Monday, August 15, 2016

Chris Anderson & Sabina Sciubba - You Don't Know What Love Is

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:03
Size: 138,8 MB
Art: Front

( 4:51)  1. The More I See You
( 5:47)  2. You Don't Know What Love Is
( 5:18)  3. My Romance
( 4:10)  4. Estate
( 5:16)  5. Polka Dots & Moonbeams
( 5:54)  6. How Long Has This Been Goin' On?
( 4:27)  7. Ain't Misbehavin'
( 4:12)  8. The Gypsy
(11:04)  9. Too Late Now
( 9:00) 10. Lazy Afternoon

Chris Anderson is a legendary and, until the mid-1990s, underdocumented veteran pianist. In his mid-70s at the time of this set, he collaborates with Sabina Sciubba, a pop singer from Germany who was in her mid-20s and had always loved jazz. Sciubba shows on this set of standards that she is quite capable of swinging and of adding her own personality to the older songs. With fine backup provided by bassist David Williams and drummer Billy Higgins, the singer sounds haunting yet respectful on such tunes as "The More I See You," "My Romance," "Estate" and "Ain't Misbehavin.'" Anderson, a particularly talented accompanist, additionally has a couple instrumentals as features. Tasteful and subtle music. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/you-dont-know-what-love-is-mw0000237790

Personnel:  Chris Anderson (piano);  Sabina Sciubba (vocals);  David Williams (bass);  Billy Higgins (drums).

You Don't Know What Love Is

Chris Cheek - Blues Cruise

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:54
Size: 123,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:23)  1. Flamingo
(6:38)  2. Low Key Lighty
(6:49)  3. Coo
(5:45)  4. Squirrelling
(3:50)  5. Song of India
(6:21)  6. Falling
(7:46)  7. Blues Cruise
(6:09)  8. John Denver
(5:08)  9. The Sweetheart Tree

Even though he has turned in one stunning performance after another on albums by Paul Motian's Electric Bebop Band, Charlie Haden's Liberation Music Orchestra, Guillermo Klein's Los Gauchos and various lesser-known, though equally interesting ensembles, Chris Cheek is still a lurker. Your only good chance of seeing this reedman live is in New York or on the other side of the pond, where he makes frequent tours. The problem has nothing to do with Cheek's playing. It's the game: labels, distributors, publicists, writiers, editors. Nevertheless, Blues Cruise did get to me by some freakish fluke, and I've gotten to savor its pleasing variety of textures and styles. The erstwhile Brad Mehldau Trio is the backing band on Blues Cruise. Cheek couldn't have asked for a more empathetic and sensitive rhythm team for this program, which ranges from the calypso-tinged "Flamingo to the soft Rhodes-laden bossa-tango "Coo and the folk rock-informed "John Denver, which actually sounds like a convincing jazz version of what would otherwise be a rock song with electric guitars and bass. 

The title of this release would seem to imply that the tunes center around the blues, but they don't, really. Some have a bluesy flavor. But it seems to be more about the journey. The soprano ballads have a searching quality, while the tenor romps are more declaratory. The saxophonist's rich tone is the most notable constant throughout the record. It has a richness and flavor that's akin to a fine wine or cigar. The vivacity and frolicking quality of Cheek's breathy tenor owe much to the influence of Sonny Rollins, while his rhythmic flair draws equally from Eddie Harris. Comparisons to Chris Potter and Donny McCaslin also come to mind, but without all the shrieking and pyrotechnics. This record is a testament to the fact that no matter how far any player may be from the media limelight—and consequently the public consciousness a great soloist coupled with a terrific backing band can make for some of the freshest music you've ever heard. 
~ Matt Merewitz https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blues-cruise-chris-cheek-fresh-sound-new-talent-review-by-matt-merewitz.php

Personnel: Chris Cheek: saxophones;  Brad Mehldau: piano, Fender Rhodes, electric keyboard;  Larry Grenadier: bass;  Jorge Rossy: drums, hand percussion.

Blues Cruise

Julia Fordham - Julia Fordham

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:20
Size: 94,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:43)  1. Happy ever after
(4:24)  2. The comfort of strangers
(3:20)  3. Few too many
(2:49)  4. Invisible war
(3:39)  5. My lover's keeper
(3:39)  6. Cocooned
(4:27)  7. Where does the time go
(5:16)  8. Woman of the 80's
(4:14)  9. The other woman
(2:09) 10. Behind closed doors
(3:35) 11. Unconditional love

Critics were bothered by her cherry-picked appropriations of exotic musical elements (a casual nod to South Africa here, an incongruous incursion of Spanish guitar there) and the ultimately cold nature of what seemed on the surface to be lush and warm instrumental arrangements. More casual listeners probably had the hardest time getting past her voice, which was obviously pretty in a way and yet startlingly deep and dark-hued, and also her tendency to reach beyond her range, as on the unattractively screechy bridge of "Comfort of Strangers." But you get used to the voice within a few tracks and you start getting sucked into those jazzily complex and impeccably produced arrangements. If she fails to hit the high notes on "Few Too Many," it's easy to ignore that fact and pay attention to the music itself, which is lovely. 

Her chief limitation, though, is not her singing; it's her unsettling inability to sing a love song convincingly. "Invisible War" is supposed to be regretful, but it comes out sounding analytical; "My Lover's Keeper" is supposed to sound supplicating (or something), but it comes out sounding dispassionately puzzled. And as for "Woman of the '80s," please it's just a bit hard to take her seriously as an emotional casualty of feminism (nice chorus, though). Only on the nakedly sad and borderline metaphysical "Where Does the Time Go?" does she seem to let listeners into her actual feelings. Porcelain, her follow-up, was more engaging. ~ Rick Anderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/julia-fordham-mw0000603732

Julia Fordham

Ronnie Cuber - The Scene Is Clean

Styles: Flute And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:05
Size: 140,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:38)  1. The Scene Is Clean
(8:12)  2. Adoracion
(8:39)  3. Song For Pharoah
(7:08)  4. Arroz Con Pollo
(6:50)  5. Mezambo
(6:06)  6. Fajardo
(5:21)  7. Tee's Bag
(8:08)  8. Flamingo

When The Scene Is Clean was recorded in 1993, Ronnie Cuber was far from a big name in the jazz world. The baritone saxman had solid credentials that included stints with George Benson in the 1960s and Lee Konitz in the '70s (among many other accomplishments), and yet, he wasn't nearly as well known as he deserved to be. Like other Cuber recordings, The Scene Is Clean wasn't hyped to death but is an excellent hard bop/post-bop date just the same. It's regrettable that Ronnie Cuber isn't a bigger name in jazz, for the baritonist plays with a lot of soul and charisma on Tadd Dameron's "The Scene Is Clean" and the standard "Flamingo" as well as Latin-influenced originals such as "Fajardo," "Mezambo," and "Arroz con Pollo." On the congenial, optimistic "Song for Pharoah," Cuber acknowledges the mellower side of Pharoah Sanders, although the song would have also worked for John Coltrane, Charles Lloyd, McCoy Tyner, or Lonnie Liston Smith. The Scene Is Clean was a welcome addition to Cuber's catalog. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-scene-is-clean-mw0000113980

Personnel: Ronnie Cuber (flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); George Waldenius, Georg "Jojje" Wadenius (guitar); Lawrence Feldman (flute); Joey DeFrancesco (organ); Geoff Kiezer, Geoff Keezer (keyboards); Milton Cardona (drums, congas, percussion); Manolo Badrena (drums, percussion); Victor Jones (drums).

The Scene Is Clean

Donovan - Beat Cafe

Styles: Vocal, Guitar, Rock
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:08
Size: 117,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:18)  1. Love Floats
(4:02)  2. Poorman's Sunshine
(4:13)  3. Beat  Cafe
(3:34)  4. Yin My Yang
(4:46)  5. Whirlwind
(3:40)  6. Two Lovers
(3:05)  7. The Question
(4:46)  8. Lord Of The Universe
(4:56)  9. Lover O Lover
(3:48) 10. The Cookoo
(4:26) 11. Do Not Go Gentle
(5:29) 12. Shambhala

Beat Cafe is Donovan's first record in nine years. His last, the Rick Rubin-produced Sutras was issued in 1993 and was hopelessly misunderstood especially coming as it did on the heels of Rubin's first collaboration with Johnny Cash. This side, produced by the rootsy yet eclectic John Chelew who has worked with everyone from Richard Thompson to the Blind Boys of Alabama and John Hiatt goes right to the heart of Donovan's particular musical esthetic. The title on this set is significant. The instrumentation is spare, with drums by Jim Keltner, acoustic , upright bass by the legendary Danny Thompson, and keyboards by Chelew.Donovan handled the guitar chores. In other words, small combo, cafe style. . . Atmosphere is everything in these songs; they are intimate, rhythm-conscious, tuneful, and lyrically savvy. In addition, they're inspired by that eternally present, romantically eulogized generation of poets, dope fiends, midnight travelers, and coffeehouse sages, the Beats. The set features 12 new songs; ten of them are Donovan Leitch originals. The covers include a compelling read of the mysterious and traditional "The Cuckoo,"and a jazzy spoken word take on Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle." There are some flashes of the hippy mystic of old here, but mostly, this is a fingerpopping set by Donovan the enigma as well as Donovan the songwriter. Chelew and band do a wonderful job of illustrating this juxtaposition. 

With this band tight, deeply in the groove at all times, the tunes open up and out as if the group were on the barroom stage, and extended the dancefloor jumping and jiving into the street on a delirious, humid moonlit night of uncontainable joy. "Poorman's Sunshine," with its skittering brushed snare drums and a B3 tracking the melody with Thompson's bass pushing the rhythm, jumps out at the listener, as does the title track with Thompson driving the whole engine. "Yin My Yang" may have a seemingly ridiculous title, but it's not in the context of what this album tries to achieve. Donovan is celebrating the self-referential, "anything-is-possible" revelation that fuelled the language and spirit of his heroes of yore, and propelled his own romantic, "everything-is-love" aesthetic. The shimmering, dark, Eastern minor-key psychedelic spoken word/sung ditty of "Two Lovers" is one of those poems that makes Donovan so unique (think, "Atlantis" here). The organic jazzed-up funk of "The Question" is one of those crazy moments that makes the whole world open and the body twitch in time. The album ends with the whispering "Shambala," a tender, blissful dirge that is utterly moving and hauntingly beautiful in its optimism and hope. If anything, if albums are "needed" anymore, the spirit in this one is. Donovan reminds listeners that possibility and hope are not passé, but as full of chance and wild grace as ever. Welcome back, Donovan; you've been missed. ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/beat-cafe-mw0000656001

Personnel: Donovan (vocals); Donovan Leitch (vocals, guitar); Danny Thompson (bass instrument, bass guitar); John Chelew (keyboards); Jim Keltner (drums, percussion).

Beat Cafe