Joey DeFrancesco at the 2013 Mid Atlantic Jazz Fest Day 3-2170738

20130217 Mid Atlantic Jazz Fest Day 3-2170738, a photo by NoVARon on Flickr.

Capping a Festival that spotlighted the Hammond B-3, this year's Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival concluded with a burning performance from Joey DeFrancesco with his trio that included guitarist Paul Bollenback. In addition to his deep funky organ, Joey DeFrancesco also treated us to a bit of trumpet. It was hard bop, deep fried blues and some ballads with deep soul tinges,

Jim Snidero's Excellent Interface

Alto Saxophonist Jim Snidero has a new release “Interface” on Savant. The Maryland native brings together a group from the Baltimore-Washington area for this date that include guitarist Paul Bollenback with whom Snidero played often in the 80’s at the fabled DC club One Step Down. In addition to Bollenback, Snidero is joined by bassist Paul Gill and drummer McLenty Hunter. He has a pretty substantial body of recordings, and this is the second one in which he has employed a guitar as opposed to piano. In fact on half of the eight selections, Bollenback utilizes and acoustic guitar.

All eight compositions are Snidero’s originals opening with the title track, an original with a brisk tempo that displays the Snidero’s vocalized tone which is complimented by Bollenback’s chords and single note runs. Silhouette has a more contemplative flavor with softer attack employed by Snidero complimented by Bollenback’s adroit acoustic guitar. The playing is more extroverted on Fall Out, that suggests Jack DeJohnette’s Special Edition recordings. Bollenback’s chords and runs on this evokes John Abercombie.

Bollenback’s unaccompanied acoustic guitar intro sets the tone for the folkish One By One with Snidero’s alto lending to a bluesy feel with Hunter’s cymbal work adding subtle accents here. More acoustic guitar is present to compliment Snidero’s lead on a Bossa Nova, Apertivo, while the ensuing Viper ratchets up the energy level with Snidero’s a cappella intro has a middle east mood to it before stating the five-note theme over a vamp stated by Gill and Bollenback, with Gill taking a solo prior to some blistering playing from the leader, followed by a memorable acoustic guitar solo by Bollenback. After The Pain is a lovely performance of a blue ballad that Snidero composed shortly after his mother’s death and the tastefulness of Bollenback’s accompaniment who contributes his own thoughtful solo that maintains the mood.

Interface is an excellent recording that has intriguing compositions, and strong ensemble playing supporting the inventive and passionate playing by Snidero and Bollenback. It is a release that will have me seeking out more from these players.

This review was written for Jazz & Blues Report who provided me with the review copy.

Some Scorching Ron Holloway saxophone from 1996

Here is a review from the October 1996 Jazz & Blues Report of one of the four Milestone albums by tenor saxophonist Ron Holloway. Ron, as I write this, currently tours with Susan Tedeschi, but when home with DC is liable to play with anybody, bring his robust playing to whatever setting he is then situated in. This, and his other Milestone albums can be purchased through various sellers at amazon, although amazon does not carry it, itself.

Ron Holloway’s tenor saxophone has been heard at numerous blues shows around the Washington, D.C. area over the years, including accompanying boogie woogie legend, Sammy Price, and Cathy Ponton King at past D.C. Blues Festivals. He is amongst the area’s most accomplished jazz musicians, although completely at home with the blues, and was a member of Dizzy Gillespie’s last band, He also has played with Root Boy Slim and Gil Scott-Heron (with whom he still tours). Milestone has just issued Scorcher, Holloway’s third album, and this disc lives up to its title. Just like Holloway who transcends musical genres, Scorcher includes a diversity of settings from an organ based combo with guest Joey DeFrancesco, a couple of vocals by Gil Scott-Heron, and even a rap track where Holloway’s tenor sax swirls around the raps of M.C. RIP and Shorty Bones. Trumpeter Chris Battistone and guitarist Paul Bollenback (from the organist’s trio) also play an important part on this album. Material ranges from burning renditions of bebop standards like Hot House as well as Lee Morgan’s Slidewinder, Freddie Hubbard’s Red Clay, a hot Sonny Rollins number, The Everywhere Calypso, and a couple of numbers with Gil Scott-Heron, one of which is a blues on which Nighthawk Mark Wenner plays. Holloway’s tenor sound is somewhat suggestive of Rollins (which is certainly not the worst source of inspiration) and his lengthy solos show his own musical personality, full of passion and thoughtfulness. He is supported by some terrific players as well, and the result is some compelling music. The last track is a rap with a positive message, on which Holloway’s fiery saxophone does not completely integrate with the backing or the performance. While to this listener, this experiment was not successful, it reflects Holloway’s ranging musical interests. In any event, it is a minor flaw in a set with almost 75 minutes of music, played with plenty of heart and head.


Subsequent to posting this, Ron alerted me to the fact that his Milestone albums can be downloaded from Concord Records website as MP3s.