Get ready to groove with Dr. Leigh Pilzer , the Washington, D.C. baritone sax powerhouse who proves that jazz is meant to be a living, breathing party, not a dusty museum piece. Described as a pure force of nature with a gruff, punchy, and assertive sound, Leigh brings a heavy dose of soulful grit to the stage. She has traded licks with the legendary Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and even arranged horns for local legends like Chuck Brown and Eva Cassidy , and now she is bringing that deep, soulful swagger front and center with her vibrant new album, Keep Holding On. This record is a masterclass in pure, undeniable groove, packed with plenty of attitude, low-end bark, and raw energy that blues fans will instantly appreciate. Keep Holding On strikes the perfect balance between paying respect to the jazz heritage and absolutely cutting loose, making it an essential, high-energy addition to your playlist. 🎵 LISTEN & SUPPORT THE ALBUM Keep Holding On by Leigh ...
I just had the opportunity to review the most recent releases, Spirits, by Kid Andersen and Soul, by Lisa "Little Baby" Leuschner released together as a single release (2 discs) and it's great! Opening with slow blues, The Civilized Life, Kid Andersen opens with some of the most powerful music to come out of Greaseland Studio. Andersen is a talented musician across the board and his guitar playing and lead vocals here are really strong. Endre Tarczy on bass, Chris Burns on keys and Mike Rinta on trombone, Dr Aaron Lington and Stevie Gurr on harmonica add great texture to this excellent opener. Blind Willie Johnson's Nobody's Fault But Mine gets a really nice rework with a slinky feel courtesy Dave LeMieux on drums and Kid on guitar, bass and lead vocal shared with Lisa Leuschner. Check out the outrageous slide guitar work by Kid on Hey, Little Reaper, a Chicago style blues romp with solid harmonica work by Nic Clark and Charlie Musselwhite, coupled with Burns on keys. Very nice. I really love the feel on I Ain't Right with Kid on lead vocal and slide guitar. This track is a loose shuffle and reminiscent of the work that Skydog did with Arthur Conley at Muscle Shoals back in the early 70's. The groove is excellent and horn work by Eric Spaulding, Jack Sanford, along with Lorenzo Farrell on keys, June Core on drums and Jerry Jemmott really sends this one over the edge. Wrapping Spirits is Ship of Fools, a sauntering soul/jazz track in the vein of early War. The vocal blending by a host of characters is incredible and Jemmott really anchors this track. Excellent closer for disc one.
Leuschner opens her disc with Mike Schermer's In My Mind's Eye with a warm R&B influenced feel. Smooth, soulful vocals, backed by Kenny Ken Franklin on bass, D'Mar on drums, and clean guitar work by Kid make this a solid opener. Another R&B track, Donnie Woodruff's I Won't Let That Happen To Me, really has a great feel showcasing Leuschner's voice nicely. With Jemmott setting a deep groove on bass, D'Mar on drums, Jim Pugh on keys, Vicki Randle on percussion and cllean, understated guitar work by Kid, this is a really nice entry. Digging back into Bishops great days with Jo Baker, Rock Bottom is resurrected and is punchy as it was when I first heard it in college. Lisa is backed by James, Dwayne and Walter Morgan on vocals, Rinta, Lington, Scott Jensen on trumpet add in authentic horns and Kid rips a guitar solo that would make Crabshaw proud. Kickass! Infectious, Slipped Through My Fingers, has a strong deep groove courtesy Kid on bass, Latimore on keys and D'Mar on drums. Latimore trades vocals with Lisa on this serious radio track. Wrapping the release is smart little ballad, Family, written and performed by Lisa with the last verse sung by Kid. With only acoustic guitar, keys and bass backing, this is a really nice track with Lisa's voice as pure as it gets, unadorned and straight up. Very nice closer for a tremendous double set. One of the most enjoyable reviews of the year!
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