyboardist/vocalist Paul Carrack, and ex-Men at Work guitarist Colin Hay are the best Ringo could muster up this time. Hence, with the exception of Carrack's "The Living Years" and "How Long," the non-Beatles tracks are weaker than previous All-Starr configurations.