Aztec Jazz

The new Aztec Jazz may be the most wonderful to date. Tom Russell has never been afraid to try something new and different, but he really outdoes himself on this album, a live 2012 performance with guitarist Thad Beckman and the 31-member Norwegian Wind Ensemble. What to call the result, which incorporates elements of jazz, folk, Tex-Mex and classical music? Who knows? Who cares?
As Russell writes, “The results were beyond our dreams. Sometimes it sounded like Western movie music and sometimes it called up Miles Davis’s Sketches of Spain. [The Wind Ensemble] played behind us without overpowering the songs, and I think my singing is far better than my vocals on the original tracks.” Perhaps so—though his always-emotive vocals on the originals were pretty damn powerful.
At any rate, the Ensemble’s trumpets, oboes, saxes, French horns, trombones and percussion—inventively arranged by Swedish composer Mats Halling—put a new slant on this classic American roots music.
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As for the 11-track program, all written by Russell, it makes a strong case for him as one of the great songwriters of our time. He covers a lot of turf, but always sticks to subjects that relate to his personal experience and passions. Highlights include “Finding You,” a poignant love song; “Goodnight Juarez,” about the poverty in that city; and “East of Woodstock, West of Vietnam,” about spending the late 60s in Africa.

Then there’s the apparently autobiographical “Criminology,” in which he sings, “You may think I’m just a folk singer, no, I’m a master in the art of criminology”—which may sound nonsensical until you check Wikipedia and learn that, sure enough, Russell has a master’s in the subject from the University of California at Santa Barbara. The guy is full of surprises, musical and otherwise.
Somebody should nominate Aztec Jazz for a 2013 Grammy. And it should win. But first the nominator will have to figure out what category it belongs in.
 Date     
 Jun 18, 2013 Aztec Jazz
 Dec 03, 2012 Songbook and Art Opening
 Mar 09, 2011 Spring News
 Nov 29, 2010 Christmas News
 Oct 10, 2010 Latest News
 Feb 13, 2010 T-Shirts now available
 Jan 10, 2010 New Train
 Nov 30, 2009 Tom Russell/Dave Alvin/Steve Young Train
 Nov 12, 2009 Tom Russell Breaking News:
 Oct 24, 2009 Tom on NPR Weekend Edition
 Sep 14, 2009 Amazon Sale
 Sep 12, 2009 Breaking News - Record Shipping
 Sep 03, 2009 Listen to a song on Entertainment Weekly Online
 Aug 27, 2009 Blood and Candle Smoke!
 Aug 18, 2009 Blood and Candle Smoke Released to Radio
 Jul 09, 2009 July News
 May 23, 2009 Quick News
 Apr 01, 2009 Blood and Candle Smoke
 Feb 27, 2009 Spring News
 Feb 05, 2009 New Art and News
 Jan 21, 2009 Breaking News! Tom Russell…The Great American West
 Jan 07, 2009 New Year`s News
 Dec 08, 2008 Recent Quotes on Veteran's Day
 Nov 04, 2008 Tom Russell: An Authentic American Treasure
 Nov 04, 2008 Southwest Train
 Oct 27, 2008 Breaking News
 Sep 07, 2008 Tom on NPR
 Aug 17, 2008 Breaking News
 Jul 24, 2008 Welcome!