Celso Fonseca & Ronaldo Bastos - Polaroides

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:00
Size: 121.4 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Samba, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:01] 1. Satellite Bar
[2:55] 2. Denise Bandeira
[3:16] 3. Ela Vai Pro Mar
[4:09] 4. Meu Tudo Pra Mim
[4:35] 5. La Piu Pella Del Mondo A Voz Do Morro
[3:30] 6. Polaroides
[4:52] 7. Samba E Tudo
[4:40] 8. Valeu
[3:52] 9. Out Of The Blues
[3:45] 10. A Noite E Meu Opio
[4:35] 11. Ledusha Com Diamantes
[4:46] 12. Slow Motion Bossa Nova
[3:58] 13. Sorte

Popular guitarist, singer, songwriter Celso Fonseca teams up with noted lyricist Ronaldo Bastos, who contributed to Milton Nascimento's many recordings, to provide a wonderful, as well as irritating, series of exceedingly mellow tunes. Fonseca has lately moved into hip and modern music, including rap and electronic elements, but here he is in traditional mode of bossa nova and samba. Varied from sparse to lush arrangements with the inclusion of sax, trumpet, trombone, flute, and strings, and of consistant moderate tempo, this CD will alternately lower your blood pressure and smooth your jangled nerves, taking you to a tropical beach, a warm sun, and a cool breeze; and then being dragged along the sand. Beautiful and romantic songs flip/flop with trite, awkward, and imitative pieces. Please note that this album is a "Best of...", being selections from three earlier recordings: Paradiso, Sorte, and Juventude. An especially interesting track is a Brazilian blues, "Out of Blues"; my favorite, because of its percussion, is "La Piu Bella del Monde". Why do I still give 5 stars? Because the music is so varied that it keeps our interest, and because the changing effects on our emotions supports the sonic fun. You may hear the complete songs on Fonseca's web site. While an import, I still do not know why it, and so many Brazilian CDs, are so expensive, here for an anthology. ~By Dr. Debra Jan Bibel/Amazon

Polaroides

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Chris Barber Jazz & Blues Band - Down On The Bayou

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 72:29
Size: 165.9 MB
Styles: New Orleans jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[0:18] 1. Dedication
[3:52] 2. Down On The Bayou
[5:19] 3. They Took My Money
[3:41] 4. Music From The Land Of Dreams
[6:20] 5. Going Up The River
[3:13] 6. Baby O'mine
[2:29] 7. Waiting For A Train
[5:24] 8. Corrine Across The Sea
[3:08] 9. Beg, Steal Or Borrow
[6:07] 10. Whose Blues
[3:00] 11. Battersea Raindance Crocker's Eleven
[3:23] 12. Nobody Knows When You're Down And Out
[5:01] 13. Black Widow
[4:56] 14. New York Town
[4:02] 15. Big Bass Drum (On A Mardi Gras Day)
[4:15] 16. Skippin' And Jumpin'
[2:43] 17. Pick And Shovel
[5:09] 18. Oh! Didn't He Ramble

Chris Barber Jazz & Blues Band: Chris Barber (vocals, trombone); John Crocker (alto & tenor saxophones, clarinet, background vocals); Ian Wheeler (alto saxophone, clarinet, harmonica, background vocals); Pat Halcox (trumpet, background vocals); Vic Pitt (tuba, acoustic bass); Nick Coler (piano); Tony Atkins (acoustic guitar, background vocals); Johnny McCallum (guitar, banjo, snare drums, cabbassa); John Slaughter (guitar); Ian Richardson (drums, drum programming); Noran Emberson (drums, background vocals); Alan "Sticky" Wicket (drums). Recorded betweem October 1985 and March 1989. Includes liner notes by Chris Barber. Trombonist Chris Barber's British trad band has long been open to the influence of blues and R&B. On this CD, they are joined on more than half of the selections by singer/pianist Dr. John, who plays New Orleans funk/R&B rather than New Orleans jazz. The music, therefore, is quite a mixed bag, with most of the songs being originals by either Dr. John or Barber, plus Woody Guthrie's "New York Town," "Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out," and "Oh, Didn't He Ramble." Barber and trumpeter Pat Halcox play well as usual, but the band is very much in a subsidiary role on may of the selections and Dr. John has had more significant sessions on record. A historical curiosity. ~ Scott Yanow

Down On The Bayou

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Susie Arioli Band - Learn To Smile Again

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 41:31
Size: 95.0 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:36] 1. By The Time I Get To Phoenix
[4:37] 2. Less And Less
[3:46] 3. Husbands And Wives
[3:09] 4. By Myself
[6:21] 5. Night Flight
[3:53] 6. Half A Mind
[2:50] 7. A Million Years Or So
[3:22] 8. A World I Can't Live In
[3:19] 9. Ruler Of My Heart
[2:16] 10. Don't We All Have The Right
[4:16] 11. Leo's Blues

While singer Susie Arioli and guitarist Jordan Officer usually team up for renditions of Django Reinhardt-flavored swing classics, Learn to Smile Again is a change of pace. Most of the repertoire is taken from the book of Roger Miller (although "King of the Road" is bypassed), and this is a surprisingly natural fit since both Arioli (who has a quietly beautiful voice) and Officer have a real feel for vintage country/pop/folk music. Assisted by rhythm guitar, bass, quiet percussion, and the background vocals of Jason and Sheldon Valleau, this lyrical and heartfelt effort (which also includes two originals and the vintage "By Myself") is an offbeat success, logical in hindsight if not inevitable. ~ Scott Yanow

Susie Arioli (vocals, snare drum); Jordan Officer (vocals, guitar); Jason Valleau, Sheldon Valleau (vocals); John McColgan (percussion).

Recording information: Studio Victor, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (02/2005-03/2005).

Learn To Smile Again

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Ron Carter - Stardust

Styles: Jazz, Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Label: Blue Note Records
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:16
Size: 120,3 MB
Art: Front

( 6:32)  1. Tamalpais
( 7:50)  2. The Man I Love
(10:26)  3. Nearly
( 6:38)  4. Bohemia After Dark
( 5:57)  5. Tail Feathers
( 4:52)  6. Blues in the Closet
( 5:57)  7. That's Deep
( 3:59)  8. Stardust

The New Oscar Pettiford Sextet, a 1953 Leonard Feather production, featured Pettiford’s “Tamalpais Love Song.” Ron Carter his own man when incorporating varying nuances of equal multiplicity of origins to his work  proves a manly man at the outset of Stardust. In “Tamalpais,” we find the first of three reinterpretations of Pettiford’s compositions. This interpretation is relaxed and mature with loads of class, elegance, insinuated exotic appeal and assurance. Benny Golson’s midrange prowess delivers bopish ideas with flourish and cleverness resembling a dirty Martini sound that gels fantastically well with the sonic identity of the album. Joe Locke’s vibraphone playing adds a collegial touch reminiscing Terry Gibbs’ role in the original Pettiford date that saw the light of this excellent piece of writing by the late bassist honored herein. Sir Roland Hanna does his number too, while an air of exotica permeates the swing and rhythmic drive of the tune.  

The transition from “Tamalpais” to Gershwin’s “The Man I Love” a mid-tempo-solidly-melodically-aural-drink that goes down with punchy ease is right on the money, setting a deciding tone throughout the remaining flow of the recording. Carter has a more prominent role here than in the opener, although Golson wins you over oozing satisfying flurries with great comping in the piano and the unobtrusive march provided by Lenny White in the drums. Carter’s solo takes over the tune at mid passage and you are immediately reminded that there is clear evidence of a good sense of humor in his virtuosi playing, as well as Golson’s.  As the most extensive tune, Carter’s bluesy “Nearly” sets Locke loose over the steady deliciously sweet support of his peer’s in the rhythm section opening up for Golson’s takeover. Both are in great shape as the first half of the tune belongs to them. Hanna then walks the beat over the keys with aplomb and swiftness, allowing his right hand to do some serious talking, while quite a bit of meaning is issued on the left. The tune’s amicable head is restated during its closing to a caressing vanishing effect. Another one of the three Pettiford cuts comes fore in “Bohemia After Dark” and a cheerful note is struck. Carter takes a cascading descending solo of solid import on this retake of this '50s tune incorporating multiple fingered passages of special interest. Golson drives up the tempo afterwards saying much with apparent ease. White makes his strong contribution redirecting the tune into other corners, as Golson beckons back to the top. “Tail Feathers” is a Carter dusted-off tune with steady swing and some playful melodic riffs. Golson initiates the ruffling with Locke following in step and the author’s composer comes through with yet another solo with quite a particular sense of strength and melodic reasoning. 

The last Pettiford composition is “Blues in the Closet.” Little is needed to raise Hanna up with his energetic and swinging issuing that brings Carter’s jamming playing to the fore with cost-cutting measures that bankroll punchy musical wealth. Near the coda, White and Carter share a brief time together that hinted at unexplored fascinating opportunities. “That’s Deep” sticks to swing structures favoring Locke’s superb stick vibe rolling explorations. The piano follows through with equal vibe and fervor pushing the bass’ envelope further into a percussive transition at the hands of White and Carter that proves deep enough to ford with caution, although eliciting curiosity and expectation. The title cut, also recorded by Pettiford, closes the date with just Carter and Hanna. The melodic charge given by Carter renders this classic in yet another light worth looking at.~Javier Ortiz  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=11296#.UiUcQj-wVw8 .

Personnel: Bass: Ron Carter. Drums: Lenny White. Piano: Sir Roland Hanna. Tenor Saxophone: Benny Golson. Vibraphone: Joe Locke.

Stardust

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The Swallow Quintet - Into the Woodwork

Styles: Jazz
Label:  Ecm Records
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:20
Size: 129,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:19)  1. Sad Old Candle
(5:03)  2. Into the Woodwork
(5:35)  3. From Whom It May Concern
(5:02)  4. Back in Action
(4:43)  5. Grisly Business
(2:49)  6. Unnatural Causes
(2:53)  7. The Butler Did It
(4:26)  8. Suitable for Framing
(5:29)  9. Small Comfort
(5:33) 10. Still There
(5:35) 11. Never Know
(3:47) 12. Exit Stage Left

In the press sheet for Steve Swallow's Into the Woodwork, the award-winning electric bassist is quoted, saying: "Good humor before and after the red light goes on is very important. Music-making should be fun, after all." Those fortunate enough to see Swallow with Steve Kuhn and Joey Baron this past summer including a memorable stop at the 2013 TD Ottawa Jazz Festival experienced this ethos first-hand, as smiles and outright laughter defined a performance that was, indeed, great fun, but just as deep musically the ultimate consequence of musicians so relaxed with each other that nothing can get in the way. Into the Woodwork may lack the visuals, but it's clear that this quintet is having just as much fun, and is comfortable enough together to allow anything to happen albeit within the structures of Swallow's writing. 

Other than life/music partner Carla Bley focusing solely on organ and begging the question why she doesn't do so more often this is a new constellation under the Swallow marquee, but guitarist Steve Cardenas and saxophonist Chris Cheek have intersected before, both with each other and with Swallow and Bley, in Paul Motian's Electric Bebop Band and Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra, respectively. Drummer Jorge Rossy best-known for his decade-long tenure with Brad Mehldau was a late addition, writing Swallow after hearing of the nascent quartet to ask if he might join in, and his melodic approach makes him the perfect choice to drive this book of 12 new Swallow compositions. Swallow's has already achieved a place in the history books for memorable compositions like "Falling Grace," "Olhos del Gato" and "Como en Vietnam," but it's too early to tell if any of Into the Woodwork will join that rarefied group. Still, the through-composed, dark-hued "Sad Old Candle," vivacious title track, balladic "From Who It May Concern" and drum-heavy "Back in Action" Rossy's call-and-response with the rest of the group occupying a full half of its five-minutes before a quirky, dissonant theme resolves into Cheek's fiery solo, driven by Swallow and Rossy's effortless, unrelenting swing are individually memorable while, segued together as a 21-minute suite, contribute to Into the Woodwork greater continuity. 

The same approach links the blues-drenched "Grisly Business," brighter "Unnatural Causes" and ambling "The Butler Did It," before a brief pause leads into the album's closing tracks, joined together for 25 episodic minutes. In the midst of these five tunes, following Cardenas' warm-toned, melody-centric solo, "Still There" features Bley liberally and mischievously quoting the American folk song "I've Been Working on the Railroad" and the military "Taps."That's just one example of Into the Woodwork's relentless spontaneity ... and good humor. The writing may be deep and the playing even deeper Swallow's bass rarely feeling this rich or filled with ideas but at its heart is a group that more than likely shares the same onstage smiles and laughter that Swallow did with Kuhn. It's been 13 years since Swallow last recorded with a full-sized quintet, but Into the Woodwork represents a new group and repertoire that easily stands amongst his best work in a career now entering its sixth decade.~John Kelman 

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=45165#.UikneT-wVw8

Personnel: Chris Cheek: tenor saxophone; Steve Cardenas: guitar; Carla Bley: organ; Steve Swallow: bass; Jorge Rossy: drums.

Into the Woodwork

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