Erena Terakubo – New York Attitude
The cover photograph shows the artist, alone on a stool, after cleanup of a quaint jazz club. An appropriate image for New York Attitude (Four Quarters Entertainment, 2012), by Erena Terakubo with Legends.
Terakubo, barely 20 years old, releases her debut in North America, supported by a veterans Kenny Barron on piano, Ron Carter on bass and Lee Pearson on drums. Trumpeter Dominic Farinacci appears on a few tracks.
Born in Sapporo, Japan, in 1992, Terakubo began learning the alto saxophone at age 9 and later attended jazz workshops led by the likes of Herbie Hancock and Tiger Okoshi. Her first recording, Nightbird, was with King Records, a major Japanese label. The recording featured heavy hitters Barron and bassist Christian McBride.
Sam Hankins graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in music performance and a Bachelors Degree and a Masters Degree in music education. He performed in the Glenn Miller big band and with artists such as The O’Jays, Aretha Franklin, Kool and the Gang, The Temptations, and The Dells.
Tucson, Arizona is home to this 31-year-old sax star. Once you hear his music, you will hear the influences of such heroes as Eric Marienthal, Gerald Albright and Grover Washington Jr.
When a band records a live performance, the listener can expect two things: improvisation wherein the musicians stretch out in ways you don’t normally get in a studio session, and reaction from the audience. The latter is a bit lacking on Live! One Great Night (BFM Jazz, 2012), by Steve Smith and Vital Information.
Sean O’Bryan Smith is one of the rare bassists, who can live as a professional session musician. Those, which are not familiar with his name, I can inform about his collaboration with Darius Rucker, Billy Currington, Lady Antebellum, Rascal Flatts, Kenny Rogers, Wynonna, and more. Friends of jazz will know him by his performance with Michael Brecker, Roy Haynes, Kevin Mahogany, Eddie Palmieri, Fattburger, and Jamie Cullum.
You already know that Brian Bromberg is not like other bassists you’ve heard right? Well as a measure of how different he is, during May-June 2012, he released 3 albums, two of them on the same day!
The morning sun casts a bright glow over a field, a cover photo that captures the essence of Sunrise (Origin Records, 2012), by the Amit Friedman Sextet.
Smooth Jazz Daily 