Longineu Parsons' Top 10 Jazz Albums

"...a mutant offspring of Lee Morgan and Woody Shaw... Funky fresh, overdue yet right on time."
                                             - Tom Terrell (JazzTimes)

 A Jacksonville native and Tallahassee resident, Longineu Parsons has been wowing jazz critics all over the world for decades; from his extended stint with Sun Ra, performances or recordings with the likes of Philly Joe Jones, Nancy Wilson, Cab Calloway, Nat Adderley, Cecil Taylor,  Joe Williams, Herbie Mann, Frank Foster, Mal Waldron, Sam Rivers & many more; to being a soloist with the Jacksonville Symphony, Palm Beach Pops, Tallahassee Symphony, Augusta Symphony, Gainesville Symphony et al.

Recently returned from performances in Paris, Longineu will be headlining the winter concert of the North East Florida Jazz Association this Sunday (1/20/13) at the Daytona Museum of Arts & Sciences. For details & tickets visit NEFJA (tickets are available at the concert). 

With a masters in classical trumpet & a position at Florida's A&M University, Longineu's top 10 list is a study in the deeper things of jazz, even capturing Art Blakey at his most profound. In keeping with his own musical personality - there are overlooked gems as well as cornerstones of America's premiere art form. Every entry is an example of eloquence and the height of expressive playing!

1. Miles Davis - Bitches Brew "This recording brings together the cultural and musical elements of that time. It's not a demonstration of technique but a real artistic statement. Every note that Miles played was exactly right, nothing wasted."

2. John Coltrane - Africa Brass

3. Sun Ra - Heliocentric Worlds

4. Sarah Vaughan - Brazilian Romance

5. Bird & Diz - Jazz at Massey Hall

6. Louis Armstrong - Any Recording is in the top 10

7. Art Blakey - Free For All

8. Duke Ellington - Far East Suite

9. Ornette Coleman - The Shape of Jazz to Come

10. McCoy Tyner - Enlightenment Suite

The upcoming concert is a must-see for jazz lovers and students of the art. Also check out Longineu's release "Tribal Disorder" on his own label, and visit his website here. Thank you Longineu for taking the time from your heavy teaching & performing schedule to be a part of our poll! - PC Jazz 

CD Review ~ Out of this Town, Zach Bartholomew Trio

Something for Northern Florida to be proud of.

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"Fresh new spin on jazz" might be a phrase tossed around frequently, as might be "distinctive sound"; when the truth is, this guy is just revamping 70's soul-jazz nicely, that girl is riding the coattails of The Krall, and this quartet sounds like it wrote their new album in 1961, and so on.

I caught ZBT live a few months back, and knew immediately I was privy to something 'new'. I can't always put my finger on it - which, might be a good description for something new. Not to say you wont hear snatches of Bill Evans, Keith Jarrett or Brad Mehldau; but all three members of the group (particularly Bartholomew) have somehow allowed themselves to get right to themselves; and one knows at once upon listening that the experience is original and indeed, fresh.

The album starts strongly - "Stop and Go" efficiently introduces you to each member and is a fine listen - clever on many levels; with a head that will make other musicians go 'wow', a phrase or two reminding me of the great Herbie Nichols. Striking is a confidence in playing that endures for the entire album; an easy-going assurance that your ears are in capable and caring hands. The mid-song tempo change is bold and welcome. Also clever is putting such a track in the lead-off slot where many artists go with "this is what you want me to do"; ZBT instead choosing "This is what we can do, check it out."

"Out of This Town" is an uptempo jazz waltz sporting a certain pleasant liberation in rhythm thanks to drummer Miles Bozeman, Who also takes a dandy solo at the end. The sunny tune could easily be adapted to a throwback r&b hit. "Shades of Blue" relaxes and swings with enjoyable sprawling lines and lush solos; bassist Brandon Robertson hitting a number of nails on the head.

Zach at the recording sessions for "Out of This Town"

A full-bodied, romantic melody permeates the entire track of "Lovers Lament"; carrying it amply from rhapsodic, meterless strumming to mildly-angry driving rock and back again. The plaintiff melody is there even when it's not - making it comparable to the many fine, early RTF compositions.

One could go on. These boys play very well together, and that undefinable something really comes through in both "New Beginnings" and "Road Trip". The former is a jaunty & delightful romp in 5 with prime soloing by Bartholomew and all three enjoying the proceedings; while extended form, a smattering of Monk-like harmonies and modern funk feel make "Road Trip" a most enjoyable ride.

No filler, excellent compositions and even a smart rendering of Coltrane bolster the album. A small distraction is the slightly dull mastering job, hardly noticeable once you're tuned in to all that's going on: both the spirit and accuracy of the performance. Certainly, this is one of the best jazz 'things' to come out of Florida in some time. Don't let it escape you. In one word: "refreshing". - PCJ 

Get your copy of "Out of This Town" at:
Itunes, Amazon or CD Baby.

Zach Bartholomew Trio at Three Dogs Grille

Palm Coast Jazz had the pleasure to catch the 3rd set of the much-hyped appearance of the Zach Bartholomew Trio at the Three Dogs Grille. The group came down from Tallahassee to give us a taste of what's developing and flourishing in the capital.

Zach Bartholomew Trio - 2/15/12

I must say I was immediately taken with the maturity of sound coming from these 3 twenty-somethings. Bartholomew is definitely his own man stylistically and shows all the confidence and prowess of a player twice his age. The trio has melded into a wily and flexible unit that manages, like most famous piano trios, to give the listener several angles to focus on, while never losing cohesiveness or taste.


The overall effect of the music is easy-going, comforting, intelligent, always swinging, with enough passages of intensity and passion to keep your ears in focus-mode. The set began with a smart and simple turn through Herbie's "Dolphin Dance". Once the band got warm, the interplay and freedom was pleasantly reminiscent of Bill Evan's classic line-up with LaFaro and Motian.

Fascinatin' Rhythm...

Zach then launched into a samba version of "Ladybird" that was both engaging and dreamy, thanks to a repeated single-note figure that began and ended the fresh interpretation.

Miles Bozeman

Broader harmonies and a more angular approach followed in Chick Corea's jazz waltz "Windows" and Cole Porter's "I Love You"; and the night ended on a real nice high with a downright brilliant version of Rodgers and Hart's "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" - arranged in 5/4, perhaps the best and most comfortable 5 I've heard live in FL so far.

Brandon Robertson

Zach Bartholomew, Brandon Robertson (bass) and Miles Bozeman (drums) met in FSU, and have been playing together for a few years now. Just a few weeks ago they went into the recording studio to lay down their debut album, comprised of originals and some of their crafty arrangements. We can't wait and will definitely be featuring a track or two on our podcast when "Out of This Town" is released! They should be back here in PC after the cd drops - if you are looking for the real deal - catching this trio is a must!


Click here to visit their facebook page (and click that 'like button').


Kudos to Three Dogs Grille owners Bob Plugge and Barry Markey - who assure us that they are 'in it' for the long haul - in other words, jazz has taken up permanent residency here in Palm Coast. Next time you see them - let them know you love jazz and appreciate what they're doing. Til next time! - PCJ

Zach Bartholomew