Roy Hargrove Big Band - Emergence

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:03
Size: 160,5 MB
Art: Front

( 4:15)  1. Velera
( 5:33)  2. Ms. Garvey, Ms. Garvey
( 6:00)  3. My Funny Valentine
( 6:37)  4. Mambo For Roy
(13:36)  5. Requiem
( 6:59)  6. September In The Rain
( 5:56)  7. Everytime We Say Goodbye
( 3:29)  8. La Puerta
( 5:51)  9. Roy Allan
( 7:17) 10. Tschpiso
( 4:26) 11. Trust

As a trumpeter, composer, and an arranger, Roy Hargrove has been a mainstay of the contemporary music scene in a variety of formats for nearly two decades. Nevertheless, his big band experience has been limited mostly to his appearances with the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band, with which he has most ably proved himself an heir to the late trumpet legend's mantle. Hargrove has been steadily accumulating big band experience in his own right since 1995, however, and Emergence is therefore most aptly titled, for it represents Hargrove's full-fledged emergence into the large ensemble idiom. While the tone poem "Requiem," by composer and trombonist Frank Lacy, was probably intended as the CD's tour de force, it's a major disappointment. After a most promising brass fanfare, with an arpeggiated woodwind countermelody reminiscent of Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe," "Requiem" lapses into an eight-minute ostinato vamp under self-indulgent alto and trombone solos, accompanied only by the rhythm section. Eight minutes is an unusually long time for the full band to lay out, and Hargrove's own contribution is limited to a few brief exchanges with the trumpet section. The saving grace is the recapitulation of the opening tutti. 

On the other hand, the remainder of Emergence exhibits Hargrove in full flight as captain of his 19-piece ensemble. Arrangements have been furnished by baritone saxophonist Jason Marshall (the hard-bopping "Ms. Garvey, Ms. Garvey"), bass trombonist Max Siegel (a Stan Kenton esque interpretation of the Rodgers and Hart classic "My Funny Valentine"), the iconic Cuban pianist Chucho Valdes ("Mambo for Roy"), and Hargrove himself. "September In the Rain," which features Hargrove on both Harmon-muted trumpet and a mellow vocal, appears to have been arranged in a Count Basie -inspired vein by pianist Gerald Clayton. Clayton, in fact, is the son of composer, arranger, bassist, and co-leader John Clayton of Los Angeles' Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, a major inspiration for Hargrove's aggregation. Vocalist Roberta Gambarini, Hargrove's erstwhile colleague with both the Gillespie band and jam sessions at NYC's Jazz Gallery, adds her velvet voice to Cole Porter's "Every Time We Say Goodbye" and the Spanish-language "La Puerta." On the latter track, she is reminiscent of Linda Ronstadt on her early-1990s Latino-jazz romp Frenesi (Elektra, 1992). Hargrove also seems to have absorbed influences ranging from McCoy Tyner ("Tschipiso") to Gerald Wilson ("Roy Allan") and Billy Strayhorn ("Trust") in the band's full-voiced sonorities. Emergence definitely proves that Hargrove, 39 years old at the time of this recording, is ready to add his name to the list of large ensemble leaders. ~ Robert J.Robbins  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/emergence-roy-hargrove-emarcy-review-by-robert-j-robbins.php

Personnel: Roy Hargrove: leader, composer, arranger, trumpet, fluegelhorn, vocal; Frank Greene: trumpet and flugelhorn; Greg Gisbert, : trumpet and flugelhorn; Darren Barrett: trumpet and flugelhorn; Ambrose Akinmisure: trumpet and flugelhorn; Jason Jackson: trombone; Vincent Chandler: trombone; Saunders Sermons: trombone; Max Siegel: bass trombone, arranger; Bruce Williams: alto saxophone, flute; Justin Robinson: alto saxophone, flute; Norbert Stachel: tenor saxophone, flute; Keith Loftis: tenor saxophone, flute; Jason Marshall: baritone saxophone, flute, reeds; Gerald Clayton: piano, arranger; Saul Rubin: guitar; Danton Boller: bass; Montez Coleman: drums; Roberta Gambarini: vocals.

Emergence

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Tina May - Divas

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:18
Size: 138,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:24)  1. Why Don't You Do Right
(4:36)  2. There's a Lull in My Life
(5:55)  3. Forgetful
(3:59)  4. Can't Get out of This Mood
(5:55)  5. When the World Was Young
(4:54)  6. Where You At?
(6:22)  7. Surabaya Johnny
(5:39)  8. Baltimore Oriole
(3:31)  9. Let's Get Lost
(5:50) 10. I Will Wait for You
(5:36) 11. You Don't Know What Love Is
(4:31) 12. All Through the Night

Tina May is perhaps the least likely jazz singer to be calling an album Divas. No diva herself, she's one of the band, a musician as much as a singer, and while she likes to inhabit a lyric and really get inside a song, May does so with just the right weight of performance, in both French and English here. These 12 songs are mostly associated with singers of another generation, but May brings her own personality and her unfailingly attractive vocal timbre to all of them, lending You Don't Know What Love Is a lightness of touch, an insouciance almost, that takes it some way from Billie Holiday's iconic version, and singing Let's Get Lost with all the carefree romance that Chet Baker only wistfully hinted at in his version of the song, half a century or so ago. 

May is also intimate and tender on Forgetful and clearly having fun with drummer-turned-assured-crooner Winston Clifford on their mischievous duet, Where You At? A cracking, crisply swinging band, superbly judged arrangements and fine soloing ensure all-round high quality. ~ Rob Adams http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts_ents/13128970.Tina_May__Divas__Hep_/

Personnel:  Tina May – vocals;  Winston Clifford – vocals;  John Pearce – piano;  Dave Cliff – guitar;  Freddie Gavita – trumpet;  Adrian Fry – trombone;  Frank Griffith - tenor sax, clarinet; Bob Martin - alto saxophone;  Andy Cleyndert - double bass;  Bobby Worth - drums

Divas

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Dick Hyman - From the Age of Swing

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:12
Size: 152,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:02)  1. From the Age of Swing
(4:24)  2. You're Driving Me Crazy/Moten Swing
(6:07)  3. Topsy
(3:24)  4. Moonglow
(4:51)  5. Them There Eyes
(6:05)  6. Dooji Wooji
(5:20)  7. Soft Winds
(4:48)  8. What Is There to Say?
(4:42)  9. 'Deed I Do
(4:31) 10. Rose Room
(3:23) 11. I Know What You Do
(5:34) 12. Mean to Me
(3:12) 13. I'm Getting Sentimental over You
(4:43) 14. From the Age of Swing (alternate take)

As the title implies, this is very much a swing set. Pianist Dick Hyman (a master of all pre-bop styles) has little difficulty emulating Teddy Wilson, Art Tatum and Count Basie (among others) plus his own style in an octet also featuring trumpeter Joe Wilder, trombonist Urbie Green, altoist-clarinetist Phil Bodner, baritonist Joe Temperley, rhythm guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, bassist Milt Hinton, drummer Butch Miles and (on three tunes) altoist Frank Wess. The opening and closing numbers are ad-lib blues both titled "From the Age of Swing"; sandwiched in between are ten swing-era standards plus a couple of obscure Duke Ellington items. Among the highlights are "Topsy," "Them There Eyes," "Rose Room" and "Mean to Me." No real surprises occur, but mainstream fans should like this swinging set. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/from-the-age-of-swing-mw0000125036

Personnel: Dick Hyman (piano); Phil Bodner (alto saxophone, clarinet); Frank Wess (alto saxophone); Joe Temperley (baritone saxophone); Joe Wilder (trumpet, flugelhorn); Urbie Green (trombone); Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar); Milt Hinton (acoustic bass); Butch Miles (drums).

From the Age of Swing

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Russell Malone - Sweet Georgia Peach

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:14
Size: 140,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:35)  1. Mugshot
(6:20)  2. To Benny Golson
(6:17) 3. Strange Little Smile / With You I'm Born Again
(5:52)  4. Sweet Georgia Peach
(5:33)  5. Rise
(6:58)  6. Mean What You Say
(5:56)  7. Song For Darius
(5:31)  8. Bright Mississippi
(5:13)  9. Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat
(5:16) 10. For Toddlers Only
(2:38) 11. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot

Sweet Georgia Peach is one of 1998's most compelling mainstream jazz releases. Guitarist Russell Malone (b. 1963), known better for his sideman roles with Jimmy Smith, Harry Connick, Brandford Marsalis, Diana Krall and Mose Allison, has produced quite a fine jazz document here, in only his third effort as a leader. He's a musician of many gifts, who never seems consciously influenced by any particular guitarist or even a direct musical style. Indirectly, he can suggest the moodswings of Larry Coryell. But such a declaration subjugates the quality of Malone's individual conceptions. Here, Malone is captured in an all-star quartet featuring pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Lewis Nash. For a studio ensemble, this one is a tight unit that works quite well together. The bulk of the music consists of Malone's originals. He's a fine, notable composer with a gift for burying the implicit technique of his ideas under the genuine appeal of his melodies.

Check out the intriguing mid-tempo "To Benny Golson," the Larry Coryell like "Mugshot" (with an exceptionally spirited solo from Barron) and the funky "Freedom Jazz Dance" groove of the intricately-paced title track (with another great feature for Barron). The waltz he wrote for his son, "Song for Darius," offers another memorable melody and yet another expert showcase for Barron's piano artistry. Malone's playing stands out especially on the covers he performs, most especially on the evocative "Someone's Rocking My Dreamboat" and the wonderful piano-guitar duo of Monk's "Bright Mississippi." What's most surprising, though, is how Malone rethinks two late 1970s hits. Hear how he stretches Herb Alpert's disco trash, "Rise," into a compelling mid-tempo ballad. Then listen to his sincere reconsideration of the Billy Preston/Syreeta hit "With You I'm Born Again" (to my knowledge, the only other jazz cover of this was Eric Gale's in 1980). "Born Again" is preceded by Malone's "Strange Little Smile" a terrific lullaby, like his solo rendition of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" that suggests Malone has developed quite a niche specialty. Sweet Georgia Peach offers truly enjoyable traditional jazz and provides provocative evidence of Russell Malone's emerging talents. Recommended. ~ Douglas Payne http://www.allaboutjazz.com/sweet-georgia-peach-russell-malone-impulse-review-by-douglas-payne.php

Players: Russell Malone: guitar; Ron Carter: bass; Kenny Barron: piano; Lewis Nash: drums; Steve Kroon: percussion on "Mugshot" and "Rise."

Sweet Georgia Peach

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Randy Weston - Modern Art Of Jazz

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:06
Size: 92,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. In a Little Spanish Town
(4:17)  2. J.K. Blues
(5:01)  3. Well You Need't
(4:49)  4. How High the Moon
(3:01)  5. Loose Wig
(5:09)  6. Stormy Weather
(3:42)  7. Run Joe
(5:19)  8. Don't Blame Me
(5:43)  9. A Theme for Teddy

Placing Randy Weston into narrow, bop-derived categories only tells part of the story of this restless musician. Starting with the gospel of bop according to Thelonious Monk, Weston has gradually absorbed the letter and spirit of African and Caribbean rhythms and tunes, welding everything together into a searching, energizing, often celebratory blend. His piano work ranges across a profusion of styles from boogie-woogie through bop into dissonance, marking by a stabbing quality reminiscent of, but not totally indebted to, Monk.

Growing up in Brooklyn, Weston was surrounded by a rich musical community: he knew Max Roach, Cecil Payne, and Duke Jordan; Eddie Heywood lived across the street; Wynton Kelly was a cousin. Most influential of all was Monk, who tutored Weston upon visits to his apartment. Weston began working professionally in R&B bands in the late '40s before playing in the bebop outfits of Payne and Kenny Dorham. After signing with Riverside in 1954, Weston led his own trios and quartets and attained a prominent reputation as a composer, contributing jazz standards like "Hi-Fly" and "Little Niles" to the repertoire. He also met arranger Melba Liston, who has collaborated with Weston off and on into the '90s. Weston's interest in his roots was stimulated by extended stays in Africa; he visited Nigeria in 1961 and 1963, lived in Morocco from 1968 to 1973 following a tour, and has remained fascinated with the music and spiritual values of the continent ever since. In the '70s, Weston made recordings for Arista-Freedom, Polydor, and CTI while maintaining a peripatetic touring existence mostly in Europe returning to Morocco in the mid-'80s.

However, starting in the late '80s, after a long recording drought, Weston's visibility in the U.S. skyrocketed with an extraordinarily productive period in the studios for Antilles and Verve. Among his highly eclectic recording projects were a trilogy of "Portrait" albums depicting Ellington, Monk, and himself, an ambitious two-CD work rooted in African music called The Spirits of Our Ancestors, a blues album, and a collaboration with the Gnawa Musicians of Morocco. Weston's fascination with the music of Africa continued on such works as 2003's Spirit! The Power of Music, 2004's Nuit Africaine and 2006's Zep Tepi, The Randy Weston African Rhythms Trio. In 2010, Weston released the live album The Storyteller which featured the then 84-year-old pianist in concert at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, as part of Jazz at the Lincoln Center. ~ Richard S. Ginell, Rovi  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/randy-weston/id137815#fullText

Modern Art Of Jazz

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Norm Drubner - I'm Old Fashioned

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 27:32
Size: 63,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:34)  1. There Will Never Be Another You
(2:22)  2. Time After Time
(2:05)  3. You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me
(2:51)  4. I'm Old Fashioned
(2:08)  5. Imagination
(3:07)  6. But Not for Me
(2:58)  7. My Ideal
(3:26)  8. That Old Feeling
(2:51)  9. Look For The Silver Lining
(2:06) 10. That's All

Norm Drubner was born in Connecticut and has practiced law along with operating real estate related businesses there for many years. Recently, he has turned his attention to his lifelong passion for music  especially the standards from The Great American Songbook. The results have been a series of vocal CDs performed with a smooth, light jazz touch with an emphasis on songs with great lyrics that make the melodies special. Norm is a lawyer-turned-singer who now inspires all of us would-be singers to follow our dreams while there is still time. Enjoy Norm’s interview (at right) with radio show host Don Wolff who loves jazz. http://www.normdrubner.com/

I'm Old Fashioned

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