Eva Sur Seine - Eva Sur Seine EP / Singin' Django EP

Album: Eva Sur Seine EP
Size: 48,1 MB
Time: 20:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Gipsy Swing
Label: ESS Music
Art: Front

01. Bernies Tune (2:56)
02. Une Belle Histoire (5:06)
03. Stompin' At The Savoy (2:37)
04. Je Me Voyais Déjà (3:22)
05. Flambée Montalbanaise (2:42)
06. Dream Of You (3:46)

Eva sur Seine is a collaboration between the young and talented jazz singer Eva Scholten (‘86) and the Thomas Baggerman Trio consisting of Thomas Baggerman (‘88), Max Baggerman (‘90) and Machiel Willemsen (‘70).

The combination of Eva’s refined voice and the gentlemen’s virtuoso gypsy jazz creates a very unique and personal sound, which is often compared to musical greats such as The Rosenberg Trio and Ella Fitzgerald. Their repertoire comprises contemporary songs, reworked pieces by Django Reinhardt, French Chansons and Jazz standards.

This young band is currently regarded as one of the most promising talents in the Netherlands.

Eva Sur Seine EP

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Album: Singin' Django EP
Size: 48,1 MB
Time: 20:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Gipsy Swing
Art: Front

01. Bernies Tune (2:56)
02. Une Belle Histoire (5:06)
03. Stompin' At The Savoy (2:37)
04. Je Me Voyais Déjà (3:22)
05. Flambée Montalbanaise (2:42)
06. Dream Of You (3:46)

Singin' Django EP

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Andre Previn - Don't Worry Be Jazzy By Andre Previn

Size: 276,0 MB
Time: 118:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. Sophisticated Lady (2:53)
02. Solitude (2:54)
03. A Touch Of Elegance (3:14)
04. Do It The Hard Way (4:04)
05. I Could Write A Book (4:51)
06. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart (3:24)
07. I'm Talkin' With My Pal (5:01)
08. Taking A Chance On Love (5:13)
09. It's A Great Big Town (3:33)
10. The Love I Long For (3:35)
11. What Is There To Say (3:53)
12. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) (3:20)
13. April In Paris (3:42)
14. Autumn In New York (3:49)
15. I Can't Get Started (5:20)
16. Cabin In The Sky (3:59)
17. I Like The Likes Of You (3:43)
18. Round About (4:35)
19. Ages Ago (3:48)
20. Bewitched (5:36)
21. What Is A Man (3:19)
22. That Terrific Rainbow (6:03)
23. What Am I Here For (2:44)
24. A Portrait Of Bert Williams (3:32)
25. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good (3:22)
26. Le Sucrier Velours (3:00)
27. Perdido (2:33)
28. Prelude To A Kiss (3:07)
29. Satin Doll (2:56)
30. Zip (3:38)
31. Take Him (3:35)

One of the most versatile musicians on the planet, André Previn has amassed considerable credentials as a jazz pianist, despite carving out separate lives first as a Hollywood arranger and composer, and then as a world-class classical conductor, pianist, and composer. Always fluid, melodic, and swinging, with elements of Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson, and Horace Silver mixed with a faultless technique, Previn didn't change much over the decades but could always be counted upon for polished, reliable performances at the drop of a hat.

He started piano lessons in his native Berlin before the Nazi threat forced his family to move to Paris in 1938 and the U.S. the following year. Settling in Los Angeles, the wunderkind Previn began working as a jazz pianist, an arranger for MGM, and a recording artist for Sunset Records while still in high school -- and by his 18th year, his first recordings for RCA Victor had racked up substantial sales. Originally swing-oriented, Previn discovered bop in 1950 just before his induction into the Army. Upon returning to Los Angeles, Previn went into overdrive, gigging as a jazz pianist, scoring films, and playing chamber music. Forming a smooth boppish trio with Shelly Manne and Leroy Vinnegar, Previn scored a huge crossover hit with an album of jazz interpretations of My Fair Lady, which in turn led to a series of likeminded albums of Broadway scores and kicked off an industry trend.

By 1962, Previn started to make the transition away from Hollywood toward becoming a full-time classical conductor, dropping his jazz activities entirely. He stayed away from jazz for 27 years, with the exceptions of a handful of sessions with Ella Fitzgerald and classical violinist/dabbler Itzhak Perlman. Indeed, in 1984, he was quoted as saying that jazz was "an expendable art form" for him. But in March 1989, shortly before resigning from the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a dispute with management, Previn returned to jazz with a trio album for Telarc with Ray Brown and Joe Pass, showing that he had not lost an iota of his abilities. Subsequently, he returned frequently to the studio as a jazz pianist for Telarc, Angel, Deutsche Grammophon, and DRG when not freelancing as a conductor or composing classical scores. ~Biography by Richard S. Ginell

Don't Worry Be Jazzy By Andre Previn

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Simone Kopmajer - The Best In You

Size: 132,5 MB
Time: 56:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Blue Bayou (4:13)
02. Shoes (4:38)
03. All The Words Are Gone (5:10)
04. The Best In You (4:35)
05. Inseparable (3:29)
06. Lucky Mojo (3:49)
07. Up Here On The Rooftop (3:55)
08. Wichita Lineman (6:05)
09. I Dream Of You (3:27)
10. A Perfect Love (5:54)
11. Stay (4:09)
12. Our Love Is Light (6:07)
13. Mr. Wonderful (1:06)

It was Simone’s idea to take the great songs of different generations and put all together in what could be considered a level playing field. «I love to sing the great jazz standards,» the 20-something Austrian native tells me, «but, great as they are, I don’t want to sing them exclusively.» Thus she mixes it up–going seamlessly from the music of Prince and Motown to that of the Gershwins and Rodgers & Hart. She varies between the old and new, which is entirely logical considering that virtually all of them are considerably older than she is. She also includes music from both Broadway and Nashville–also a logical choice considering that New York and Tennessee are roughly equidistant from Vienna.

Simone takes an evocative country-folk song associated with Alison Kraus, and, with her stunning voice and the combined musicality of herself and co-producer/pianist John di Martino, makes it into something even more special. «I was driving from one show to another in the States, when I heard it on the car radio.» she reports, «I couldn’t get all the details, but I eventually figured out what the song was. Before I could find the sheet music, I wrote out the chords myself.» It’s a beautifully sung and even haunting performance–in more ways than one.

The new CD also includes three excellent original songs, my favorite of which is «Didn’t You Say.» «It’s about these men that promise you all kinds of things, and then in the end, they don’t deliver anything.» She tells me it’s inspired by real relationships, and I tell her she’s too young to be so cynical. However, the Count Basie-style beat provided by the combination of di Martino and ace rhythm guitarist helps negate any possible ill will, and «Didn’t You Say» turns out to be a real romper after all.

Meet a fresh, young singer from Austria, whose US debut in the year 2000 was hailed as "captivating“. Jazz legend Ira Sullivan calls her “a great young talent” with a big future in Jazz.

Simone, now 25 years old, grew up in a family of musicians and started to sing, in her father's band when she was 12. At the same time she studied piano, though singing remained her first love. Early on, she entered and won various talent contests and even made appearances on television in her native land, Austria. As a young performer, she twice toured the Netherlands with the “Euro Big Band” and later appeared in several International Jazz Festivals.

Influenced by some of the great American vocalists, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Jon Hendricks, Simone has developed into a true Jazzsinger, a singer who uses a wide variety of rhythms and excels in her very individual style of scatting. Laurie Antonioli says that “Simone is an excellent musician, with soulful and hip improvising. She digs in and isn't afraid to take risks with the music”.

Simone received her Masters Degree from the University for Music and dramatic Arts in Graz, Austria where she had the opportunity to work with such Jazz luminaries as Mark Murphy, Sheila Jordan, Michele Hendricks, Jay Clayton and the New York Voices.

The Best In You 

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Akiko Tsuruga - Sweet And Funky / Oriental Express

Album: Sweet And Funky
Size: 122,3 MB
Time: 52:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Soul-Jazz, Hammond Organ
Art: Front & Back

01. Booga Lou (3:58)
02. Broadway (5:47)
03. DLG (5:19)
04. Meanie Queenie (5:12)
05. Mushi-Mushi (5:28)
06. Polka Dots And Moonbeams (5:54)
07. Saving All My Love For You (5:41)
08. Stormy Weather (4:35)
09. Sweet And Lovely (6:25)
10. Where Is The Love (4:21)

Japanese-born Akiko Tsuruga has lived in New York since 2001. Sweet and Funky is her breakthrough CD, showing that she can hold her own with virtually every other jazz organist. Her style fits well into '60s/'70s soul-jazz and hard bop styles, grooving like Charles Earland, Jimmy McGriff, Jimmy Smith and the other great organists of the era without directly copying any of them. She swings her way through standards, blues and three originals, never losing her momentum, drive or flow of rhythmic ideas. Guitarist Eric Johnson (who takes plenty of fine solos), drummer Vince Ector and percussionist Wilson "Chembo" Corniel all have plenty of experience in this type of organ group and keep the music swinging and grooving. Based on the performances on Sweet and Funky, Akiko Tsuruga ranks as one of the top organists around today and, with luck, this is only the beginning. ~Review by Scott Yanow

Sweet And Funky

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Album: Oriental Express
Size: 123,5 MB
Time: 53:02
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2009
Styles: Soul-Jazz, Hammond Organ
Art: Front & Back

01. Bright Eyes (3:48)
02. Closer I Get To You (3:19)
03. Dreamsville (4:28)
04. Frim Fram Sauce (4:55)
05. J's Groove (4:22)
06. Killing Me Softly With His Song (5:26)
07. Magic E (5:43)
08. Oriental Express (4:42)
09. Sidewinder (6:18)
10. Take It Easy (5:48)
11. Teach Me Tonight (4:06)

With her third release as a leader, Japanese-born jazz organist Akiko Tsuruga demonstrates her growth as a player, having distilled the essence of many of the giants of the instrument, including Jimmy Smith, Charles Earland, Mel Rhyne, Brother Jack McDuff, and others. One of relatively few women who has gained exposure playing jazz organ, Tsuruga shows a surprising maturity at the instrument, using a wide variety of dynamics, while her adventurous spirit shows in her improvising and choice of rhythms. Two of her sidemen on these sessions, tenor saxophonist Jerry Weldon and drummer Rudy Perschauer, were members of McDuff's final band and their presence no doubt stimulated the young organist. Also making important contributions are guitarist Eric Johnson and percussionist Wilson Chembo Corniel, both of whom appeared on her previous 18th & Vine CD Sweet and Funky. Her breezy setting of "The Frim Fram Sauce" (a hit for pianist Nat King Cole during the '40s) and funky Latin setting of Lee Morgan's "Sidewinder" are obvious highlights. She's equally adept handling standards like "Teach Me Tonight" and Henry Mancini' lush ballad "Dreamsville," both of which prominently feature Johnson. With this outstanding effort, Akiko Tsuruga is easily one of the fast rising stars on jazz organ. ~Review by Ken Dryden

Oriental Express

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Marty Grosz & Hot Winds - The Classic Sessions

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 68:07

Size: 155.9 MB

Styles: Swing, Contemporary jazz

Year: 2009

Art: Front

[4:37] 1. Pardon Me Pretty Baby

[4:12] 2. Rent Party Blues

[3:13] 3. Just One Of Those Things

[3:25] 4. I Must Have That Man

[5:50] 5. Maori

[3:33] 6. I Just Couldn't Take It Baby

[6:49] 7. Wabash Blues

[3:27] 8. Under A Blanket Of Blue

[2:57] 9. My Blackbirds Are Blubirds Now

[5:28] 10. Caught

[3:26] 11. Love And Kisses

[9:22] 12. Riverside Blues

[4:15] 13. The Panic Is On

[5:08] 14. When Buddha Smiles

[2:17] 15. I Gotta Get Up And Go To Work

Rhythm guitarist Marty Grosz has been a central figure squarely placed in the vintage/traditional/swing era/hot jazz style. He's in many ways a one-of-a-kind artist as a performer, while priding himself as an archivist, historian, and song excavator. The Hot Winds band that Grosz surrounds himself for this recording is loaded with multi-instrumentalists like Scott Robinson, Dan Block, and Vince Giordano, wielding an array of woodwind and brass instruments, especially from the clarinet family. Yes, everything on this recording is from that bygone era of jazz, while the tracks are filled with the counterpoint and layered ideas that sparked the initial forays into improvisation that makes jazz vital, enjoyable, unique, and exciting. What Grosz and crew accomplish is pretty much major league in terms of how they sustain interest through and through by mixing and matching front-line instruments, conceiving a new way to play these tunes with every twist and turn. Check out their "fusion" of three different melody phrases during the upbeat original "Love & Kisses," a load of fun for all. Fans of Fats Waller can't be denied their ebullience, and this combo is no different on the bluesy instrumental "Caught" or the uptown strutter "The Panic Is On," with vocals from Grosz. Some very obscure numbers are discovered, like the lively car chase tune "My Blackbirds Are Bluebirds Now" featuring a ribald vocal from Giordano, the straight Chicago-style Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey composition "Riverside Blues," Duke Ellington's "Rent Party Blues" with two clarinets and the banjo of Grosz, and the quite unknown blues "When Buddha Smiles," featuring baritone sax, C-melody sax, and the peckhorn. The one non-swing entity "Maori" is in a calypso beat with the spirited banjo of the leader slyly jutting and ducking. Perhaps the one song that stands apart is the resurrected Ethel Waters song "I Just Couldn't Take It Baby," with the singing of the leader digging deep into the black bottom spectrum. Robinson's clarinet, soprano, baritone sax, or cornet, Block's clarinet, alto, baritone sax, and bass clarinet, Giordano's upright bass, tuba, bass sax, and the mysterious Panic Slim on trombone for five tracks allow the variations and diverse sounds closer to a full-blown big band. For those who enjoy early period jazz as it was invented, this is a marvelous example of how it should be, and still can be done. ~Michael G. Nastos

The Classic Sessions 

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Sara Gazarek - Live At The Jazz Bakery

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:53
Size: 123.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:03] 1. Cheek To Cheek
[2:44] 2. Too Darn Hot
[4:27] 3. More
[4:03] 4. Yours
[3:38] 5. You Are My Sunshine
[3:04] 6. So This Is Love
[4:25] 7. Give Me That Smile
[6:24] 8. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
[4:25] 9. You've Changed
[3:36] 10. Let's Try This Again
[8:09] 11. Don't Know How To Stay
[4:50] 12. Makes Me Feel This Way

Gazarek didn’t discover her calling until her senior year, when her school band flew to New York City to compete in the Essentially Ellington Competition, hosted by the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. It was the first year that the competition included a big band vocal feature, so Gazarek joined the band, and ended up walking away with the first ever Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation Vocal Soloist Award.

When Gazarek arrived at the University of Southern California, she was the only jazz studies vocal major in her class, and quickly discovered that she was way behind her peers when it came to jazz theory. She spent much of the first year off by herself studying for hours every day, listening closely to classic recordings by Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins and Hank Mobley. She studied privately with vocalists Tierney Sutton and Carmen Bradford, pianist Shelly Berg and bassist/arranger John Clayton, who become one of her most important champions.

At USC, Sara helped develop the JazzReach program, spending two years as a jazz choir director with inner city elementary school children. “I was fortunate to have a very passionate jazz educator at my high school, and know that if it wasn’t for Scott, I probably wouldn’t have discovered my own love of jazz. The idea of lighting that flame in even just one young musician is exciting to me.”

Sara Gazarek, voice; Josh Nelson, piano; Erik Kertes, bass; Matt Slocum, drums. Special Guest, Katisse Buckingham, flute

Live At The Jazz Bakery

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Blue Mitchell - Blue's Moods

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 40:45
Size: 93.3 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1974/1994/2006
Art: Front

[5:52] 1. I'll Close My Eyes
[4:04] 2. Avars
[3:57] 3. Scrapple From The Apple
[6:24] 4. Kinda Vague
[6:03] 5. Sir John
[5:39] 6. When I Fall In Love
[4:16] 7. Sweet Pumpkin
[4:26] 8. I Wish I Knew

Of trumpeter Blue Mitchell's seven Riverside recordings, only this set along with three numbers on Blue Soul  feature Mitchell as the only horn. Joined by pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Roy Brooks, the trumpeter is typically distinctive, swinging, and inventive within the hard bop genre. He performs four standards, plus Ronnell Bright's "Sweet Pumpkin," the obscure "Avars," and a pair of originals in fine fashion. ~Scott Yanow

Blue's Moods

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Dr. John - Duke Elegant

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 54:57

Size: 125.8 MB

Styles: New Orleans blues-jazz vocals

Year: 1999

Art: Front

[ 5:40] 1. On The Wrong Side Of The Railroad Tracks

[ 5:02] 2. I'm Gonna Go Fishin'

[ 3:33] 3. Don't Get Around Much Anymore

[ 5:05] 4. Solitude

[ 4:45] 5. Satin Doll

[ 6:53] 6. Mood Indigo

[ 5:29] 7. Do Nothing 'til You Hear From Me

[ 6:22] 8. Things Ain't What They Used To Be

[ 6:22] 9. Caravan

[ 5:43] 10. The Flaming Sword

Mac "Dr. John" Rebennack playing songs from the canon of Duke Ellington is as natural as the break of day. But the gris-gris king interprets Ellington in a way unlike anyone else. "Mood Indigo," arranged for Dr. John's six-man New Orleans group, takes on a fresh, heartfelt immediacy with the good doctor's vocals and piano locked into a relaxed groove. He sings another slice of essential Ellingtonia, "Do Nothing 'til You Hear from Me," with a lighthearted nonchalance that epitomizes the worthiest New Orleans performers. Dr. John packages snippets of his keyboard playing as panaceas for the soul on a funked-up interpretation of "Caravan," even spinning off on a "Wade in the Water" tangent before wrapping up the song. But with so many, many Ellington nuggets to dust off for reinterpretation, one wonders why Dr. John elected to go with popular numbers that get covered again and again. To his credit, he does serve up the lesser-known "The Flaming Sword," where his piano is luminous in the Calypso fashion of Professor Longhair, and he offers delightful, fonkified updates of the Ellington obscurities "On the Wrong Side of the Railroad Tracks" and "I'm Gonna Go Fishin'." --Frank-John Hadley

Duke Elegant

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Zara Mcfarlane - If You Knew Her

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:09
Size: 124,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. Open Heart
(3:34)  2. Her Eyes
(5:58)  3. Move
(3:36)  4. You'll Get Me in Trouble
(6:54)  5. Police & Thieves
(1:20)  6. Spinning Wheel
(4:25)  7. Plain Gold Ring
(7:35)  8. Angie La La
(4:00)  9. The Games We Played
(5:12) 10. Woman of the Olive Groves
(6:47) 11. Love

On her full-length follow up to 2010's EP Until Tomorrow, London-based singer Zara McFarlane perfects her blend of austere instrumentation and mantra-like rhythms supporting her rich and warm voice that owe more to Mongo Santamaria than reputedly Nina Simone or Roberta Flack. An album centerpiece, "Woman in the Olive Groves" undulates like "Afro Blue" while being able to act as its logical prelude. Backed by a traditional rhythm trio, McFarlane fulfills the potential of her subtle and muscular voice which sets perfectly against Brinker Golding's obtuse and probing tenor saxophone solo. Pianist Peter Edwards sinks McCoy Tyner chords into the ground like tent poles erected for elemental cover. It is this brief and honest instrumental and vocal simplicity that McFarlane, in her compositions, brings to this modern amalgam of jazz and soul.  McFarlane's voice swells to the challenge of sparse instrumentation. 

She capitalizes on the music's pulse, that necessary element propelling this collection of sweetly opaque songs forward. On "Move" McFarlane sings of motion and strength among uncertainty, motion provided by the shimmer of Edwards' right melodic hand tacked down by his precise left. The sole non-original composition is Junior Murvin's 1977 "Police & Thieves," later covered by the Clash. McFarlane takes the song far afield of Murvin's original Jah-happy rebellion and the Clash's boiling mercury version into the blended jazz-soul terrain of 21st Century London. A gentle heart is Zara McFarlane's, one that burns in a low smolder of creation. ~ C.Michael Bailey   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/if-you-knew-her-zara-mcfarlane-brownswood-recordings-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php#.U3VaFCi9a5w

Personnel: Zara McFarlane: vocals (all), piano (6), guitar (4); Peter Edwards: piano (2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11); Gavin Barras: Bass (1, 8); Max Luthert: bass (2, 3, 5, 7, 10); Moses Boyd: drums (3, ; Andy Chapman: drums (2, 10); Taz Modi: drums (8); Binker Golding: tenor saxophone (10); Leron Thomas: trumpet (8); Rachel Gladwin: harp (8).

If You Knew Her

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Cindy Bradley - Bliss

Styles: Smooth Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:48
Size: 116,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:25)  1. Button Legs
(5:14)  2. Bliss
(5:29)  3. Riverside Jive
(6:54)  4. Squeeze Me
(4:33)  5. 49th & 9th
(5:03)  6. Could It Be You
(4:31)  7. Comin' Home to My Baby
(4:22)  8. Lost and Found
(5:21)  9. Sharp a Strut
(3:51) 10. God Bless the Broken Road

It's always difficult when you have set the bar so high as Cindy did with her groundbreaking and highly heralded second recording 'Unscripted', voted 'Critic's Choice 2011' by Jazziz Magazine, and one that spawned back to back #1 Billboard singles, to not only follow but to continue to stretch higher. With the release of BLISS, Bradley's third she again finds Grammy award winning producer Michael Broening at the rudder steering the ship and together again they not only grab hold of the bar they set, but leap over it, carried forward by the current of her wave of popularity.

Bliss is the apropos title for this set of musical sketches that continues to expose the many facets of this extraordinary artist who laid bare her emotions and challenges in 'Unscripted' and now finds a place in her life where she is finding great peace and joy through her perseverance and increase in capacity. These musical portraits painted with a variety of different brushes and strokes cover the gamut of moods and emotions, open, honest and revealing. From her trademark swing and sass to the beauty and sensitivity through which she caresses the muted Harman, it's all here. Her jazz chops are in full display on 'Squeeze Me' a wistful rendering chock full of artistic expression and interplay. Gospel, Funk, House and blues all find appearance in this new exploration of what is Cindy Bradley and the results are robust and satisfying.

Radio is licking its collective chops and Bradley's legions of fans will line up and welcome with full embrace this long awaited expose. The sails are set and this ship is prepared to leave port for destinations unknown. Welcome aboard. ~ Editorial Reviews   http://www.amazon.com/Bliss-Cindy-Bradley/dp/B00JJNLXEG

Bliss

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Cedar Walton - Underground Memoirs

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:47
Size: 124,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:26)  1. Milestones
(6:50)  2. Lost April
(4:38)  3. Someday My Prince Will Come
(4:06)  4. Con Alma
(4:50)  5. Skylark
(6:25)  6. Everytime We Say Goodbye
(5:55)  7. On Green Dolphin Street
(5:53)  8. Underground Memoirs
(5:46)  9. Sophisticated Lady
(4:54) 10. I Want To Talk About You

The strength of any great musical interpreter is his or her ability to see the truth at the core of any great tune. This capability to assess the inner beauty of a memorable tune, regardless of context, can sometimes turn an inspired player into an equally noteworthy composer. That's the case with pianist Cedar Walton, who, now in his early '70s, contributed a number of well-known pieces to the late drummer Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers songbook of the early '60s, and has continued to pen memorable hard bop tunes in the ensuing years. Underground Memoirs is Walton's fourth solo outing in a career that spans six decades and collaborations with a veritable who's who of jazz, including saxophonists John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, and Joe Henderson; and more recently, guitarist Larry Coryell, Manhattan Transfer singer Janis Siegel, and saxophonist David "Fathead Newman. He has chosen to interpret a programme of largely well-heeled standards, rather than contribute from a compositional perspective. Still, Walton understands the concept of a good story well told, adopting a decidedly non-virtuosic approach and remaining true to the material in a way that echoes Keith Jarrett's similarly faithful and uncharacteristically unflamboyant '99 home recording The Melody at Night, With You. That's not to say that Walton and Jarrett share much in common; Jarrett's typical stream-of-consciousness approach is far removed from Walton's more thoughtful, but never overly-considered, means of interpretation. 

But both players, at least on these two recordings, share an apparent common musical goal that places the song first and the ego second, although there is certainly no lack of personality on either disc. Three of the tunes covered by Walton are inspired by the late Miles Davis someone with whom Walton never worked, but whose directness clearly informs his take on "Milestones, as well as two tunes commonly associated with Miles: "Someday My Prince Will Come and "On Green Dolphin Street. Walton retains a stronger hard bop approach than Miles would employ from the early '60s onwards, and he demonstrates an unfailing ability to get inside the melody of everything from Hoagy Carmichael's "Skylark and Cole Porter's "Everytime We Say Goodbye to Duke Ellington's "Sophisticated Lady. He also uses the freedom afforded by the solo setting to be more interpretive in a time sense, also stretching the compositions' harmonic potential while still remaining well inside the mainstream. Walton's better-known role as the consummate accompanist sometimes overshadows his evocative strengths as a soloist, but Underground Memoirs offers an opportunity to hear him in that most exposed of contexts. The result is just under an hour's worth of nuanced reinvention and reverent reimagining. ~ John Kelman   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/underground-memoirs-cedar-walton-highnote-records-review-by-john-kelman.php#.U30BhSi9a5w
 

Personnel: Cedar Walton (piano)

Underground Memoirs

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