Gary Smulyan Quintet - The Lure Of Beauty

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:48
Size: 168.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1990/2000
Art: Front

[ 7:35] 1. Boo's Blues
[10:49] 2. Canto Fiesta
[ 7:56] 3. Minor Conundrum
[10:05] 4. Moonlight On The Nile
[ 6:57] 5. Kiss And Run
[10:53] 6. Lost April
[ 8:41] 7. You Go To My Head
[ 5:08] 8. The Lure Of Beauty
[ 5:38] 9. Off To The Races

Gary Smulyan (Bs); Jimmy Knepper (Tb); Mulgrew Miller (P); Ray Drummond (B); Kenny Washington (D). Recorded December 7, 1990 in New York City, NY, USA

GARY SMULYAN was one of many aspiring alto saxophonists in the jazz world when a career-defining opportunity came along that required him to switch instruments, an immense gamble for a musician. Twenty-five years ago, after learning that the venerable bandleader Woody Herman needed a new baritone saxophonist for his Young Thundering Herd, a big band that was touring 50 weeks out of the year, Mr. Smulyan practiced on the bigger horn for a week and got the job. Giddy to have landed his first job as a professional musician, he spent the next two years in the band's saxophone section refining his technique and making lasting friendships.

''Taking on the baritone sax changed my life,'' said Mr. Smulyan. ''It was a quick decision to make at the time, but I'm grateful for what it has brought me.'' Generally regarded as being difficult to carry because of its big, looped crook and cumbersome size, the real problem with the baritone sax, said Mr. Smulyan, is its infrequent use as a front-line or solo instrument; because of that, its practitioners are few.

Mr. Smulyan, 47, stands today among the handful of first-call baritone players worldwide. Over the years he has worked with some of the biggest stars in popular music, including Diana Ross and B.B. King, not to mention jazz greats like Harry Edison known as Sweets, Joe Henderson, Frank Wess, James Moody and Freddie Hubbard. ''The baritone became Gary's voice practically overnight,'' said Joe Lovano, a tenor saxophonist and member of the Young Thundering Herd when Mr. Smulyan joined the ensemble. ''He has always been a strong improviser, and today you'd have to consider him to be one of the best saxophonists around.'' Mr. Lovano said he formed a nonet a few years ago partly so he would be able to play more often with Mr. Smulyan, and a recording the group made, ''52nd Street Themes,'' won a Grammy award in 2000.

The Lure Of Beauty

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Beth McKee - I'm That Way

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:05
Size: 91.8 MB
Styles: New Orleans blues-jazz vocals
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:46] 1. I Spent All My Money Lovin You
[4:14] 2. But I Do
[3:50] 3. See You Later Alligator
[4:57] 4. Tennessee Blues
[4:00] 5. Small Town Talk
[3:25] 6. I'm That Way
[4:04] 7. Walking To New Orleans
[3:39] 8. I Don't Want To Know
[4:11] 9. Last Train To Memphis
[3:54] 10. I Don't See Me

Beth McKee, former member of gumbo rock band Evangeline, possesses a bold and irrepressible voice that sounds as richly textured as the Louisiana bayou. Her voice isn’t her only instrument. She’s also a whirlwind on the piano. Yet, the earthiness of her voice is unmistakable, and operates on I’m That Way as a supreme asset in taking on the material of the great southern United States songwriter Bobby Charles. Robert Charles Guidry passed away on January 14, 2010, and Ms. McKee’s selections from his songbook continue to honor him.

Standouts from the Bobby Charles legacy are here (“See You Later, Alligator”, “But I Do”, “Small Town Talk”), charged with vigor from Ms. McKee’s vocal chops and set ablaze with horns from her band. She succeeds in sidestepping the usual question that accompanies remakes and covers, which is, “What’s the point?” Here, the point is to connect with the spirit of the songwriter and to celebrate the New Orleans, Louisiana, heritage that informs the music. Sometimes she goes in heavier and harder than do the originals. Compare McKee’s “Walking to New Orleans” to Fats Domino’s version. At other times, she’s lighter and more open, as in her take on “But I Do” compared to Clarence “Frogman” Henry’s big band rendition that everyone heard on the Forrest Gump soundtrack. The album’s highlight, however, is the opener, “I Spent All My Money Lovin’ You”, an edgy bundle of raucous regret that McKee leans into with aplomb.

A couple of tracks are a tad sluggish, and then there is a feeling of sameness, in terms of sound and style, that pervades the sequencing. Although one listener’s “sameness” is another’s “cohesion”, there is a consistency of mood that feels immovable across a sequence of song lyrics that suggest variety. The sameness is due mostly to tempo and the inclusion of horns galore, despite how authentic the horn section is when it comes to evoking the feeling of being there. Beth McKee has been there, all right. What she does while she’s there is fun in the right spots and danceable to boot. A fitting tribute. ~Quentin B. Huff

I'm That Way

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Hot Club Roma - Swing From Rome

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:42
Size: 102.3 MB
Styles: Swing, Gypsy jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:11] 1. Djangology
[2:51] 2. Stomping At Decca
[4:49] 3. All Of Me
[4:49] 4. Nuages
[4:23] 5. Troublant Bolero
[4:22] 6. Artillerie Lourde
[2:36] 7. Exactly Like You
[3:53] 8. Valzer Tradizionale
[2:07] 9. China Boy
[3:34] 10. Je Suis Seul Ce Soir
[4:06] 11. Les Yeux Noir
[3:56] 12. Que Rest'il De Nos Amours

L'Hot Club Roma nasce nel 2005 da un'idea di Gianfranco Malorgio e dall'incontro di alcuni musicisti innamorati della musica del grande compositore e interprete Belga "Django Reinhardt". Il gruppo lavora ad un primo progetto e si esibisce nei più prestigiosi locali di Roma e in vari Festival Italiani. Questo progetto li porta a realizzare il primo CD "Swing From Rome" pubblicato dalla "WIDE SOUND RECORD'S". 2007- Collaborazione con il chitarrista Italiano "Dario Pinelli", con lui la sezione ritmica dell'Hot Club Roma, Gianfranco Malorgio e Renato Gattone, collaborano in numerosi concerti in Italia e all'estero e insieme a lui partecipano alla realizzazione di un video clip "The Vamp" dell'"Italian Gypsy Jazz Trio". Edizioni TRJ records. Sempre con Dario Pinelli registrano per la Cinik Record due brani della colonna sonora del Film Italiano, "La Casa Sulle Nuvole" per la regia di Claudio Giovannesi, musiche Enrico Melozzi e Claudio Giovannesi edizioni Warner Chappell. "Le musiche del film vincono, nel 2009, il premio per la migliore colonna sonora Cinematografica Italiana dell'anno".

Nell'estate del 2008 Gianfranco Malorgio e Renato Gattone partecipano al Festival di Acri (Cs) dedicato alla musica Manouche, dove si esibiscono sul palco in due concerti, il primo con "Walter Clerici, Popy e Tucsi Basily" e nel secondo con il grande "Angelo Debarre" , sicuramente uno dei più grandi interpreti del Gypsy Jazz viventi e "Luca Mannutza" al pianoforte. Ad Agosto del 2009 Gianfranco Malorgio e Renato Gattone hanno l'onore di accompagnare uno de più grandi interpreti viventi del genere Manouche "DORADO SCHMITT" in un concerto realizzato a ROMA nella stupenda cornice di "Villacelimontana Jazz Festival" . Dorado Schmitt Quartet- Dorado Schmitt chitarra solista, violino e voce; Walter Clerici chtarra ritmica/solista; Gianfranco Malorgio chitarra ritmica; Renato Gattone contrabbasso". Il 18 gennaio l'HOT CLUB ROMA ha presentato al Teatro dei Satiri a Roma il suo nuovo progetto “Sur la Route de Django”. I musicisti che collaborano a questo progetto sono:Moreno Viglione chitarra solista, Emanuele Rastelli fisarmonica, Gianfranco Malorgio chitarra ritmica, Marco Loddo contrabbasso.

Swing From Rome

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Toots Thielemans, Kenny Werner - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 70:26

Size: 161.2 MB

Styles: Contemporary jazz

Year: 2001

Art: Front

[7:03] 1. Dolphin Dance

[6:54] 2. The Dolphin

[5:51] 3. Sinatra Medley All The Way My Way

[3:29] 4. Tender Is The Night

[8:29] 5. Legrand Medley

[4:30] 6. Smile

[3:56] 7. Inspiration

[4:27] 8. Sicilienne

[3:32] 9. Windows

[7:05] 10. Bill Evans Medley Time Remembered Very Early

[6:00] 11. Autumn Leaves

[5:35] 12. Disney Medley When You Wish Upon A Star Someday My Prince Will Come

[3:30] 13. What A Wonderful World

The pairing of Toots Thielemans and Kenny Werner for several live duo concerts in mid-June of 2001 (although there is no audible audience response) is a dream come true for fans of ballads. Whether Werner sticks exclusively to piano or adds the lush strings from his synthesizer as well, he provides the perfect complement to the always lyrical harmonica of the veteran Thielemans. Although Thielemans was 79 at the time of this recording, he has lost none of the daredevil spirit he has demonstrated in the past on up-tempo romps such as those through an exciting "Autumn Leaves" or capturing the emotion within a gem such as Charlie Chaplin's bittersweet "Smile." The songs include beautiful interpretations of classic jazz compositions by Herbie Hancock ("Dolphin Dance"), Chick Corea ("Windows"), and Bill Evans (a medley of the moody "Time Remembered" and the upbeat "Very Early"). Medley salutes to Frank Sinatra, Michel Legrand, and music from Disney movies (a medley of "When You Wish Upon a Star" and "Someday My Prince Will Come") also earn high marks. Too many releases of this nature turn to mush because of repeated overdubs and splicing in of additional keyboard parts; the live nature of the recordings and the inspiration provided by the various audiences (even if listeners never hear them clap, cough, sneeze, or talk) clearly brings out the best in both Thielemans and Werner's playing. This warrants a follow-up date. ~Ken Dryden

Toots Thielemans, Kenny Werner

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Dave Weckl Band - Transition

Styles: Jazz Fusion, Crossover Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:20
Size: 163,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:51)  1. Wake Up
(9:52)  2. Braziluba
(6:40)  3. Like That
(6:08)  4. Mild Hysteria
(6:51)  5. Group Therapy
(7:33)  6. Passion
(7:12)  7. Crossing Paths
(5:34)  8. Alegria
(5:05)  9. Just For The Record
(8:30) 10. Amanecer

Drum master Weckl continues to hawk the muscular brand of fusion that he began dealing with Chick Corea’s Elektric Band over a decade ago. This album seems a catharsis for Weckl, having just come off a divorce and other personal problems. He’s in better form drum-wise than we have heard in some time, and the music on this disc is more engaging than his prior efforts. It would be hard to find a better environment for Weckl’s style than this present quartet. Brandon Fields offers the ideal blend of soulful jazz sax tradition and contemporary flair. Keyboardist Steve Weingart accentuates the grooves without succumbing to tired synth cliches, and bassist Tom Kennedy’s unwavering, unobtrusive musicianship often carries the day. Weckl himself is a real treasure in the fickle ocean of contemporary jazz, conjuring exciting, unexpected polyrhythms on a consistent basis. 

Drummers who lead bands tend to run the risk of overpowering the general ensemble sound, but Weckl has a knack for navigating while keeping his ego in check.The compositions on Transition are uniformly well-built and suited to the band’s character. There are liberal doses of funk, offbeat rhythmic structures, and no small wealth of solo spots for each performer. If there’s a quibble to be had with the disc, it might be that the production is a little too glossy and sterile. The overall mix glazes the album with a rather generic contempo-jazz sense when the music deserves better. Still, that hardly detracts from the enjoyability of the disc, which is Weckl’s best yet and one of the best entries in the Stretch Records catalog. ~ Todd S.Jenkins https://www.allaboutjazz.com/transition-dave-weckl-concord-music-group-review-by-todd-s-jenkins.php
 

Personnel: Dave Weckl, drums and percussion; Steve Weingart, keyboards; Brandon Fields, tenor and soprano saxes, alto flute; Tom Kennedy, electric bass.

Transition

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Chaka Khan - I Feel For You

Styles: Vocal, R&B
Year: 1984
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:05
Size: 109,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. This Is My Night
(4:21)  2. Stronger Than Before
(4:42)  3. My Love Is Alive
(4:38)  4. Eye To Eye
(4:27)  5. La Flamme
(5:46)  6. I Feel For You
(5:16)  7. Hold Her
(4:47)  8. Through The Fire
(3:47)  9. Caught In The Act
(4:35) 10. Chinatown

When Chaka Khan recorded her fifth solo album, I Feel for You, in 1984, she knew that R&B had changed a lot since the 1970s. Horn-powered funk bands, strings-laden Philadelphia soul, and orchestral disco were out of vogue, and the urban contemporary audiences of 1984 were into a more high-tech, heavily electronic style of R&B. Many artists who had been huge in the 1970s found that they no longer appealed to black radio programmers, who had abandoned them and turned their attention to electro-funksters and Prince disciples. But Chaka Khan had no problem keeping up with the times; I Feel for You made it clear that she could easily be relevant to the urban contemporary scene of 1984. 

No one would mistake I Feel for You for a Rufus project from 1975 it's way too high-tech and yet, everything on the album is unmistakably Chaka Khan. That is true of up-tempo items like "Love Is Alive" (an interesting remake of Gary Wright's 1976 hit) and "La Flamme," as well as the ballad "Through the Fire," which was a big hit on urban radio but crossed over to adult contemporary stations in a major way. "This Is My Night" (which was written and produced by the System) also became an urban radio hit, but the album is best known for Khan's unlikely remake of Prince's "I Feel for You." When Prince first recorded "I Feel for You" in 1979, it wasn't a hit; Khan's version, however, soared to number one on Billboard's R&B singles chart. Khan had a very different take on the song than Prince; while his original version was subtle and restrained, Khan went for exuberance and added a strong hip-hop flavor. Excellent from start to finish, this album went down in history as both a creative and a commercial success. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-feel-for-you-mw0000650354

I Feel For You

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Grover Washington Jr. - All My Tomorrows

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:27
Size: 172,3 MB
Art: Front

(8:57)  1. É Preciso Perdoar
(6:19)  2. When I Fall In Love
(6:58)  3. I'm Glad There Is You
(4:56)  4. Happenstance
(6:18)  5. All My Tomorrows
(8:11)  6. Nature Boy
(4:03)  7. Please Send Me Someone To Love
(7:32)  8. Overjoyed
(5:01)  9. Flamingo
(7:15) 10. For Heaven's Sake
(8:55) 11. Estate ('Ess-Tah-Tay') (In Summer)

Eddie Henderson's lovely flugelhorn colors the opening track, "E Preciso Perdoar (One Must Forgive)," setting the mood for a very mellow set. Washington, accompanied by six pieces, plays the standards straighter than Johnny Mathis sings them; everything is ratcheted down '40s-ish/'50s-ish cozy nightclub style. Freddy Cole resembles his brother, Nat King Cole, on "Overjoyed," while "Happenstance" showcases Henderson's absolute trumpeting skills. But if you expected to exercise your fingers with a few impromptu snaps, these tracks won't take you there. 

Washington's Winelight album, one of his best, was laid-back also but Washington's M.O. was stamped all over it; here you need credits and liner notes for verification, and only the opening tune emits any sparks. An attempt to silence the die-hard jazz critics who considered him a lightweight, but a disappointment for his Mister Magic fans. ~ Andrew Hamilton http://www.allmusic.com/album/all-my-tomorrows-mw0000119244

Personnel: Grover Washington, Jr.(soprano, alto & tenor saxophones); Jeanie Bryson, Freddy Cole (vocals); Bobby Watson (alto saxophone); Bobby LaVell (tenor saxophone); Jimmy Cozier (baritone saxophone); Eddie Henderson, Earl Gardner (trumpet, flugelhorn); Robin Eubanks (trombone); Freddy Cole, Hank Jones (piano); Romero Lubambo (guitar); George Mraz (bass); Billy Hart, Lewis Nash (drums); Steve Berrios (percussion).

All My Tomorrows

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Rodney Jones - Articulation

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:36
Size: 101,3 MB
Art: Front

( 4:36)  1. Articulation
(13:17)  2. 1978
( 6:52)  3. Hard New York Swing
( 1:20)  4. Interlude 1
( 3:54)  5. Childville
( 8:17)  6. Blues For Wes
( 5:18)  7. Nereda

Rodney Jones was only 22 when, in 1978, he recorded Articulation, his first album as a leader. At the time, the guitarist was in Dizzy Gillespie's employ, and he was capable of playing both fusion and straight-ahead jazz. Jones favors acoustic-oriented post-bop on this self-produced effort, which Timeless reissued on CD in 1991. Although it falls short of exceptional, Articulation is definitely solid. The tunes (all of which are by either Jones or bassist Bruce Johnson) are worthwhile, and no one would accuse any of the musicians of not having chops (even if some of them still had some growing and developing to do in the late '70s). The participants range from alto sax great Arthur Blythe to up-and-coming players such as tenor saxophonist Bob Mintzer, acoustic pianist Kenny Kirkland, and trumpeter Wallace Roney. In 1978, Mintzer, Kirkland, and the Miles Davis-minded Roney had yet to become major names in the jazz world; but in the 1980s and 1990s, all of them were quite visible. Blythe's passionate solos are a definite asset in 1978, he was the session's best-known player. Nonetheless, Jones is the man in the driver's seat, and one hears his potential on tracks that range from the hard-swinging "Blues for Wes" (which acknowledges fellow guitarist Wes Montgomery) and the driving "1978" to the mysterious "Nereda." The latter employs wordless background vocals by singer Bemshi Jones, who remains in the background. Articulation is very much an instrumental album, and it paints a likable picture of Jones at 22. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/articulation-mw0000366528

Personnel:  Bass – Benjamin Brown;  Drums – Kenwood Denard;  Flute – Bernadine Davis;  Guitar – Rodney Jones;  Piano – Kenny Kirkland;  Saxophone – Arthur Blythe, Bob Mintzer;  Trumpet – Wallace Rooney III;  Voice – Bemshi Jones

Articulation

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