Horace Silver - The Hardbop Grandpop

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 62:26

Size: 142.9 MB

Styles: Hard bop, Piano jazz

Year: 1996

Art: Front

[5:15] 1. I Want You

[6:42] 2. The Hippest Cat In Hollywood

[5:37] 3. Gratitude

[6:17] 4. Hawkin'

[8:03] 5. I Got The Blues In Santa Cruz

[7:04] 6. We've Got Silver At Six

[5:19] 7. The Hardbop Grandpop

[6:02] 8. The Lady From Johannesburg

[6:23] 9. Serenade To A Teakettle

[5:38] 10. Diggin' On Dexter

Pianist Horace Silver's 1996 CD introduced ten new compositions and, although none of the originals will probably become standards, they are consistently catchy, full of the infectious Silver personality and very viable vehicles for improvisation. The instrumental set matches Silver with quite an all-star group comprised of trumpeter Claudio Roditi, tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker (an alumnus), trombonist Steve Turre, baritonist Ronnie Cuber, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Lewis Nash. Most of the selections feature solo space for one or two of the horn players (all get their spots), and the results live up to the great potential. One of Horace Silver's finest recordings in his post-Blue Note era. ~Scott Yanow

The Hardbop Grandpop

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Robin McKelle - Modern Antique

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 43:51

Size: 100.4 MB

Styles: Vocal jazz

Year: 2009

Art: Front

[3:29] 1. Abracadabra

[3:21] 2. Comes Love

[3:36] 3. I Want To Be Loved

[4:39] 4. Lover Man

[3:43] 5. Cheek To Cheek

[3:21] 6. Day By Day

[6:13] 7. Save Your Love For Me

[2:47] 8. Go To Hell

[3:23] 9. Lullaby Of Birdland

[4:39] 10. Make Someone Happy

[4:36] 11. Remember

Robin McKelle is a California based singer who enjoys the big-band sound, as well as old-time singers like Peggy Lee and Dinah Washington, reflective in her voice. She has a slightly sultry, at times girlish sound that is striving for vintage sophistication, but also relies on contemporary song stylist precepts. She's not Norah Jones, Diana Krall, or Joni Mitchell by a long shot, and not trying to be. She sounds quite similar to Detroit based vocalist Kathy Kosins in her phrasing and affectations. The problem with this recording, her third, is that it is way overproduced, not in a contemporary synthesizer soaked way, for all of the arrangements are acoustically derived. But the rather large horn section and strings dominate this stylized singer on too many occasions. It will be good someday to hear her with a much smaller ensemble, but meanwhile, you have a fairly good representation of what McKelle sounds like doing a Las Vegas type show set. The program starts off smart enough with of a swinging and rousing version of Steve Miller's "Abracadabra," with McKelle tossing in some good scat singing. A montuno/Afro-Cuban take of "Comes Love" shows the sexy influence of Lee, while the slight contemporary light rock beat tacked on to "I Want to Be Loved" is a popular concession, but the orchestration drenches this tune. Veteran tenor saxophone soloist Pete Christlieb shines on the string infused easy swinger "Cheek to Cheek," while flugelhorn and trumpet guest Joe Magnarelli is strong and supple for the breezy "Day by Day" and stands out during the very complementary chart of "Make Someone Happy." McKelle scats again and quite effectively for "Lullaby of Birdland" with interesting staggered phrasings above a less orchestrated backdrop -- a good thing for her. She also plays piano while singing on her original, the closer "Remember," a pop ballad with strings and laden with the otherwise tasteful guitarist Larry Kuhns. This band has some other good players like trumpeter Wayne Bergeron, saxophonists Bob Shepard or Andy Snitzer, and bassist Reggie McBride, but their individualism is all but smothered. This CD will appeal to a certain audience, but there's nothing new or innovative, save the occasional vocal excursions of the clearly talented McKelle. ~Michael G. Nastos

Modern Antique

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Joe Van Enkhuizen - Joe Meets The Rhythm Section

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 39:25
Size: 90.2 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[6:23] 1. Alfies Theme
[5:27] 2. God Bless The Child
[7:37] 3. Bluesville
[6:36] 4. Willow Weep For Me
[8:47] 5. Wadin'
[4:33] 6. F.S.R

Charlie Parker once said that he needed a rhythm section like old slippers. Bird's meaning was clear. He wanted a backing trio of handpicked musicians that he had frequently encountered. Men who would supply warm and comfortable accompaniment. Three who thought and flowed as one, and styled their support to suit the flights and fancies of the soloist. There have been many notable rhythm sections in modern jazz - from Haig/Potter/Roach through Silver / Heath / Blakey, Kelly / Chambers / Cobb, Clark / Warren / Higgins to Hancock / Carter / Williams and Tyner / Garrison / Jones. One of the best functioned as three-quarters of the Playhouse Four and appeared on a series of outstandig Blue Note albums in the early 1960s. The components of that perfectly balanced threesome who lit the fires under a dozen memorable dates for Alfred Lion were pianist Horace Parian, bassist George Tucker and drummer Al Harewood. Besides trio sessions they were involved in a series of quintet albums using a front line of Stanley and Tommy Turrentine, several recordings with the fourth member of the Playhouse Four, tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin, and the memorable Blue Note debut of Dexter Gordon - Doin' Allright. Their work on those LPs 25 and more years ago made a profound impression on a young Dutch saxophonist who at just about that time made the switch from alto to tenor saxophone - Joe van Enkhuizen. Saldy, the partnership was broken by the untimely death of the redoubtable George Tucker, arguably the most rhythmically exciting bassist of his time in 1965. More than 20 years elapsed before Joe was able to realise most of his dream, and the occasion was his first self-produced album. Since Joe was calling the shots he booked Horace and Al and joining them in this All American Rhythm Section was the immensely talented Rufus Reid. If you had to pick a worthy successor to George Tucker you could't do any better than the rock-steady Rufus.

Joe has again presented us with an excellently balanced program which opens and closes with thoughtful tributes to Sonny Rollins. "Bluesville" is an earthly line from the pen of alto saxophonist Sonny Red Kyner. The other composers represented in this set are Horace Parian whose "Wadin'" was first heard on his Us Three LP in 1960, and Ann Ronell whose "Willow Weep For Me" has served as inspiration for many Jazz players including Bud Powell and Dexter Gordon. On these tunes, Joe confirms his allegiance to the soulful school of tenormen. His penchant is for a vivid, robust and vocal form of expression. He employs a wide range of the horn's sonorities. His clear, vibrant tone has the stamp of individuality which is the equivalent of the painter's signature. Joe's jazz encompasses the attitude of an entire generation towards improvisation. Regardless of whether you were a Netherlander or a New Yorker in the 1960s. If you were remotely interested in jazz, you moved and grooved to a hard bop beat. That's where it is on Rollin's "Alfie's Theme", the most catchy of the melodies that Sonny wrote for the 1966 British film Alfie. This 32-bar tune in the AABA form has a bluesy and surging feel that acts as propulsion to the soloists. Joe wails it, but in an economical statement refrains from overblowing. Note Horace's march-like prompts and the beautiful walking of Rufus' bass. Horace gets to the heart of the matter in his mesmeric portion with Al laying down righteous percussive patterns. Good groovin' indeed!

Bass – Al Harewood; Drums – Joe Van Enkhuizen; Piano – Horace Parlan; Tenor Saxophone – Rufus Reid.

Joe Meets The Rhythm Section

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Gato Barbieri - Passion And Fire

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 37:45

Size: 86.4 MB

Styles: Latin jazz, Saxophone jazz

Year: 1994/2007

Art: Front

[5:56] 1. I Want You

[4:00] 2. Fiesta

[4:11] 3. Europa (Earth's Cry, Heaven's Smile)

[3:41] 4. Poinciana (Song Of The Tree)

[3:16] 5. Theme From Firepower

[6:11] 6. She Is Michelle

[3:57] 7. Ruby

[6:30] 8. Speak Low

Argentine saxophonist Gato Barbieri splashed into the European-American avant garde jazz scene in the mid 1960s. His sax playing is unmistakeable, wild and full. He found his voice bringing the percussion and rhythms of South America into his music; while his focus was more cultural than spiritual, his association with keyboardist Lonnie Liston Smith brought his music into the cauldron of musical ferment centered around Pharoah Sanders. It should be suggested that the Indian (native American, that is) and Afro-Brazilian rhythms infused into Gato Barbieri's music all had their roots in indigenous religion.

Barbieri has had several distinct phases in his career: first, as an avant gardist (mid-1960s); second--his most "kozmigroov" period if you will--incorporating "third world" roots, culture, spirituality, and politics (late '60s/early '70s); third as a reasonably succesful pop jazz artist (late '70s/early '80s); fourth as an artist struggling to reestablish an identity (1980s); and finally, in 1997, a return to pop jazz.

David Spinozza, Eric Gale, Jeff Layton, Greg Poree, Joe Beck, Lance Quinn, Lee Ritenour , Wah-Wah Watson (guitar); Don Grolnick (piano, keyboards, synthesizer); Jimmy Maelen (piano, percussion); John Barnes, Eddie Martinez, Richard Tee, Pat Rebillot (keyboards); Lenny White, Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, Billy Cobham, Allan Schwartzberg (drums); Bill Summers (congas, percussion); Armando Peraza (bongos); José Chepitó Areas (timbales); Miguel Valdez, Mtume, Paulinho Da Costa, Ralph MacDonald, Angel "Cachete" Maldonado (percussion).

Passion And Fire

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Julia Rich - If I Spoke French

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:58
Size: 131,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:06)  1. If I Spoke French
(3:07)  2. Teach Me Tonight
(4:15)  3. Working Girls
(5:32)  4. The Tennessee Watz
(2:32)  5. Matching Rings
(3:25)  6. All The Cats Join In
(4:13)  7. I Know Why
(3:30)  8. You're Nobody Til Somebody Loves You
(3:53)  9. La Vie Rose
(2:38) 10. I Will
(3:09) 11. What A Difference A Day Made
(3:26) 12. Boyfriends
(3:26) 13. My First Love
(5:17) 14. Don't Blame Me
(2:17) 15. Hula Girls And Sea Shells
(2:05) 16. Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead

Julia Rich has a warm singing voice, a style that falls between swinging jazz and cabaret, and the ability to sing a wide variety of material. She is best-known for singing with the Glenn Miller "ghost orchestra" but has the ability to stretch herself far beyond nostalgia swing. On If I Spoke French, her second CD as a leader, the repertoire ranges from "La Vie en Rose" to the Beatles' "I Will"; from a few of her witty and at-times wistful originals to "The Tennessee Waltz" and "All the Cats Join In." In addition to a rhythm section with either Tony Migliore or Gary Weaver on piano, she is joined by a combo that includes trombonist Larry O'Brien (from the Glenn Miller Band) and tenor-saxophonist Rickey Woodard. All in all, this is an entertaining and very musical outing. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/if-i-spoke-french-mw0001414408

If I Spoke French

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Jack Teagarden - Jazz Maverick

Styles: Dixieland, Swing, Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:05
Size: 87,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:29)  1. Ever Lovin' Baby
(4:10)  2. Aunt Hager's Country Home
(4:23)  3. High Society
(3:29)  4. Blue Down
(6:15)  5. Riverboat Shuffle
(2:39)  6. Roundtable Romp
(4:29)  7. Ain't 'Cha Glad
(5:21)  8. A Hundred Years From Today
(4:44)  9. Tin Roof Blues

Jack Teagarden started 1960 off with his first studio recording for Roulette Records, Jazz Maverick, in New York City on January 2 of that year he and the band are in great form, no surprise given how tight they were on-stage during this period, with Big T and trumpeter Don Goldie sharing the vocals (especially on "Aunt Hagar's Country Home") and romping and stomping through pieces like "High Society" at breakneck speed (and also showcasing clarinetist Henry Cuesta on the latter number along with T and Goldie); Goldie's richly atmospheric "Blues Dawn" and the unexpectedly inventive and clever "Tin Roof Blues" are also just about worth the price of admission. And the whole record is worth retrieving as a killer artifact by a first-rate working jazz band of the period, and one of the finest, most representative bodies of music to emerge from the Dixieland legend's Indian Summer of recording. ~ Bruce Eder  http://www.allmusic.com/album/jazz-maverick-mw0000874221

Jazz Maverick

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Jeff Hackworth - Soul To Go

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:18
Size: 127,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:39)  1. Soul To Go!
(5:28)  2. Autumn Nocturne
(7:29)  3. The Feeling Of Jazz
(6:18)  4. Wise One
(4:38)  5. Blues In A Few
(6:33)  6. Little Girl Blue
(6:21)  7. Live And Learn
(4:33)  8. Under A Strayhorn Sky
(8:16)  9. Vaya Con Dios

His fifth album as leader and follow up to the critically acclaimed Night Owl (Big Bridge Music, 2011), Jeff Hackworth's Soul To Go! offers a brash new statement packed with bop, blues and soulful renditions of jazz classics. A New York based saxophonist of note, and like many a great sax men Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and Stan Getz among others who have called the Big Apple their home at some point in their respective careers, has the benefit of drawing from the jazz-rich environment of the city for a supporting cast of players which he does for this effort. Among the veteran musicians all leaders in their own right of his vibrant quartet, is legendary guitarist Ed Cherry best known for his long association with the Dizzy Gillespie bands who along with fellow band mate, Hammond B3 specialist Radam Schwartz make immediate impressions on the opening salvo and title piece "Soul To Go!. 

Arthur Prysock and David "Fathead" Newman drummer Vince Ector, anchors the rhythm section delivering a pounding beat when required and a light brushes on obvious balladic tracks like the beautiful "Autumn Nocturne" and others. The Ellington/Troup classic "The Feeling of Jazz" gets a relaxed humble read from the band yet, offers plenty of solo space for Hackworth and others. Sounding a tad like the master himself, the saxophonist delivers a superb Coltrane-like performance on a fresh new arrangement of Trane's "Wise One," followed by a spicy saxophone-led blues rumble on the original "Blues In A Few," which happens to showcase appreciable solo support from every member of the group. Featuring the tender side of Hackworth's tenor saxophone voice, the music turns soft and gentle on a delicious rendition of the Rogers and Hart standard "Little Girl Blue," then, with strong highlights from Cherry, slides into a bit more upbeat texture on the original, "Live and Learn."  

Providing some of his best solo sparks of the disc, Hackworth winds down the music with the burning Billy Strayhorn tribute, "Under A Strayhorn Sky" and comes to a swinging finale in a muscular reprisal of the old Larry Russell/Inez James/Buddy Pepper song "Vaya Con Dios" sounding much livelier than when first recorded by the late Anita O'Day in 1952, making this one of the definite highlights of the album. Hackworth states ..."my fifth album as a leader and I think It's my best yet," while obviously not an objective statement by any measure, delivered from a body of tender swinging sounds, Soul To Go! captures an exciting command performance from which, drawing such a conclusion, is certainly understandable. ~ Edward Blanco  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/soul-to-go-jeff-hackworth-big-bridge-music-review-by-edward-blanco.php#.U_GD-GMfLP8
 

Personnel: Jeff Hackworth: tenor Saxophone; Ed Cherry: guitar; Radam Schwartz: Hammond B3 organ; Vince Ector: drums.

Soul To Go

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John Swana & Joe Magnarelli - Philly - New York Junction

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:53
Size: 158,1 MB
Art: Front

(8:38)  1. Fat Cat
(8:06)  2. In Balance
(7:44)  3. Growing Pains
(7:12)  4. Philly - New York Junction
(6:28)  5. Pannonica
(9:56)  6. I've Never Been In Love Before
(7:53)  7. Lollipops And Roses
(6:21)  8. Ughy Beauty
(6:31)  9. Buffalo

On this collaboration of Criss Cross recording artists, trumpeters John Swana and Joe Magnarelli join forces with tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, pianist Joel Weiskopf, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Kenny Washington, all veterans of many Criss Cross recording sessions, to perform four originals by the band members, three jazz classics, and two standards. Both Swana and Magnarelli are skilled improvisers on their chosen instruments and active performers on their city's respective jazz scenes. Philadelphia resident Swana has a slightly darker tone and plays the longer phrases, and Alexander's energetic tenor sax is a nice contrast to the twin trumpets. Favorites include Swana's up-tempo blues "Fat Cat," Magnarelli's introspective "Growing Pains," the swinging title track based on the changes to "Star Eyes," and the medium shuffle of Kenny Dorham's "Buffalo." This is a welcome addition to both player's discographies. ~ Greg Turner  http://www.allmusic.com/album/philly-new-york-junction-mw0000043151

Personnel: John Swana (trumpet, flugelhorn); Eric Alexander (tenor saxophone); Joe Magnarelli (trumpet, flugelhorn); Joel Weiskopf (piano); Kenny Washington (drums).

Philly - New York Junction

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