Bman's Blues Report

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Cactus Sessions , by Bijan Taghavi and it's very straight forward and articulate. Opening with Jobim's , Wave , Bijan Taghavi shows poise and sense of space taking this Brazilian super hit, and restructuring it maintaining it's Bossa Nova skeleton but giving it a more classical jazz approach. Very nice. DePaul's,  I'll Remember April , on the other hand gets a more aggressive rework with a up tempo rhythm and vibrant lead piano runs. Richard Rogers', Have You Met Miss Jones , gets a solid bop job and Taghavi really knows how to work the melody. His sense of time and rhythm really rock this track. Wrapping the release is another Jobim track, Desafinado , and Taghavi runs the gamut on this track. Opening with a Bossa style over ice, his direction is clear and concise. Warming into the track his approach loosens with a touch of boogie. Returning to a more classical closing, this is a cool journey. So...