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Showing posts with the label Calvin Napper

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💿 ALBUM REVIEW: Leigh Pilzer - Keep Holding On

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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 ...

Little Village artist: Jubu Smith - Jubu - New Release Review

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 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, Jubu , by Jubu Smith and it's a super blend of soul, funk, jazz and blues. Opening with super funky, Hamster Wheel, Jubu Smith on lead guitar pairs with guitar master Charlie Hunter on his hybrid guitar and tight drum work by Calvin Napper on drums. Spinning the top on guitar and with Hunter really working a hot bass line, this is an energetic opener. Kwik-Way Nostalgia is a cool, laid back track with Hunter working the rhythm from the bottom and Smith and Napper playing it straight with it's easy melody and clean, bluesy, articulation. Organizations Sake has a great funky bottom with Napper and Hunter really spanking it along. Smith takes a WW Washington blues (or JG Watson if you prefer) approach with poised phrasing giving the track real spark. EG Is Here is a really cool merger between funk and soul giving it a funky turn on BB King. Hunter and Smith, joined by Eric Gales, really craft a great track here wit...