Tuesday, November 18, 2025

John Patitucci & Andy James - An Evening with John Patitucci & Andy James

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 82:48
Size: 152,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:23) 1. Autumn In New York
(7:08) 2. Besame Mucho
(3:08) 3. I Love You And Dont You Forget It
(5:07) 4. To Dream As One
(4:41) 5. Moonlight In Vermont
(5:09) 6. Day Dream
(5:46) 7. Blackbird
(3:19) 8. When I'm With You
(6:05) 9. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
(4:12) 10. Unchain My Heart
(6:22) 11. Fire Rain
(4:19) 12. Burn For Love
(5:30) 13. Some Other Time
(4:26) 14. Laura
(4:00) 15. More Than You Know
(5:02) 16. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
(4:03) 17. Angel Eyes

On An Evening with John Patitucci & Andy James, two gifted performers join forces to conjure an intimate evening of captivating music. At a time when jazz aficionados around the world have been starved for musical experiences, the album recreates the sultry atmosphere of a candlelight nightclub as some of the most revered musicians in modern jazz perform classic standards. Due out November 5 via Le Coq Records, An Evening with John Patitucci & Andy James features nearly 90 minutes of scintillating music featuring an incomparable ensemble. In addition to James’ mesmerizing vocals and Patitucci’s bass mastery, the album boasts arrangements by piano great Bill Cunliffe for an ensemble that includes saxophonists Chris Potter and Rick Margitza, trumpeter Terell Stafford, guitarists Chico Pinheiro and Jake Langley, keyboardists John Beasley and Jon Cowherd, percussionist Alex Acuña, drummers Vinnie Colaiuta, Marcus Gilmore and Marvin “Smitty” Smith, along with powerful horn and string sections.

“I wanted people to just sit back and enjoy a listening experience of serene pleasure,” declares James. “John and I tried to create something easy to listen to that would leave people feeling good afterwards. I recorded the album in anticipation that people wouldn’t something too complicated at this time we all find ourselves in.” Jazz singing and Flamenco dance have been parallel passions throughout Andy James’ life. Flamenco took prominence during what she now refers to as “act one” of her artistic life. She became renowned as a world-class Flamenco dancer, enjoying a successful career dancing with husband and partner Piero Pata in Madrid. For “act two,” James relocated to the U.S. and focused on her singing career, renewing collaborations with the great jazz musicians who had crossed her path while they traveled through Europe. She and Pata launched Le Coq Records, releasing a series of albums ranging in style from the elegance of the female jazz swing tradition to vintage R&B to the post-bop urgency of the classic Blue Note era.

An estimable professional family has quickly found a home at the label, with Patitucci, Acuña and Cunliffe playing key roles on a number of releases and several musicians making recurring appearances from one recording to the next. On An Evening With…, Patitucci proves an ideal partner for James, bringing his revered tone and musical vision to the project and convening the ideal musicians for each piece.“When choosing personnel for any project,” Patitucci explains, “I try to find the greatest musicians that I have longstanding relationships with, in order to have the opportunity to get more deeply into the music at hand.” Over the course of a career lasting four decades, Patitucci has forged essential collaborations with some of the most acclaimed artists in jazz and beyond, most notably long-lasting partnerships with iconic saxophonist Wayne Shorter and the late Chick Corea.

Speaking of James, Patitucci says, “Andy is a very generous and flexible collaborator. She has a great love for the Great American Songbook. When she sings, her phrasing is reminiscent of so many of the great singers that I grew up listening to. The style that she sings in provides the opportunity to write arrangements for larger orchestrations.”James returns the compliment. “John is very important to my whole performance. Without John’s playing I would have been restricted in the way I could sing and approach every song in the album. John Patitucci brings a deep sound that allows me the freedom to sing with a lot of mood or feeling in my voice. He gives me a lot of space to create a meaningful performance.”

From the intoxicatingly lush opener “Autumn in New York,” with Patitucci’s robust bass matched by a fervent tenor solo by Potter, to the last-call balladry of “Angel Eyes” that closes the set, An Evening with John Patitucci & Andy James features countless classic songs along with a few surprises, including the smoldering James and Pata-penned love song “Burn for Love.”As she did on her previous release, Tu Amor, James reaches into her Latin influences on “Besame Mucho.” In addition to a number of well-known jazz standards James stretches the American Songbook to encompass great pop and rock classics like The Beatles’ “Blackbird” and James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain.”

The choices certainly inspire passionate playing from James and Patitucci’s guests, with standouts including Rick Margitza’s soaring solo on “Fire and Rain,” Terell Stafford’s heart-wrenching take on “Moonlight in Vermont,” and the soulful playing of Potter and John Beasley on the Gerry Goffin/Carole King favorite “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.” “The songs came naturally,” James explains. “I just wanted to sing some beautiful songs. The mood I had in mind when choosing these songs was one of love I just wanted people to find love with each other again after the era of Covid!” https://bassmagazine.com/artists/john-patitucci-announces-new-album-an-evening-with-john-patitucci-andy-james

An Evening with Andy James & John Patitucci

Monday, November 17, 2025

Bill Evans & Shelly Manne - Empathy

Styles: Jazz
Label: Wax Time
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:43
Size: 79,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:26)  1. The Washington Twist
(3:42)  2. Danny Boy
(4:32)  3. Let's Go Back To The Waltz
(9:09)  4. With A Song In My Heart
(5:07)  5. Goodbye
(5:46)  6. I Believe In You

This album came about through a fortuitous convergence of circumstances. Shelly Manne & His Men were appearing at New York's Village Vanguard, sharing the bill with the Bill Evans Trio. Getting Riverside's permission to let the pianist participate, Creed Taylor set up a session at Rudy Van Gelder's studio with Evans and Manne sharing top billing. Manne's bass player, Monty Budwig, made up the trio. This was a busman's holiday for Evans, who was freed from the musical parameters he had set for his then-current trio. The result is that his playing seemed lighter, freer, and more relaxed than it had for a while. The album kicks off with a jaunty version of Irving Berlin's "The Washington Twist" from the unsuccessful Mr. President with Budwig sharing the honors with Evans as much as Manne. Manne spends most of his time driving Evans into more diminished and sharper playing than was usually Evans' wont. Another relatively unfamiliar Berlin work, "Let's Go Back to the Waltz," gives full reign to Evans' lyricism. The longest tune on the set is an audacious, almost lampooned version of "With a Song in My Heart" with light chordal phrasing that pretty much characterized much of the tone coming from this session. Listening to these three, it's clear that everyone was having a good time and simply enjoying being relieved of their duties with their regular combos, even if for just one day. Empathy has been reissued by Verve as a CD that also includes another Evans' goody, A Simple Matter of Conviction.~Dave Nathan (http://www.allmusic.com/album/empathy-mw0000531139).

Cozy Cole - A Cozy Conception Of Carmen

Styles: Jazz, Swing
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:37
Size: 72,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:12)  1. Prelude
(3:21)  2. Chorus Of The Street Boys
(2:46)  3. Habanera
(3:06)  4. Seguidilla
(2:37)  5. Entracte (1 & 2)
(3:12)  6. Gypsy Song
(3:24)  7. Castanet Dance
(3:25)  8. Flower Song
(3:26)  9. Sextet
(3:06) 10. Entracte (3 & 4)

Cozy Cole has been among the most respected drummers ever since the 1930s, when his work with Stuff Smith and Cab Calloway gained wide notice. Many drummers keep the beat, but the mark of the extraordinary is to add the alchemy of Leadership. With Cozy there was no flailing of arms in vain tries for exhibitionism without reason; no overbearing pushing when the drums should be carrying; no noise for noise's sake. His solos have logic and direction. Cozy Cole was without a doubt one of the most musical drummers there ever was. Bizet Swings! That infectious Cozy Cole magic says that with every beat, and it is the synthesis of the entire recording you now hold. ~ http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/cozy-cole-albums/4479-a-cozy-conception-of-carmen.html

Personnel:  Cozy Cole (d), Bernie Privin (flh, tp), George Holt (tp), Bob Hammer (p, glockenspiel, org), Al Klink, John Hafer (ts), Jerome Richardson (bs, b-cl, cl, piccolo), Milt Hinton, Jack Lesberg (b), Phil Kraus, Douglas Allen (perc)

A Cozy Conception Of Carmen

Fay Claassen - Soulprint

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2025
Time: 45:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 104,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:18) 1. Purity
(3:09) 2. Vincente '78
(6:14) 3. Feel the Beat
(4:26) 4. Simple Song
(5:10) 5. Smiling Tears (for Toots)
(4:36) 6. Good Times
(2:32) 7. La Dame du Sans-Souci
(3:28) 8. Fast Future People
(5:50) 9. Bluesette
(6:37) 10. Sacret Love and Soul Enlightening Blues

Fay Claassen is a Netherlands-based Jazz singer with a career of over 25 years and is a regular guest of highly renowned big bands and orchestras, from the Metropole Orkest, the Residentie Orkest and the Brussels Jazz Orchestra to the WDR Big Band. In 2011, Claassen was asked by pianist, trombonist and arranger Bob Brookmeyer to take the vocal role for his last album Standards (Artistshare), recorded in Munich and featuring his New Art Orchestra. Other jazz greats Claassen has worked with over the years include Toots Thielemans, Vince Mendoza, Paquito D’Rivera, Tom Harrell, Michael Abene, James Carter, Eric Vloeimans and Benjamin Herman. 

Although very busy on the European continent Fay has hardly ever appeared in the UK. Last year she appeared at Scarborough Jazz Festival with pianist Barry Green who now lives in Rotterdam and rising star of the saxophone Emma Rawicz.

There has been quite a long gap since her last original band album (Luck Child, 2018), for which she won two Edison Awards (Vocal National & Audience), due to a combination of international collaborations with orchestras, her 25th anniversary tour, the pandemic, and several large-scale projects. 

For the album Soulprint Claassen wrote nearly all of the material herself, or co-wrote it with her longtime bandmates: pianist Karel Boehlee, guitarist Peter Tiehuis, bassist Theo de Jong , and drummer Martijn Vink (New Cool Collective, Metropole Orchestra). Two songs were written by Claassen’s husband, Paul Heller of the WDR Big Band.

The songs on Soulprint present a musical reflection of her soul, a personal blueprint. At times quirky and complex, at others deeply connective and loving, the album tells her story as a wife, mother, and daughter and the personal development that has shaped her.

It’s nice to hear Claassen backed by a small band which generally features either acoustic piano or Fender Rhodes, electric guitar, electric bass and drums. On four of the tunes on the album there are no drums which leads to an even more intimate feel. When the drums are present they come across with real impact. On quite a few of the songs the sounds, harmonies, grooves and textures of the band evoke Steely Dan. This is an ideal accompaniment to Claassen’s voice. She has great delivery, tone, intonation and diction, with all the lyrics being conveyed very clearly.

The album opens with the song “Purity” which is a quiet rocky ballad written by Karel Boehlee and Simone Pormes. The song talks of the need to reconnect, stopping being someone else and being ready to agree to this purity.

“Vincente 78” is another light rock based song and relates the fact that she found out shortly before her father’s death that she has a half brother born in 1978 that she has never met.

“Feel The Beat” is an up tempo collaboration with Belgian singer David Linx which starts with a rubato section over sustained electric piano and guitar chords moving into a steady groove. The song features solos by guitar, electric piano and some scatting by Claassen.

“La Dame du Sans-Souci” has another lyric by David Linx, this time in French that follows a walk through Paris and is inspired by the film “La Passante du Sans Souci”. This reminds me of song that could have been written by Sting.

“Simple Song” is the first contribution by Paul Heller, Claassen’s husband and tenor sax player in the WDR Big Band. This slow shuffle has been recorded before both as an instrumental and vocal. “Good Times” is also by Paul Heller with a lyric by Robin Meloy Goldsby. This funk shuffle was written as birthday present to Claassen. This has also been previously recorded. Claassen joins in with the guitar solo on this scatting in unison then again trading a few phrases towards the end of the song.

There are two pieces on the album with a connection to Toots Thielemans, “Smiling Tears (For Toots)” and Thielemans’ jazz standard “Bluesette”.

“Smiling Tears (For Toots)” is a collaboration between Claassen and bass player Theo de Jong. This song evokes something that could have been written by Bill Evans in his latter years. This includes solos by fretless bass and piano.

“Bluesette” takes its standard intro with altered chords and changes it slightly then the song is performed as a samba rather than the usual Jazz waltz. This song allows all players to take a solo and Claassen also takes a scat solo. The intro is reused as an outro but with Claassen joining in.

“Fast Future People” written by Karel Boehlee with lyric by Claassen has a medium rock type groove and is about making one’s own choices in world driven by social media and AI.

The album finishes with the Latin groove of “Sacred Love and Soul Enlightening Blues”, a collaboration between guitarist Peter Tiehaus and Claassen. The chord progression to this song is a really good vehicle for improvisation with guitar and electric piano both soloing to good effect.

This is a very enjoyable album with some really good songs played by a fine band, showing not only Fay Claassen’s skills as a vocalist in a variety of different styles, but also as a writer.  https://ukjazznews.com/fay-claassen-soulprint/

Soulprint

Simone Kopmajer - Very Strauss

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2025
Time: 19:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 45,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:44) 1. Birthday Roses
(4:01) 2. In the Clearing of the Forest
(3:36) 3. The Way We Make Our Love Our Own
(3:29) 4. Your Smile´s a Work of Art
(3:19) 5. Tipsy Song
(2:22) 6. By and By

In 2025, the world celebrates the 200th birthday of Johann Strauss Jr. – the composer who made Vienna dance and whose melodies have long since become part of the city's soul. For two centuries, his name has stood for elegance, romance, and rhythm. But what happens when this timeless beauty speaks the language of modern jazz?

A voice like Simone Kopmajer's knows the answer. With unmistakable warmth and effortless phrasing, she takes Strauss from the 19th-century ballroom and transports him to a contemporary jazz club – where chandeliers give way to soft light and the rustling of silk blends into the delicate play of drum brushes.

Every piece on this album is both homage and transformation. Simone doesn't imitate, she translates. Her English lyrics preserve Strauss's romanticism and tenderness, but add a modern soul and intimacy. The arrangements shine with delicate harmonies, carried by a walking bass and gentle grooves – a soundscape between nostalgia and curiosity. For the bicentenary of the birth of Johann Strauss' son, this project connects centuries and styles – Vienna in the sound of jazz: where time dissolves and melody begins to dance anew. Close your eyes. Imagine the city at night and let Simone Kopmajer's voice guide you through a new Vienna – graceful, bold, and timeless.
https://www.simonekopmajer.com/news/2025/11/3/new-ep-very-strauss-out-now

Personnel:

Simone Kopmajer - Vocals
Geri Schuller - Piano
Danny Ziemann - Bass
Reinhardt Winkler – Drums
Scott Robinson – Tenor Sax
Wesley Amorim – Guitar (4)
Laurinho  Bandeira - Percussion (4)

Very Strauss

Saturday, November 15, 2025

Paul Heller - Good Times

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:01
Size: 137.4 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[5:47] 1. Felicidado
[6:06] 2. Wings
[6:10] 3. Drivin'
[8:27] 4. Moon Song
[7:34] 5. Good Times
[5:23] 6. Night Shift
[6:48] 7. Finding You
[5:16] 8. Remembering
[7:29] 9. Daybreak
[0:57] 10. Miniature No. 7

Paul Heller - tenor sax; Peter Tiehus - guitar; Olaf Polziehn - piano; Ingmar Heller - bass; Wolfgang Haffner - drums.

Paul Heller has proved that he can serve up classic and modern across a number of albums. And on the album Good Times, Paul Heller displays a new aspect; Good Times grooves like hell. The 10 original compositions really make you want to dance! Paul Heller is a WDR Big Band saxophonist and the artistic director of his own concert series "Next Level Jazz" in Cologne. A true all-star line-up was invited into the Hansahaus Studio in Bonn for this energetic three and a half hour recording session that bubbles over with exuberant playing. He tailor-made nine compositions for the group as well as a bonus track recorded during an overdub session:

Good Times

Happy Weekend 15-11-2025