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265
Album Review
Joanne Brackeen: Pink Elephant Magic
by Glenn Astarita
One of the great pianist’s and unsung heroes in Modern Jazz returns in incendiary and dynamic fashion. Joanne Brackeen’s Pink Elephant Magic is stunning, articulate and easily one of the premier jazz recordings of 1999.
The title track and opener, “Pink Elephant Magic” is simply an outstanding composition! The complex and seemingly difficult to perform arrangement is multifaceted, cleverly orchestrated and superior in scope and altogether artfully constructed. Brackeen, with the assistance of Nicholas Payton (trumpet), Chris Potter (soprano sax) ...
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156
Album Review
Joanne Brackeen: Pink Elephant Magic
by Jack Bowers
This new recording showcases not one but two of Joanne Brackeen’s conspicuous talents, and is uplifted not only by her exemplary keyboard work but her persuasive writing as well. Brackeen, now some 30 years removed from her early service with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, writes with clear images in mind, and the results can be observed in such charming sound portraits as “Pink Elephant Magic,” “Ghost Butter,” “Filene’s,” “Beethoven Meets the Millennium in Spain” and “Cram ’n Exam” (a note–heavy ...
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219
Album Review
JoAnne Brackeen: Pink Elephant Magic
by Jim Santella
From the march tempo and hard bop power of Pink Elephant Magic" to the drifting ballad waltz time of Filene’s," JoAnne Brackeen’s latest album covers a lot of territory. The pianist’s seven compositions, coupled with three familiar pieces, provide variety and result in a well-rounded set. Bret Primack’s informative liner notes are available on the ‘net at http://www.arkadiarecords.com . Brackeen has a forceful keyboard style that drives her ensemble with percussive power. Her thirty-year career includes experience with Art Blakey, ...
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172
Album Review
Joanne Brackeen: Pink Elephant Magic
by Bob Margolis
A Master pianist other than a Flanagan, or a Peterson, is faced with the daunting task of recording something that separates them but allows for their brilliance to shine through. The subject of this piece has consistently been able to do this, primarily using vehicles other than the trio or solo format. Putting together perhaps her finest band since the late 1980's quartet featuring Billy Hart, Cecil McBee and Gary Bartz, pianist and composer Joanne Brackeen has just put out ...
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212
Album Review
Kurt Elling: This Time It's Love
by Jim Santella
You've got to give Kurt Elling credit for following his heart instead of going along with some probable advisor's likely marketing plan for instant success in the new millennium." – he decided to make his third album one of love songs, and postpone some of his more adventurous work for later.
Still, this session is a mixture of standards and originals, with support from an excellent Chicago ensemble, and Elling's standard delivery is far from just ordinary. Assisting the jazz ...
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346
Album Review
Kurt Elling: The Messenger
by Jim Santella
Kurt Elling is different. He rants. In the liners, the singer defines the term to mean improvising both the melody and lyrics simultaneously." With saxophonist Ed Peterson conversin', Elling shouts unrelated words and phrases as they pop into his mind. Icebergs." Viruses." Planets." Ice cream." Peterson is improvising, Elling is shouting, and he is also crooning traces of melodic lines around and through the conversation. Add piano, bass, and drums to this demonstration, and you have the quirkiness of Kurt ...
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