Diane Schuur - Pure Schuur

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:46
Size: 109,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:10)  1. Nobody Does Me
(4:53)  2. All Caught Up In Love
(2:19)  3. Deed I Do
(4:54)  4. What A Difference A Day Makes
(6:10)  5. Touch
(4:32)  6. Baby You Got What It Takes
(3:55)  7. Unforgettable
(4:53)  8. I Could Get Used To This
(3:15)  9. You Don't Remember Me
(4:25) 10. Hold Out
(3:15) 11. We Can Only Try

Diane Schuur has always been one of the world's greatest modern jazz voices, and her purity on this collection makes for her most artistic yet accessible statement to date. She may be broadening her scope to include pop, but she's also sure to pay homage to her jazzy upbringing, most notably on her stunning renditions of "Unforgettable" (the same year Natalie Cole triumphed with the song) and "Deed I Do," a sassy big-band duet with the late Joe Williams. The magic of Pure Schuur lies in Schuur's ability to pick and interpret such a wide range of songs with so many different types of arrangements.

While producer Andre Fischer seems to have a grand old time backing Deedles with sporty horn sections and synthesized sounds, the album is most effective with minimal instrumentation, as on the magnificent "You Don't Remember Me" and "We Can Only Try." As with Frank Sinatra and the like, Schuur is blessed with good-to-great songs, smart arrangers, and stellar productions, but it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that...voice. Schuur's is clear, rich, and powerful, mixing fun and romance as only a jazz legend in the making can.~Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/pure-schuur-mw0000317774

Personnel: Diane Schuur (vocals, keyboards); Joe Williams , Bobby Womack (vocals); Dean Parks (guitar, acoustic guitar); Grant Geissman (guitar); Ernie Fields Jr., Fred Jackson, Jr. , Jack Nimitz, Joel Peskin (saxophone); Larry Williams (alto saxophone); Chuck Finley (tenor saxophone, trumpet); Dan Higgins (tenor saxophone); Kim Hutchcroft (baritone saxophone); Gary Grant (trumpet, flugelhorn); Nolan Andrew Smith, Oscar Brashear, Sal Marquez, Steve Huffsteter , Frank Szabo (trumpet); Chuck Findley (flugelhorn); David Duke , Richard Perissi, Art Mawby, Marni Robinson, Richard Evans (French horn); Dick Hyde, Garnett Brown, Richard Hyde, Charles Loper, Maurice Spears (trombone); David Benoit, Tom Garvin (piano); Michael Ruff (organ); Marc Hugenberger (keyboards, programming); André Fischer (drums, programming); Harold Jones , Carlos Vega (drums); Larry Steelman (programming, keyboard programming); Brad Cole (programming); Denise DeCaro, Maxine Anderson, Lynn Davis , Maxi Anderson (background vocals).

Pure Schuur

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Edward Simon, Scott Colley, Clarence Penn - A Master's Diary

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:15
Size: 120,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:02)  1. Eugenia's Theme
(7:36)  2. Passeggiata nel Parco
(5:53)  3. In Cerca di Cibo
(3:09)  4. Nel Parco
(3:36)  5. Diario di un Maestro
(5:23)  6. Valzer Lento
(6:20)  7. Eugenia's Theme
(6:34)  8. Passeggiata nel Parco (Reprise)
(3:41)  9. Diario di un Maestro
(3:56) 10. In Cerca di Cibo

Creative jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader Edward Simon was born in Punta, Cardón, Venezuela in 1969, first traveling to the United States in 1981 at 12 years of age and attending the Performing Arts School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. After graduating at age 15, he studied classical piano and music performance under a scholarship at Philadelphia’s University of the Arts, then moved on to the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied jazz piano and music performance. By 1988 he was performing and recording professionally; Simon made his first recorded appearance on the 1988 Greg Osby album Mind Games, and the following year he joined saxophonist Bobby Watson's Horizon ensemble, remaining with the band until 1994 and appearing on such Watson albums as The Inventor (1990), Present Tense (1992), and Midwest Shuffle (1994). 

Upon departing Watson's group, Simon became a member of trumpeter Terence Blanchard's band between 1994 and 2002; the pianist can be heard on a number of Blanchard albums, including Romantic Defiance and the score to the Spike Lee-directed movie Clockers (both 1995), The Heart Speaks (1996), the score to the Kasi Lemmons film Eve's Bayou (1997), and Let's Get Lost (2001). During these years, Simon also appeared on recordings by the likes of guitarist Kevin Eubanks, alto saxophonist Dave Binney, flutist Herbie Mann, and tenor saxophonist Mark Turner. Simon's debut as a leader arrived in 1994 with Beauty Within on the Audioquest label; the album also introduced listeners to the Edward Simon Group, a trio featuring the pianist accompanied by electric bassist Anthony Jackson and drummer Horacio "El Negro" Hernández. The following year found Simon recording and releasing an eponymous sophomore album with a new trio featuring bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Adam Cruz, along with occasional support from Turner on tenor saxophone and Milton Cardona on percussion. Simon expanded his ensemble beyond the post-bop piano trio format for 1998's La Bikina, including both Turner and Binney on saxophones and Diego Urcola on trumpet in addition to drummer/percussionist Cruz, bassist Ben Street, percussionist Pernel Saturnino, and Cardona contributing vocals. 

However, the ensuing years would see Simon continue to explore the possibilities of the piano-bass-drums trio with a series of recordings including 2003's The Process (with bassist John Patitucci and drummer Eric Harland); 2004's Simplicitas (with bassist Avishai Cohen and drummer Adam Cruz); and 2006's Unicity, 2009's Poesía, and 2013's Trio Live in New York at Jazz Standard (all with Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade). Meanwhile, Simon and Binney co-founded the collaborative creative jazz quartet Afinidad in 2000; the band (with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade) released an eponymous debut in 2001 and Océanos in 2007. In 2003 Simon founded Ensemble Venezuela, an ambitious project melding creative jazz with the traditional musics of his home country, and in 2005 he received a Chamber Music America commission to compose Venezuelan Suite for the ensemble. Simon assembled ten musicians (including saxophonist Turner and drummer Cruz) from the United States, Venezuela, and Colombia to record the suite at Brooklyn's Systems Two studio in 2012; the album Venezuelan Suite was released by the Sunnyside label in January 2014. Simon is also a member of the SF Jazz Collective. ~ Dave Lynch https://itunes.apple.com/ph/artist/edward-simon/id7370451#fullText

Personnel: Edward Simon ( Piano );  Clarence Penn ( Drums );  Diego Urcola ( Trumpet, Flugelhorn );  Scott Colley ( Bass )

A Master's Diary

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Adam Rogers - Allegory

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:54
Size: 167,5 MB
Art: Front

( 8:19)  1. Confluence
(10:01)  2. Phyrigia
( 4:07)  3. Was
( 7:53)  4. Genghis
( 3:50)  5. Angle Of Repose
( 9:48)  6. Orpheus
( 7:03)  7. Red Leaves
( 8:46)  8. Cleveland
( 9:06)  9. Purpose
( 3:56) 10. Angle Of Repose - Reprise

After establishing a solid reputation as part of the fusion collective Lost Tribe and as a sideman with the likes of Michael and Randy Brecker, Ravi Coltrane, and others, guitarist Adam Rogers is flexing his considerable chops as a leader. Allegory , his sophomore effort, adds tenor saxophonist Chris Potter to Rogers' quartet with pianist Edward Simon, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Clarence Penn. It features ten original compositions that display his quirky, syncopated melodies and clean, fluid guitar style over driving (and often odd-time) rhythms. Potter's saxophone adds weight to the melodies, many of them played in unison with Rogers' guitar. The arrangements are straight-ahead with pronounced heads and solo sections. But the interplay between the musicians and their improvisatory abilities keeps things unpredictable. On "Phyrigia," Colley plays a thematic bass solo over the Eastern-like changes, and Potter blisters through the upper registers of the tenor during his lead, prodded by Penn's flourishes. "Genghis" also features a guitar-saxophone melody, which slowly unfolds over a plodding, funky groove.


Rogers displays his classical guitar technique on "Red Leaves," a spacious ballad that also features a lyrical bass solo. "Angle of Repose" is another unhurried piece with room for the musicians to explore the sparse melodic movement. Conversely, "Cleveland" is an energetic piece with melodic twists and turns over which the musicians solo adeptly. To celebrate the release of Allegory , Rogers performed two sold-out sets at the Jazz Gallery last month. Bassist James Genus and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts provided the rhythm for him and Potter. As on the recording, "Confluence" kicked things off and Watts' relentless ride-cymbal propelled the leader's first solo. Watts and Potter had several spirited exchanges and the drummer seemed to push the saxophonist to dig deeper into the tunes and Potter ably accepted the challenge. 

The bluesy vamp "Purpose" got an especially raucous workout, highlighted by Watts' only solo of the first set. The show had a raw, kinetic energy often originating from the rhythm section, which provided a solid foundation for the soloists. The crowd's approval during the live performance, as well as the solid tunes on Allegory, show that Rogers has developed nicely into a role as leader with a promising future.~Sean Patrick Fitzell http://www.allaboutjazz.com/allegory-adam-rogers-criss-cross-review-by-sean-patrick-fitzell.php

Personnel: Scott Colley - bass; Chris Potter - tenor sax; Clarence Penn - dums; Adam Rogers - guitar; Edward Simon - piano.

Allegory

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The Pointer Sisters - The Pointer Sisters

Styles: Vocal, Funk
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:01
Size: 117,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:01)  1. Yes We Can Can
(3:10)  2. Cloudburst
(4:40)  3. Jada
(5:51)  4. River Boulevard
(4:01)  5. Old Songs
(7:08)  6. That's How I Feel
(2:18)  7. Sugar
(2:36)  8. Pains And Tears
(3:45)  9. Naked Foot
(7:27) 10. Wang Dang Doodle

The Pointer Sisters began their formal vocal training in their father's church, The Church of God in West Oakland, California. They went on to achieve worldwide fame and have secured a place in pop music history as a dynamic female group! Their first performance in Los Angeles at the Troubadour club was hailed by critics for its versatility and range and called The Pointer Sisters "the most exciting thing to hit show business in years." Their 1973 debut album gave us the singles, "Yes We Can, Can," which reached #11 on Billboard magazine's pop singles chart. The album was certified gold and the group had become the most talked-about new act of the year. The following year, the sisters released That's A Plenty, an album that included a bona-fide country-western tune, "Fairytale," written by the sisters. The single hit big on both the country and pop charts. As a result, the sisters became the first black female group to ever perform at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. They also became the first contemporary act to perform at the San Francisco Opera House and released a live recording of the performance. In 1975, "Fairytale" won the sisters their first Grammy Award, for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group with Elvis Presley later covering the tune. That year, the Pointers released their fourth album for Blue Thumb. Entitled Steppin', the record included "How Long (Betcha Got A Chick On The Side)"; co-written by the sisters, it went top 20 on the pop charts and sailed all the way to #1 on R&B. In 1976, the sisters hit the big screen, joining Richard Pryor in the film, Car Wash. "You Gotta Believe" which was featured on the film's soundtrack, rose up the R&B charts. In 1977, the Pointer Sisters released Having a Party, their last album for Blue Thumb and their last album as a quartet.

In an effort to change their style, the sisters signed with Planet Records and teamed up with Richard Perry, a well-known producer who had previously worked with such artists as Barbara Streisand and Carly Simon. Together, they decided to record a rock 'n roll album. The group's debut single, Bruce Springsteen's "Fire," went all the way to #2 on the pop charts and went gold. Boosted by "Fire," the Energy album was certified gold and went on to spawn another top single with "Happiness". In 1980, the group released the gold-certified Special Things; it featured the song "He's So Shy" that went to #3 and gold status. In 1981, the group released Black & White, which included one of the biggest hits of the year, "Slow Hand." The single topped out at #2 on the Billboard charts, and became an anthem for women across the country.

Alas, the title of their 1983 album summed up exactly what the trio was about to do: Break Out. Upon its release, Stereo Review called the new album "the Pointer Sisters at their sassiest, brassiest, up-tempo best." When Ruth took the lead for "Automatic," her deeper-than-deep vocals practically leapt off the vinyl, and helped the single go all the way to #5. The Pointer Sisters landed all over MTV, becoming one of the first black acts to be played in heavy rotation. "Jump(for my love)" raced to #3 on the pop charts. "I'm So Excited" hit the Top 10 and became a Pointer classic! To date, the song has been played over 2.5 million times on radio. "Neutron Dance," featuring Ruth's gospel-spiked shouts, rose to #6 on the pop charts as its video dominated MTV. Paramount Pictures included the hit in their film, Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy. Finally, Break Out spawned a sixth single, "Baby Come And Get It." The success of the album earned the sisters two Grammy Awards (Best Vocal by a Duo or Group for "Jump" and Best Vocal Arrangement for "Automatic") and two American Music Awards. Break Out was certified triple-platinum, making it the biggest selling album of the Pointer Sisters' career. While they toured heavily and made countless television appearances, the group made a move to RCA Records, which released the Contact album in 1985. The set's first single, "Dare Me," hit #11 and was accompanied by another stylish video that established the Pointer Sisters as trendsetters for a whole new generation. Within three weeks of its release, Contact was certified platinum, and the group went on to win another American Music Award for Best Video Group. In late 1986, the Pointer Sisters released their second album on RCA, Hot Together, which spawned a top 40 hit with "Goldmine." The Pointers helped promote the album in 1987 by hitting prime time with their first television network special, Up All Night, featuring the sisters touring Los Angeles night spots with guest stars Whoopi Goldberg, Bruce Willis and The McGuire Sisters.

1993 marked the Pointer Sisters 20th year in the recording industry, and they helped celebrate the anniversary with a new album, entitled, Only Sisters Can Do That, on SBK Records. All three sisters wrote material for the album. Fans and critics alike sang the record's praises Entertainment Weekly, for one, called the album "catchier than…Janet Jackson" and proclaimed it "the catchiest Sisters set since 1984's hit-packed Break Out." In 1994, a massive crowd swarmed to Hollywood Boulevard to see the ladies receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, an event proclaimed "Pointer Sisters Day" in Hollywood. That same day, it was announced that the group would begin a world-wide tour of the Fats Waller musical, Ain't Misbehavin'. They toured with the show for 46 weeks and recorded a cast album. The sisters went on to be honored on the Soul of American Music Awards and were also inducted into the Soul Train Hall of Fame. They performed a special concert at the White House for then President Clinton. In 1996, they were one of the legendary acts that performed at the closing ceremony of the Olympics in Atlanta, and the group was saluted with Fire The Very Best of the Pointer Sisters, a 36-song anthology that chronicled the sisters' career. In recent years, the group has performed with some of the greatest symphony orchestras in the world, including San Francisco, Jacksonville, Atlanta's Symphony Orchestra and the renowned Boston Pops. 

They were a smash hit at Night of the Proms, which spanned over 50 sold-out performances throughout Germany, Holland and Belgium, and has secured the group many more successful tours in Europe. The group recorded a live CD/DVD, which captured the energetic Pointers performing the hits that fans of all ages continue to enjoy! Ruth, Issa and Sadako maintain a busy touring schedule and perform the music of The Pointer Sisters all over the world.http://www.thepointersisters.com/group-biographies/group-bio-short

Personnel:  Anita Pointer, Ruth Pointer, Bonnie Pointer, June Pointer – vocals;  Gaylord Birch – drums;  Tom Salisbury – piano;  Ron McClure – acoustic bass, electric bass;  Willie Fulton – electric guitar;  Ed Marshall – drums on "Cloudburst" and "Jada";  Rod Ellicott – bass on "River Boulevard";  Norman Landsberg – piano on "Old Songs";  The Hoodoo Rhythm Devils – backing band on "Wang Dang Doodle"

The Pointer Sisters 

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