Bright Moments – Ed Hrybyk
I finally cracked the debut album by Baltimore bassist Ed Hrybyk, Bright Moments — not sure what took me so long, but glad I got around to it. It’s an excellent recording of a bunch of good tunes, featuring some of Baltimore’s best musicians: Clarence Ward III, Samuel King, Daniel Wallace, Justin Taylor, Jim Hannah, Allen Bernard Branch, Sami Arefin, Matt Andrews, Shawn Simon, and of course, Ed Hrybyk on upright and electric basses. | Read more>>
On These Streets (Todd Marcus)
Shout out to longtime BJA member Todd Marcus on the release of another excellent album, On These Streets. Combining complex instrumental jazz, soulful vocals (courtesy of Eric Kennedy), and deep grooves, the music is as complicated and vibrant as the neighborhood it is written to reflect. | Read more>>
A Person Like You (The Kings of Crownsville)
HAIL TO THE KINGS. A Person Like You, the latest CD by The Kings of Crownsville, is earthy and joyful with a down home (yet sophisticated) quality. Kudos to Steve Johnson for his witty, wise and wonderful lyrics. Throughout, a rhythmic message of positivity and good humor abounds that will uplift even the most downhearted listener. | Read more>>
The Dynamic Album Project: Live in Baltimore
“This year”, notes the brochure for the Dynamic Album Project, “marks the first year that revenue from streaming services … surpass the sales of CDs and vinyl records.” Dan Rorke — founder of The Dynamic Album Project — then asks “Why aren’t we utilizing [these] services to push the envelope further?” Just as LPs gave rise to longer tracks and concept albums, and CDs eliminated the concept of sides, extending the consecutive play time further, modern digital delivery systems offer many possibilities for expanding what it means to create an album, and so far, many of these ideas have yet to be explored to any great extent. | Read more>>
Todd Marcus’s Journey to Egypt Through Baltimore
Baltimore-based bass clarinetist, composer, and bandleader Todd Marcus has mastered his own destiny with his latest release, Blues For Tahrir (Hipnotic). On this new release, Marcus and his Jazz Orchestra hit all the crucial marks for ensemble playing and expressive improvisation to bring these compositions to life. | Read more>>