Thursday, December 11, 2014

Marina Xavier - When The World Was Young

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:48
Size: 91,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:42)  1. Tenderly
(2:20)  2. Everytime We Say Goodbye
(5:25)  3. When the World Was Young
(3:44)  4. I Fall in Love Too Easily
(3:37)  5. You Turned the Tables On Me
(4:14)  6. I Love Paris
(6:12)  7. The Nearness of You
(4:08)  8. As Long As I Live
(2:36)  9. Thanks for the Memory
(3:45) 10. Angel

Her choices make for an interesting track listing including the cabaret camp of 'Thanks for the Memory' and the Euro-broodiness of the title track 'When the World was Young'. As far as jazz inflections go Xavier's right mix of lazy smokiness and syncopated swing is on the money, with plenty of help from her cast of stellar sideman (including pianist Jeremy Monteiro).  
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Oliver Jones Feat. Josee Aidans - Just for my Lady

Styles: Piano And Violin Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:16
Size: 131,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:13)  1. Josée's Blues
(5:45)  2. When Summer Comes
(4:26)  3. The Windmills of my Mind
(5:04)  4. Lady Be Good
(7:22)  5. You Look Good To Me
(4:38)  6. Lights of Burgundy
(4:54)  7. The Angel and Mr. Jones
(2:06)  8. The Saskatchewan Suite: Prince Albert Sunrise
(5:18)  9. The Saskatchewan Suite: Regina Sky
(3:15) 10. The Saskatchewan Suite: Saskatoon Spirit
(6:02) 11. Just For My Lady
(4:07) 12. In The Key of Geoff

Pianist Oliver Jones has become something of a national treasure on the Canadian jazz scene over the past three decades. That's all the more remarkable considering the fact that this soon-to-be eighty year old didn't start making jazz recordings until he was in his 50s. In many respects, as his recording career has evolved, Jones has become the poster boy for the Justin Time imprint; he's released about twenty records on this label over the past thirty years and, though most of those recordings have put his Oscar Peterson-esque chops and pianistic savoir-faire on display, none really tread over the exact same ground. Sure, he often favors the piano trio format, but he isn't averse to trying something different. He demonstrated that openness on Pleased To Meet You (Justin Time, 2009), a four-handed piano feast pairing him with the late, great Hank Jones, and it serves him well here; Just For My Lady finds Jones at the head of a fine foursome a piano trio augmented by violinist Josee Aidans. The mechanics, mannerisms, and musical choices Jones makes on Just For My Lady are par for the course he's set for himself in the past, but fairly predictable pathways can still lead to pretty damn good destinations. 

He has a surprise or two in store for the ears, like the brief foray into swing territory on "The Windmills Of Your Mind," but those surprises are rare. In the end, when it comes to a player like Jones, the unexpected turns just don't matter that much. When he plays, every turn of a phrase and tickle of a key touch the soul, and few can make a piano sparkle through the speakers like Jones does.. Blues, ballads and straight-up swingers surface during this twelve song affair. Aidans takes the lead role on the bookends her Jones-penned namesake tune at the top of the program ("Josee's Blues") and a lovely-to-lively Gershwin number ("Lady Be Good") at the bottom but she isn't always the center of attention; bassist Eric Lagace uses his bow in the service of beauty and keeps things moving along in livelier places; drummer Jim Doxas powers the group and provides gentle percussive coloration in softer environs; and Jones gets plenty of opportunities to let loose on the 88s. Just For My Lady isn't more of the same from Jones, but it is another sterling set from one of the most accomplished pianists north of the 49th parallel. ~ Dan Bilawasky  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/just-for-my-lady-oliver-jones-justin-time-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Oliver Jones: piano; Josee Aidans: violin; Eric Lagace: bass; Jim Doxas: drums.

Richard Galliano & Gabriele Mirabassi - Coloriage

Styles: Accordion And Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:12
Size: 126,7 MB
Art: Front

( 4:57)  1. Beritzwaltz
( 5:43)  2. Reflections
( 8:09)  3. Spleen
(10:04)  4. Il Viaggio
( 5:28)  5. Tea For Toots
( 7:16)  6. Giselle
( 4:54)  7. Coloriage
( 5:25)  8. Ballade Pour Marion
( 3:12)  9. Chiquilin De Bachin

Accordionist Richard Galliano did for European folk specifically, the early 20th century French ballroom dance form known as musette what his mentor Astor Piazzolla did for the Argentinian tango. Galliano reimagined and revitalized a musical tradition, expanding its emotional range to reflect modern sensibilities, opening it up to improvisation learned through American jazz. In fact, Galliano was more of a jazz musician than a folk one, although he blurred the lines so much that distinctions were often difficult to make. Born in France of Italian stock, Galliano began playing accordion (as his father had) at a young age. He later picked up the trombone, and studied composition at the Academy in Nice; he also fell in love with jazz as a teenager, particularly cool-era Miles Davis and Clifford Brown, and had made it his primary focus by the late '60s. Making a living as a jazz accordionist naturally proved difficult; fortunately, after moving to Paris in 1973, he landed a position as conductor, arranger, and composer for Claude Nougaro's orchestra. 

He remained there until 1976, and went on to work with numerous American and European jazz luminaries, including Chet Baker, Joe Zawinul, Toots Thielemans, Ron Carter, Michel Petrucciani, and Jan Garbarek. After meeting Astor Piazzolla, Galliano refocused on his European heritage and set about reviving and updating musette, widely considered antiquated at the time. He signed with Dreyfus in 1993, and the label gave him enough exposure to cause a stir first in his home country, then among international jazz and world music fans. Regular recordings followed; some with clarinetist/soprano saxophonist Michel Portal, some with guitarist Jean Marie Ecay, and some with his favorite rhythm section of bassist Jean-François Jenny-Clark and drummer Daniel Humair (after Jenny-Clark's untimely death, Rémi Vignolo took his place). In 2001, Dreyfus released Gallianissimo, a compilation drawing from his seven albums for the label and a new recording, Face to Face, a duet recording with French pianist and vocalist Eddy Louiss. In 2004 after several global tours and reissues of some of his earlier albums, Blues Sur Seine, a duet offering with cellist Jean-Charles Capon, was released on La Lichere; he also appeared as a soloist with Josefine Cronholm on Blue Hat by Søren Siegumfeldt's String Swing and Concerts with Portal. 

This was followed by 2005's Ruby, My Dear by the New York Trio: Galliano, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Clarence Penn. In 2007, Galliano delivered Solo on Dreyfus as well as Mare Nostrum, co-headlined with Paolo Fresu and Jan Lundgren, and Luz Negra, a tango album by his own sextet. By all accounts, Galliano, in his touring, composing, and recording appearances, had become prolific on both sides of the Atlantic. The accordionist recorded with Charlie Haden, Mino Cinelu, and Gonzalo Rubalcaba on 2008's Love Day: Los Angeles Sessions, and back in Europe with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra on Ten Years Ago; both were issued on Milan. Galliano signed to Deutsch Grammophon, where he cut a trilogy of classically themed recordings: J.S. Bach in 2010, Nino Rota in 2011, and Antonio Vivaldi in 2013. The tango and bal-musette accordionist returned to jazz in 2014. Sentimentale was recorded for Resonance and produced by its founder, George Klabin. The studio band consisted of pianist-arranger Tamir Hendelman, guitarist Anthony Wilson, bassist Carlos Del Puerto, and drummer Mauricio Zottarelli. It was released in September. ~ Steve Huey & Thom Jurek, Rovi  Bio ~ https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/richard-galliano/id41914533#fullText

Personnel: Richard Galliano (accordion); Gabriele Mirabassi (clarinet).