Helen Merrill - Brownie: Homage To Clifford Brown

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:54
Size: 144,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:17)  1. Your Eyes
(2:58)  2. Daahoud
(5:16)  3. Born To Be Blue
(7:00)  4. I Remember Clifford
(3:59)  5. Joy Spring
(7:14)  6. I'll Remember April
(6:18)  7. Don't Explain
(5:04)  8. Brownie
(4:33)  9. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(4:53) 10. I'll Be Seeing You
(3:52) 11. Memories Of You
(2:28) 12. Gone With The Wind
(2:55) 13. Largo

40 years after recording a classic album with trumpeter Clifford Brown, singer Helen Merrill paid tribute to the late Brownie, who died tragically in 1956. Utilizing on various tracks trumpeters Tom Harrell, Wallace Roney, Roy Hargrove and Lew Soloff, as well as pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Victor Lewis, Merrill performs a variety of tunes, most of which were associated with Brown. There are plenty of unexpected surprises on the date, including passages where the trumpet ensemble performs parts of Brownie's original solos; also noteworthy are Harrell's unaccompanied flugelhorn version of "Joy Spring," Barron's solo piano rendition of "Memories of You" and touching moments like "I'll Be Seeing You," "I Remember Clifford" and "Gone With the Wind." 

Producer Torrie Zito sometimes adds some atmospheric and effective synthesizer, and in addition to the standards, Zito contributed a new original, "Brownie." Throughout the often emotional date, Helen Merrill is heard in top form, giving plenty of feeling to the lyrics while leaving room for the guest trumpeters. Recommended.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/brownie-homage-to-clifford-brown-mw0000118498

Personnel: Helen Merrill (vocals); Roy Hargrove, Tom Harrell (trumpet, flugelhorn); Wallace Roney, Lew Soloff (trumpet); Kenny Barron (piano); Torrie Zito (keyboards); Rufus Reid (bass); Victor Lewis (drums).

Brownie: Homage To Clifford Brown

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Roy Eldridge - Decidedly

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:45
Size: 123,2 MB
Art: Front

(10:04)  1. Bee's Bloos
(16:43)  2. Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)
(11:45)  3. Undecided
(15:12)  4. Hackensack

Norman Granz, legendary label impresario and concert organizer, had his own niche in the Seventies. Take an aging, but estimable swing star; match him with a band built on the talents of younger players; incite some sparks through friendly rivalries both manufactured and genuine; apply some promotional spin and watch the greenbacks roll in. Such was presumably the case with this until now unreleased concert recording financed and produced by Granz for a French audience under the auspices of his JATP promotional juggernaut. To be fair, Eldridge was more than deserving of the applause and adulation even though his chops on the date don’t seem to match the bountiful brio of his youthful years. His carefully chosen partners recognize his commanding stature and embrace his congenially combative nature in a manner that both inspires and challenges him. 

Four lengthy and diversely drawn tracks make up the songbook and each appears custom arranged for maximum blowing potential. Griffin steals the spotlight on the opening Eldridge original “Bees Bloos” following the leader with a solo that is at once rough-hewn, and highly flammable through its alacrity and speed. Eldridge eases into the more stately “Lover Man” muted and a shade tentative, but the blues oozes through, coating the supporting efforts of his partners in a cerulean satin sheen. Pass’s gossamer chords float in the sonic space around Griffin’s more incessant thematic variations and Bellson’s brushes further advance the relaxed mood. The guitarist’s later solo proves conclusively why the signifier of ‘virtuoso’ was so often attached to his name and the same can easily be said for Pedersen’s turn, where the bassist make four strings sing with choir-size depth and resonance. 

Despite its temporal breadth the tune rolls out smooth as silk and each minute seems packed with the right measure of invention and interplay. Monk’s somewhat obscure “Hackensack” offers an unusual closer considering Eldridge’s credentials, but Griffin’s presence in the quintet serves as an arguable explanation. 

Also surprising is the guest appearance of Milt Jackson who contributes a minimalist piano solo on the track for added color. This disc ranks as a minor entry in Eldridge’s extensive folio to be sure. But as a snapshot of the Little Jazz, as he was affectionately know, in his later years, still reveling in the myriad improvisatory possibilities of a music he helped create and shape, its time well spent and comes easily recommended.

~Derek Taylor http://www.allaboutjazz.com/decidedly-roy-eldridge-fantasy-jazz-review-by-derek-taylor.php

Personnel: Roy Eldridge- trumpet; Johnny Griffin- tenor saxophone; Ray Bryant- piano; Joe Pass- guitar.

Decidedly

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Warren Vaché - Warren Plays Warren

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:48
Size: 172,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:05)  1. This Heart Of Mine
(5:04)  2. Would You Like To Take A Walk
(5:21)  3. Nagasaki
(4:32)  4. Serenade In Blue - At Last
(4:13)  5. I Only Have Eyes For You
(5:20)  6. The Girlfriend Of The Whirling Dervish
(4:35)  7. You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me
(4:33)  8. Lulu's Back In Town
(3:03)  9. I Remember You From Somewhere
(5:56) 10. Forty-Second Street
(6:09) 11. September In The Rain
(5:33) 12. Blues Times 2
(3:45) 13. An Affair To Remember
(5:10) 14. I Had The Craziest Dream
(3:37) 15. Jeepers Creepers
(3:45) 16. You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me

In my estimation, Harry Warren is the most underrated songwriter of the 20th Century. While very successful, he is less famous than his songs (“Lullaby of Broadway”, “There Will Never Be Another You”) or the people who sang them (Jolson, among many others.) While Gershwin and Coward became celebrities, Warren stayed in the shadows, quietly building an immense catalog. The songs are still here, and in the right hands are a gold mine. In an intimate setting with stellar rhythm, Warren Vache fills these tunes with joy, charm, and an unstoppable swing. It’s a great feeling, and the two Warrens fit each other very well. Vache, cornet in hand, takes the left speaker; Randy Sandke’s trumpet is on the right. The come in together on “This Heart of Mine”; then it’s Sandke for two glowing minutes. Check out Kenny Drew, Jr.: his little fills go way beyond comping. Warren goes high, with velvet touch: all the mellow of a flugelhorn. Sandke goes brassy on the exchanges, and Warren gives it back, shout for shout. Each blast tops the last, and still they fit together. They exit in concert, and you’ve got it: a marriage of tune and performer. Keep listening: the honeymoon is far from over. 

Murray Wall gets that bass going on (what else?) “Would You Like to Take a Walk”. The horns stroll beside him. Warren takes off  he muses, but loudly! Sandke is more restrained: he creeps where Warren struts. “Nagasaki” gets the bop treatment: locked horns with plenty of steam. Hear Sandke quote “The Theme”; the duet opening is a must. Vache then lays out on “I Only Have Eyes”; a marvelous solo starts right from the theme. Sandke owns it, and Drew ain’t bad either. Next we speak Latin: “Girlfriend of the Whirling Dervish” is as turbulent as the name. Drew strikes a montuno, and Randy tumbles eloquently. The mutes go in for “Getting to be a Habit”, and we are back in the ‘Thirties. Randy is sly; Warren has a charming honk, as warm as an old floppy hat. He then sings a verse did I say charming honk? The rumply voice works in ways I can’t describe all I can do is enjoy. Game, set, and match we have a winner.

For the homestretch we kick it up some. “Lulu’s Back in Town” stomps like the old girl herself: a duel in dead heat. “42nd Street” gets its verse, and a whole lot of brass. Vache is higher than normal; Sandke’s deep like a trombone. Drew goes angular, a modern solo with some Monk bleeps. Warren growls, but he also shows some hard bop. Randy also goes this direction; a new sound from an old source. Likewise “An Affair to Remember”: the bossa beat, and a mute as warm as Miles’. Vache finishes the theme with equal charm. Bright piano, shining cymbals remember you will. This leads to other soft spots: “The Craziest Dream” a brassy soft focus, “I Remember You From Somewhere” a muted cousin to “Mood Indigo”. And for dessert there’s another “Habit”, minus the words. The drums are sharper here, with more oomph to the trumpet. 

Drew is big : wide chords, and the essence of class. You won’t forget the first version, but this should be heard. It’s a great work, and shows love for the great works of Harry Warren. Says Vache: “Back in the ‘Thirties, they threw away more good tunes no one’s heard of, than they’re writing now.”Hear this and you’ll agree.~AAJ Staff  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/warren-plays-warren-warren-vache-review-by-aaj-staff.php

Personnel: Warren Vache (vocals, cornet); Randy Sandke (trumpet); Kenny Drew Jr. (piano); Murray Wall (bass); Jimmy Cobb (drums).

Warren Plays Warren

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John Di Martino & Warren Vaché - Impromptu

Styles: Piano and Cornet Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:29
Size: 131,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:27)  1. Love Me or Leave Me
(5:35)  2. You're My Thrill
(4:17)  3. It's Been So Long
(5:12)  4. A Time for Love
(2:05)  5. Skylark
(3:59)  6. Tres Palabres
(3:37)  7. I Remember You from Somewhere
(4:56)  8. Isfahan
(2:22)  9. Yesterdays
(5:09) 10. Willow Weep for Me
(3:57) 11. Emily
(3:32) 12. Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans
(5:31) 13. Blues in the Night
(2:46) 14. People

Impromptu is a collection of standard tunes with inspired performances from master cornet player Warren Vache and the elegant and melodically inventive pianist, John diMartino. A duo made in "musical heaven" this CD is breathtaking!

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/johndimartino1

Personnel:  John Di Martino – piano;  Warren Vache - cornet

Impromptu

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