Thursday, November 27, 2014

Bryan Shaw & The Hot Shots - The Bluebird Of Happiness

Size: 159,8 MB
Time: 68:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Love Me Or Leave Me (5:06)
02. All My Life (4:20)
03. Wang Wang Blues (4:12)
04. Vignette (4:20)
05. Papa De Da Da (4:32)
06. Song Of Dreams (3:12)
07. Lucky So And So (5:25)
08. Old Man Bowers (5:29)
09. Bloomin' Blue (5:05)
10. I Lost My Gal From Memphis (4:23)
11. Ellie (4:20)
12. Blue Room (4:15)
13. Chloe (4:02)
14. Strange Blues (5:11)
15. The Bluebird Of Happiness (4:33)

Personnel:
Bryan Shaw: trumpet
Dan Barrett: trombone
Evan Arntzen: reeds
Ehud Asherie: piano
John Dominguez: bass
Brad Roth: guitar, banjo
Jeff Hamilton: drums

Bryan Shaw performs wondrously on trumpet, the way pre-jazz players in the South were called singing horns before the word jazz was in vogue. After winning a national Dixieland contest, Bryan has been performing internationally and the music is instantly recognizable as his unique jazz sound.

Features jazz all-stars Ehud Asherie on piano and Dan Barrett on trombone. Nat Hentoff wrote the liner notes, and declared in the Wall Street Journal that Bryan Shaw is a torchbearer for timeless swing.

The Bluebird Of Happiness

Fabio Sartori, Marco Colonna, Cristiano Calcagnile - (In)Obediens

Size: 89,7 MB
Time: 38:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Mainstream Jazz
Art: Front

01. Frame (5:33)
02. Frenetic Dance (4:24)
03. (In)Obediens (8:53)
04. Flex Frame (4:12)
05. Impro#1 (5:18)
06. Celebra(L)Tion Day (3:33)
07. Arlequin (6:44)

Personnel:
Marco Colonna - bass clarinet, clarinet, tenor sax
Fabio Sartori - piano
Cristiano Calcagnile - drums, percussions

The rich, wide-ranging sound produced by Marco Colonna’s reeds makes for an intense counterpoint to the elegant notes of Fabio Sartori’s piano and the bounty of Cristian Calcagnile’s masterful percussion. The trio’s music, clearly identifiable with the strengths of a jazz that possesses both the awareness and the willingness to embrace adventure, explores a natural sequence of alternating moments. Broad, reflective stretches are interspersed with vigorous clusters of notes, as the three players consistently bring to their music an intriguing clarity of form, an unflagging feel for the lyrical and a remarkable gift for collective interplay.

"(In)Obediens is a play on words that signifies deep listening. There, where the creative thrust arises, often in contrast to what lays outwards. That means a disobedience, the refusal of established and preconstituded models. Improvisation is the way. The opening and ending themes are written, as the parentheses in the title. The rest is a discovery within every instant shared among the musicians. The title track represents this work at its best." Fabio Sartori

(In)Obediens

Deb Silver - In Spring

Size: 102,2 MB
Time: 43:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Vocals, Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

01. 90 In The Shade (5:19)
02. What's New (4:56)
03. Love Song #9 (3:46)
04. Miho (4:20)
05. You Must Believe In Spring (3:02)
06. Permission For The Blues (Feat. Lew Soloff) (4:35)
07. Poor You (4:05)
08. The Emperor (4:16)
09. Love Asylum (4:59)
10. Permission For The Blues (Feat. Jeff Lee Johnson) (4:35)

On her album In Spring, Deb Silver delivers a striking collection of original songs mixed with unique interpretations of her favourite standards, producing a jazzy journey woven through with Deb’s smooth vocal dexterity.

A published songwriter with a lengthy career as a live performer in New York City–including a 12-year residency at Manhattan’s Zinc Bar–Deb has steadily established herself as a swinging jazz vocalist, recognized as both a sensual and witty musical interpreter and a highly accessible composer in her own right.

Whether delivering her own take on the classics or contributing songs of her own, Deb’s focus remains on telling her musical stories with her core group of downtown NYC jazz musicians, their many years of playing together infusing each track with the textured contours and lived-in familiarity that only the best long-term musical partnerships can provide.

In Spring

Artie Shaw - Both Feet In The Groove

Size: 88,2 MB
Time: 38:03
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1956/2014
Styles: Jazz: Vocals, Big Band, Swing
Art: Front

01. One Foot In The Groove (3:41)
02. Rockin' Chair (3:07)
03. Jungle Drums (3:29)
04. Solid Sam (3:15)
05. Just Kiddin' Around (3:20)
06. Octoroon (2:55)
07. Prosschai (3:09)
08. What Is This Thing Called Love (3:11)
09. Lazy Day (3:03)
10. Little Jazz (3:00)
11. Comin' On (2:44)
12. One Night Stand (3:03)

Born in New York City in 1910 and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, Artie Shaw worked for several years as a saxophonist and clarinetist in name bands, and as a free-lance studio musician in Manhattan radio and recording work, before his career as a bandleader began, almost by accident, in 1935. In the spring of 1937 Artie started a new band with the regular saxes-brass-rhythm instrumentation. This was the band that catapulted him to fame a year later when he recorded Begin the Beguine. Some of the numbers in this album go back to that era; in fact one tune, Comin' On, was recorded on the same day at the same session as the historic Beguine-July 24, 1938. This Shaw panorama should convince you that, in truth, Artie Shaw at all times has had both feet in the groove.

Both Feet In The Groove

James Weidman - October Feeling

Size: 144,3 MB
Time: 62:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. I Hear A Rhapsody (5:34)
02. Three Questions (4:33)
03. The Wanderer (7:00)
04. The Mind Is The Universe (6:15)
05. Upper Manhattan Medical Group (5:11)
06. Straight Ahead (7:30)
07. Spring Is Here (6:57)
08. It's There For You To See (7:38)
09. October Feeling (5:50)
10. The Best Thing For You (Would Be Me ) (5:37)

Really nice solo piano set from Weidman, who mixes things up with tunes from the GAS, a few from jazz giants and some of his own originals. He gets an intimate, warm sound from his instrument, which is why the songs reveal a depth and substance even when he’s playing it straight and casual. For this session, Weidman set out to use a Fazioli rather than a typical Steinway piano. The Fazioli is made from the same wood as the Stradivarius, and notes tend to sustain a bit longer. Between that and his smart play, it’s why this album resonates as strongly as it does. ~Dave Sumner

October Feeling

Valerie MacCarthy & Jean Chaudron Trio - Color Play

Size: 136,6 MB
Time: 58:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I Put A Spell On You (4:03)
02. Chain Of Fools (3:30)
03. Round Midnight (6:37)
04. Couleur Orange (3:48)
05. White Room (4:16)
06. Tender Moment (4:54)
07. Use Me (4:42)
08. The Letter (2:14)
09. Summertime (4:13)
10. Well You Needn't (3:03)
11. Nights In White Satin (5:01)
12. Zana (3:18)
13. Black Coffee (5:49)
14. Blues For Ed (3:01)

Personnel:
Valérie MacCarthy: Vocals
Bernard Désormières: Piano
Jean Chaudron: Double Bass
Alain Bouchaux: Drums

The versatile Franco-American singer Valérie MacCarthy has always been musically adventurous and has never sought to limited herself to the classical world. Though opera remains her touchstone, she has continued to explore other musical genres – including jazz and pop – throughout her career. Indeed, her love of jazz goes back to her college days at Northwestern.

These days, she is happily collaborating with the Jean Chaudron Trio, performing both traditional jazz favorites and original songs by Jean Chaudron, lending her classical training and multifaceted soprano to this musically complex and rich music. Recently, she produced music videos for several original pop songs that she co-wrote; the official music videos, in which she performs, are available on this site as well as on You Tube. Even in opera, Ms. MacCarthy has pushed boundaries in exciting ways. She appeared on Broadway in Baz Luhrman’s acclaimed production of La bohème, and, in 2003, she created her own one-woman show around her personalized interpretations of Poulenc’s La Voix humaine and Menotti’s The Telephone.

She has a particular affinity for modern works: in 2008, she starred in the world premiere of Lost Highway, an opera based on the David Lynch film of the same name (with libretto by Nobel Prize-winning writer Elfriede Jelinek), and recent and upcoming engagements include Mrs. Maurrant in Kurt Weill’s Street Scene and Magda Sorel in Menotti’s The Consul. Ms. MacCarthy has performed throughout the United States and Europe, appearing at many prestigious houses and festivals, including the Ravinia Festival (Chicago) and Holland Park Festival (London).

Color Play

Boyd Lee Dunlop - Boyd's Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 58:57
Size: 135.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz/blues
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[ 7:40] 1. Boyd's Mellow Blues
[ 3:30] 2. Boyd's Bowed Blues
[ 4:51] 3. Boyd's Swinging Blues
[ 5:04] 4. Boyd's Solo Flight
[ 5:45] 5. Boyd's Place
[ 7:34] 6. St. James Infirmary Blues
[ 6:01] 7. Boyd's Funky Blues
[13:33] 8. Boyd's Epic Journey
[ 4:55] 9. Boyd's End Of The Day Blues

For nearly eighty years, Boyd Lee Dunlop has been a live musician. Then, at age eighty-five, he stepped into a recording studio in Buffalo, NY with Sabu Adeyola on bass and Virgil Day on drums and, finally, recorded an album of his own. Now, at age eighty-six, he’s recorded his second.

When you hear Dunlop play, you know there’s a lot to his story, and a lot of it is missing. And that great mystery comes out in the music presented here, and forces us to wonder about all those notes that Dunlop played, live, unrecorded, over eight decades. A smidgen of Art Tatum here, and a dash of Bud Powell there, hints of Jaki Byard sprinkled on top, sometimes in the space of one song. But where Tatum and Powell often spearheaded their songs with lightning fills and the elaborate technical prowess youth will cling to, Dunlop lays back in a pocket of blues, deftly knowing when to slow the pace, shifting from standards to improvised embellishment. Dunlop’s passion and inventiveness are finally captured, and these notes will continue to ring out, over and over, as many times as we play his records.

Boyd's Blues

Poncho Sanchez - Latin Spirits

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 62:10
Size: 142.3 MB
Styles: Afro-Cuban jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[6:14] 1. Sambia
[4:29] 2. Next Exit
[4:53] 3. Latin Spirits
[6:16] 4. Quieres Volver
[4:41] 5. Going Back To New Orleans
[4:25] 6. On Time
[7:06] 7. Ju Ju
[6:34] 8. Batiri Cha Cha
[6:27] 9. The Things We Did Last Summer
[4:27] 10. Tito In The City
[6:34] 11. Early In The Mornin'

Much marketing ado will no doubt be made over the wonderful dream-come-true nature of the legendary conguero's pairing with jazz piano great Chick Corea, in a setting which brings the latter back to his roots playing with Mongo Santamaria in the '60s. And the two Corea-touched tracks are definite highlights. He wrote the jumpy, heavy-chorded jam title track, which finds him doing call and response with feisty horns as Sanchez pitter patters fancifully in the background; the piano improvisations between these interactions are characteristically mind-boggling, as Corea switches off from bebop to hardcore Latin ivory sweeps. He also tackles the frisky Wayne Shorter piece "Juju," dipping and swooping over and under the horns as, once again, Sanchez works up a frenzy all around him. But Sanchez' vision extends way beyond just the Corea songs, as he creates an exciting travelogue through various styles that go beyond just Latin jazz. "Sambia" is sassy Havana salsa all the way, but the bluesy "Next Exit" -- featuring David Torres on piano -- is what might happen if Ramsey Lewis found himself at a Latin jazz party. The fun part of being a percussionist is surrounding yourself with brilliant soloists, and Sanchez picks a true winner in saxman Scott Martin, whose rich baritone drives "Next Exit." "Going Back to New Orleans" is all party blues with shouting voices and a Dr. John-like vocal by Dale Spalding. "Quieres Volver" is a dreamy romance set firmly in San Juan, with strings and Sanchez' own raspy vocals. Tucked deep into the disc are two other can't-miss spots on the itinerary: the festive Manhattan-styled jaunt "Tito in the City" (an obvious tribute to the mastery of Tito Puente) and the funky, struttin' "Early in the Morning," which recalls Louis Jordan's Calypso jive circa the mid-'40s (also featuring Spalding on lead vocals). Just when you think this disc can't get any better, Sanchez delights in making every next note and tour stop a surprise. ~Jonathan Widran

Poncho Sanchez congas, percussion, lead vocals on tracks 1, 4, 8; David Torres piano, Hammond B-3 Organ; Bruce Malament piano (tracks 5 & 11); Tony Banda bass, background vocals; Tom Gargano bass (tracks 5 & 11); Ramon Banda timbales; Tiki Pasillas timbales (tracks 5 & 11); Jose "Papo" Rodriguez bongos, percussion, background vocals; James Gadson drums (tracks 5 & 11); Sal Cracchiolo trumpet, flugelhorn; Scott Martin tenor, soprano, alto saxophones; Lon Price tenor, soprano, alto saxophones (tracks 5 & 11); Francisco Torres trombone, background vocals; Randy Waldman strings (track 4).

Latin Spirits

Judy Kuhn - Serious Playground: The Songs Of Laura Nyro

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:00
Size: 116.8 MB
Styles: Pop-jazz vocals
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[3:23] 1. Blackpatch
[4:04] 2. Sweet Blindness
[3:23] 3. Stoney End
[3:23] 4. To A Child
[2:18] 5. California Shoeshine Boys
[3:20] 6. Stoned Soul Picnic
[4:39] 7. Lonely Woman
[5:07] 8. Been On A Train
[3:42] 9. Mother's Spiritual
[2:46] 10. Luckie
[3:40] 11. Capt. St. Lucifer
[3:30] 12. Upstairs By A Chinese Lamp
[3:52] 13. Buy And Sell
[3:45] 14. Save The Country

As a singer and songwriter, Laura Nyro was the equal of Carole King and Joni Mitchell. Yet, while we discovered King and Mitchell’s compositions from their own albums, most of us learned Nyro’s songs through hit covers from the likes of the 5th Dimension, Barbra Streisand and Three Dog Night. So, though most of Nyro’s albums are available on CD, her work (or, at least, a small slice of it) survives largely as fodder for Golden Oldies stations. Fortunately, venerable music theater performer Judy Kuhn has opted to dig deeper, mixing the familiar with the comparatively obscure to salute the remarkable depth and breadth of the Nyro songbook.

Interestingly, Kuhn sounds akin to the Tapestry-era King as she examines the many facets of a richly versatile writer who was equally skilled at exploring the giddiness of communal tipsiness (“Sweet Blindness”) and the darkness of fatal drug abuse (“Been On a Train”), the joy of motherhood (“To a Child,” “Mother’s Spiritual”) and the temptation of demons (“Captain Saint Lucifer”), the cacophonous underbelly of her native New York (“Buy and Sell”) and the social unrest of her generation (“Save the Country”). Listening to Nyro filtered through Kuhn, it’s hard not to be reminded of composer Jonathan Larson’s Rent. And the parallel seems apt, party because of Kuhn’s innate theatricality, but more because Nyro and Larson, though separated by several decades, embraced many of the same themes—New York as a creative melting pot, sexual freedom, the incomparable value of friendship, the lights at the end of dark tunnels, internal and external quests for peace, love and understanding—in their passionately-woven songs. And both died far too young. ~Thomas Conrad

Serious Playground: The Songs Of Laura Nyro

Simone Zanchini & Frank Marocco - Bebop Buffet

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 41:49
Size: 95.7 MB
Styles: Accordion jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:05] 1. Yardbird Suite
[5:34] 2. Yesterdays
[3:27] 3. Home Again
[7:49] 4. Spanish Song
[4:20] 5. Green Dolphin St
[4:27] 6. Jitterbug Waltz
[4:29] 7. There Will Never Be Another You
[4:17] 8. Peace
[3:16] 9. The Flinstones

Simone Zanchini; accordion Frank Marocco, accordion.

When I was a boy I had a tape I had worn down because of continuos listening; you could listen to a kind of jazz , played with the accordion that in those years, it wasn’t able to find. That was Frank Marocco and I spent many days of my life listening to him, and now, it seems incredible to me, I had the chance, after twenty years, to live this DUO experience with Frank. This meeting led me to develop a feeling, a style the be-bop that I’ll be always thankful to and gave birth to a deeply-felt work Be-bop buffet. ~Simone Zanchini

Frank Marocco was born in Joliet, Illinois USA 1/2/1931 - passed away in Los Angeles on 3/3/2012 He studied classical Accordion for 9 years in The Chicago area. Frank Marocco also studied clarinet, Piano, Harmony & Theory. His passion is Jazz and in recent years has been playing concerts in Europe, Japan, Brazil and China.

Bebop Buffet

Lisa Wahlandt - Stay A While

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:19
Size: 103,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:00)  1. Kiss
(3:48)  2. Light My Fire
(4:29)  3. Stay A While
(4:02)  4. My Funny Valentine
(3:15)  5. Here There And Everywhere
(3:45)  6. As Tears Go By
(5:17)  7. Enjoy The Silence
(5:26)  8. Gute Nacht
(3:31)  9. I Will Survive
(5:41) 10. Inner City Blues

With this CD Lisa Wahlandt has discovered the song cycle for the Jazz again. "Stay a while" is a love log in songs, quiet, intense and ever so slightly blue.
With its fascinating hot cold, sensual voice staged Lisa Wahlandt a very personal, almost private Chamber match, meet in the Beatles and Doors on Broadway and Prince and Franz Schubert stands next to Gloria Gaynor. An emotional journey through all the feelings that offers love, touching and long echoing.

Decelerating, enjoyable moments of life. Great cinema for the ears. Lisa Wahlandt band and create a warm atmosphere, striding across borders without offending. Playful, leidenschaftich, sovereign. ~ Rainer Molz, monstersandcritics   
http://www.lisa-wahlandt.com/en/shop/stay-a-while

Personnel:  Lisa Wahlandt (vocals) Walter Lang (piano) Sven Faller (bass) Gerwin Eisenhauer (drums)

Ruby Braff & Scott Hamilton - A Sailboat in the Moonlight

Styles: Cornet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:01
Size: 98,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:36)  1. A Sailboat in the Moonlight
(5:21)  2. Lover Come Back to Me
(4:26)  3. Where Are You?
(6:02)  4. 'Deed I Do
(5:10)  5. When Lights Are Low
(6:24)  6. Jeepers Creepers
(4:09)  7. The Milkman's Matinee
(5:49)  8. Sweethearts on Parade

Taken from the same sessions as A First, this collaboration between veteran cornetist Ruby Braff and the relatively young tenor great Scott Hamilton lives up to its potential. With strong assistance from pianist John Bunch, guitarist Chris Flory, bassist Phil Flanigan and drummer Chuck Riggs, Braff and Hamilton are a perfect team on such joyful swing tunes as "A Sailboat in the Moonlight," "'Deed I Do," "Jeepers Creepers" and "Sweethearts on Parade." All eight selections (even the obscure "Milkman's Matinee") are well wotth hearing, making this a highly recommended set. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-sailboat-in-the-moonlight-mw0000649419

Personnel: Ruby Braff (cornet), Scott Hamilton (tenor saxophone), Chris Flory (guitar), Phil Flanigan (bass), Chuck Riggs (drums).

Ken Peplowski - It's a Lonesome Old Town

Styles: Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:38
Size: 134,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:43)  1. More Than Ever
(4:25)  2. They Can't Take That Away from Me
(5:00)  3. It's a Lonesome Old Town
(5:06)  4. These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You)
(3:10)  5. Supposin'
(3:40)  6. Bonicrates de Muletas
(5:06)  7. It Never Entered My Mind
(5:13)  8. In My Life
(6:16)  9. Last Night When We Were Young
(4:55) 10. The Eternal Triangle
(6:28) 11. Zingaro
(2:34) 12. Crimehouse

Ken Peplowski has long been open to playing in more modern idioms of jazz while not losing his facilities or interest in the older styles. On this CD, Peplowski doubling as usual on clarinet and tenor is joined by guitarist Alden, pianist Allen Farnham, bassist Greg Cohen and the late drummer Alan Dawson. In addition, all but the final two of the dozen selections add either guitarist Charlie Byrd (who is on five songs), trumpeter Tom Harrell or pianist Marian McPartland (the latter two, on three songs apiece, both appear on "Last Night When We Were Young"). The repertoire, which has several expected swing standards, also includes a boppish original by Harrell (the opening "More Than Ever") and a song apiece by Lennon & McCartney, Sonny Stitt and Antonio Carlos Jobim. "These Foolish Things" and "Supposin'" are particularly delightful, for they feature a trio comprised of Pep and the two guitars. This was the first time Alden and Byrd had recorded together, and their interplay is quite special. There are many subtle surprises throughout the set, such as the tango rhythm given "It's a Lonesome Old Town," the pure joy to be heard in the jubilant Brazilian folk song "Bonicrates De Muletas," the cooking bebop of "The Eternal Triangle," and the effective transformation of the Beatles' "In My Life" into a jazz ballad. The tricky Peplowski original "Crimehouse" (based on "Limehouse Blues") wraps up the inventive and rewarding set. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/its-a-lonesome-old-town-mw0000182102

Personnel: Ken Peplowski (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Tom Harrell (trumpet); Allen Farnham, Marian McPartland (piano); Howard Alden, Charlie Byrd (guitar); Greg Cohen (bass); Alan Dawson (drums).

Jack Jezzro - Romance In Rio

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:14
Size: 121,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:47)  1. The Girl From Ipanema
(4:14)  2. Brazil
(4:31)  3. Wave
(4:38)  4. Meditation
(4:09)  5. Island Of Love
(4:23)  6. Black Orpheus (Carnival)
(5:10)  7. Regado
(4:23)  8. Romance In Rio
(4:56)  9. Gentle Rain
(4:18) 10. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)
(3:59) 11. Brazil, With Love
(3:41) 12. Once I Loved (O Amor En Paz)

Diversity best describes the artistry of guitarist, bassist, and producer Jack Jezzro. His recordings and productions have sold well into the millions, and he surely ranks high in formal education, knowledge of his instrument, and sheer musicality. But even more than that, Jezzro has a style and taste that are all his own qualities that are a breath of fresh air to the music of today and qualities that breathe new life into the music of yesterday. The Early Years Jazz is a natural expression for this West Virginia native, who seems to have been born musical. Jack Jezzro grew up in the small town of Rivesville, starting on piano and accordion when he was very young. "I would go to the piano and start banging out tunes when I was four or five," he recalls. His remarkable skill at simultaneously fingering melody and chord changes came naturally to him as a young listener. 

"I had a stack of Chet Atkins records, and that’s how I learned to play," Jezzro reports. "As a kid, I’d want to play all the parts. I’d listen to a tune by James Taylor, The Doobie Brothers, Simon & Garfunkel, or whomever. I’d play the bass part, the piano, the vocal and I’d want to do it all right there on the guitar." Education For his bass-playing skills, Jezzro earned a scholarship to West Virginia University in nearby Morgantown. "I still kept playing guitar, but they didn't have a guitar program," he says. "I wanted to go to school there because it was close by, so I picked the bass and really got into it." The year was 1976. "That fall, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra came to Morgantown, and I got to meet the principal bass player, Sam Hollingsworth. We immediately hit it off."

Hollingsworth took Jezzro under his wings, preparing him for a professional career. By 1978, Jack knew that if he wanted to become a professional, it was time to move on. So he took the year off from school and began playing in the Charleston Symphony Orchestra (CSO). After a year with CSO, Jezzro won a scholarship and sailed into the sophistication of the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. While a student at Eastman, he won an audition for and subsequently played in the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra for two years. Meanwhile, he continued developing as a guitarist by absorbing the sounds of George Benson, Joe Pass, and Jim Hall. After graduation, "it was either New York, Nashville, or Los Angeles, and Nashville felt more like home" where he landed a job with the Nashville Symphony Orchestra and began breaking into the studio scene. The Jezzro Style For an instrumentalist, speed and flash are often yardsticks. Innovation and technique unquestionably enter into play. Rhythmic invention, tonal dynamics, repertoire selection, or sophistication of arrangement are also called into the discussion. 

But Jack Jezzro has something more; and that something is taste. His latest guitar projects combine those elusive qualities instantly recognized when you hear them discrimination, polish, grace, and artistry. In addition to sheer taste, another element of Jezzro’s unique style is that he’s a contrapuntal guitarist, integrating chordal harmony and melodies into one distinct sound clean, lucid, and smooth often performing on a nylon-string guitar. "I like to be true to a song," Jezzro begins. "At the same time, I try to do something fresh with a tune. My own sound or style that's the freshness. I guess we all try to find our unique voice. That's what we're all striving for. I'm always going to be working for it." A lot of guitar trio records sound a little thin, so the challenge is to accompany yourself. "One of the things that’s always been there naturally is being my own accompanist," Jezzro says of his special fingerstyle playing. "I was sort of developing this accompanimental thing before I knew what it was." http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jezzrojack6