Joe Chambers - Horace To Max

Styles: Jazz, Straight-ahead/Mainstream 
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:52
Size: 114,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:31)  1. Asiatic Raes
(8:08)  2. Ecaroh
(4:07)  3. Man From South Africa
(7:23)  4. Mendacity
(7:19)  5. Portia
(4:57)  6. Water Babies
(5:03)  7. Lonesome Lover
(3:42)  8. Evidence
(3:38)  9. Afreeka

In this follow up to the critically-acclaimed The Outlaw (Savant 2006) recording, Joe Chambers tips his hat to colleagues Horace Silver and Max Roach with Horace To Max, paying tribute to mentor Roach and recognizing Silver as one of the most important composers of the post-bop era of jazz. A highly-regarded session drummer of the '60s appearing on many of Blue Note's greatest jazz recordings, Chambers builds on the foundation of The Outlaw where he was featured prominently on mallet instruments as well as the drums performing here on the vibes and marimba. While featuring standards from Kenny Dorham, Wayne Shorter, Marcus Miller and Thelonious Monk the repertoire includes three charts from Roach and one from Silver covering the the theme of the album. Though technically not truly a "drummers" disc by being overly percussive in nature Chambers delivers his fair share of drum solos and includes Steve Berrios on percussion as part of the personnel. It is Berrios who introduces the opening "Asiatic Raes" on the congas accompanied by the drummer in what is in fact a dicey percussion-driven number. Exhibiting considerable chops on the vibes, Chambers crafts a warm and sensitive rendition of Silver's gorgeous "Ecaroh" featuring tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander and Xavier Davis on piano.

Vocalist Nicole Guiland appears on a couple of pieces beginning with "Mendacity," a tune associated with both Roach and Abbey Lincoln and then again on "Lonesome Lover" featuring a sparkling overdubbed performance on the vibes. Saxophonist Alexander is especially expressive on "Man From South Africa" and demonstrates why he is considered one of the finest reed man in the business with his take of Wayne Shorter's "Water Babies." Pianist Davis sets up Chamber's strong stick work on Monk's classic "Evidence" in a brisk but brief treatment of the standard and ends the album in percussive manner using Berrios on the drums and congas. The finale "Afreeka" enjoys another marked performance on the vibes with more overdubbed work on the marimba as a lasting reminder of this artist's versatility as a musician. 

An unquestioned talent who should not be defined by his mastery of the drums alone, Chambers cements his legacy as one of the most influential musicians of our time with a remarkable multi-instrumental performance on Horace To Max. Using a mainstream approach to an all around contemporary jazz sound, Joe Chambers manages to speak with different voices all saying the same thing: this is superb jazz the kind of music no doubt, Horace Silver and Max Roach would definitely be part of. ~ Edward Blanco https://www.allaboutjazz.com/horace-to-max-joe-chambers-savant-records-review-by-edward-blanco.php

Personnel: Joe Chambers: drums, vibes, marimba; Eric Alexander: tenor saxophone; Xavier Davis: piano; Dwayne Burno: bass; Steve Berrios: percussion, drums; Helen Sung: piano (7); Richie Goode: bass (7); Nicole Guiland: vocals (4, 7).

Horace To Max

---

Lauren Henderson - Lauren Henderson

Styles: Vocal Jazz, Latin Jazz

Year: 2011

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 42:47

Size: 98,4 MB

Art: Front

(3:44)  1. Dindi

(2:52)  2. Skylark

(5:57)  3. More Than You Know

(4:07)  4. Veinte Años

(2:57)  5. I Should Care

(3:12)  6. Do I Love You?

(4:05)  7. Só Tinha De Ser Com Você

(6:13)  8. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)

(3:26)  9. Born to Be Blue

(2:51) 10. Monicas Vals (Waltz For Debby)

(3:19) 11. Taking a Chance On Love

This album is an eclectic mix of jazz and Latin jazz standards. The quartet explores smooth and seductive ballads and bossa novas, as well as swinging and funk influenced tunes. Swedish, Portuguese and Spanish are just a few of the languages featured on the album besides English. Lauren Henderson’s debut album features Sullivan Fortner on piano, Ben Leifer on bass and Jesse Simpson on the drums. They recorded this album at Flux Studios in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in the Summer of 2011. All contemporaries, the four young musicians met on the New York Jazz scene after college and became fast friends. https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/laurenhenderson

Lauren Henderson

---

Eddie Henderson Quintet - Manhattan in Blue

Styles: Trumpet Jazz

Year: 1994

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 63:15

Size: 145,2 MB

Art: Front

(6:57)  1. Surrey with the Fringe on Top

(7:05)  2. I Remember Clifford

(5:58)  3. Jinrikisya

(9:27)  4. Oliloqui Valley

(5:54)  5. When You Wish Upon a Star

(9:14)  6. Phantoms

(5:13)  7. On Green Dolphin Street

(7:32)  8. If One Could Only See

(5:52)  9. Little B's Poem

Eddie Henderson was one of the few trumpeters who was strongly influenced by Miles Davis' work of his early fusion period. He grew up in San Francisco, studied trumpet at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, but was trained to be a doctor when he permanently chose music. Henderson worked with John Handy, Tyrone Washington, and Joe Henderson, in addition to his own group. He gained some recognition for his work with the Herbie Hancock Sextet (1970-1973), although his own records (which utilized electronics) tended to be commercial. After Hancock broke up his group, Henderson worked with Art Blakey and Mike Nock, recorded with Charles Earland, and later, in the 1970s, led a rock-oriented group. In the '90s, he returned to playing acoustic hard bop (touring with Billy Harper in 1991) while also working as a psychiatrist. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/eddie-henderson-mn0000169948/biography

Personnel:  Eddie Henderson - trumpet, flugelhorn;  Kevin Hays – piano;  Joe Locke – vibraphone;  Ed Howard – bass;  Lewis Nash – drums;  Grover Washington Jr. - soprano saxophone

Manhattan in Blue

---

Jackie Gleason - Lonesome Echo

Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:50
Size: 137,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:02)  1. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
(2:53)  2. Dancing On The Ceiling
(3:25)  3. Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup
(3:45)  4. Speak Low
(2:38)  5. Someday I'll Find You
(2:42)  6. Remember
(3:15)  7. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(3:21)  8. A Garden In The Rain
(3:18)  9. Mad About The Boy
(3:15) 10. The Thrill Is Gone
(3:05) 11. I Wished On The Moon
(3:07) 12. I Still Get A Thrill
(3:20) 13. Deep Purple
(2:58) 14. There Must Be A Way
(3:00) 15. I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)
(3:34) 16. How Deep Is The Ocean?
(2:59) 17. After My Laughter Came Tears
(2:16) 18. Can This Be Love?
(2:48) 19. Down Among The Sheltering Palms

Gleason's 1955 chart-topper Lonesome Echo features more lush interpretations of standards such as "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," "The Thrill Is Gone," "Deep Purple," and "How Deep Is the Ocean." The album also features striking cover artwork by surrealist master Salvador Dali; Collector's Choice's 2000 reissue also includes three bonus tracks, "After My Laughter Came Tears," "Can This Be Love," and "Down Among the Sheltering Palms." ~ Heather Phares http://www.allmusic.com/album/lonesome-echo-mw0000116396

Lonesome Echo

---

Hiroshima - Legacy

Styles: Jazz Fusion, Big Band 
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:19
Size: 155,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:11)  1. Winds of Change
(6:21)  2. Turning Point
(4:52)  3. One Wish
(6:33)  4. Dada
(5:35)  5. I've Been Here Before
(6:41)  6. East
(3:59)  7. Roomful of Mirrors
(9:38)  8. Another Place
(5:44)  9. Save Yourself for Me
(6:33) 10. Hawaiian Electric
(4:06) 11. Thousand Cranes

For a band as long-lived as Hiroshima and one that has enjoyed as extensive a recording career the gap in its career is the lack of a proper retrospective of 30 years in the music industry. Legacy represents both a celebration of Hiroshima's first decade and something of a compromise. Over 11 tracks the group revisits some of its best-known recordings, including "One Wish," "Hawaiian Electric" and "Winds of Change," but these are new re-recordings of the songs, not the original studio versions. Legacy isn't designed to be the definitive Hiroshima anthology, but it does represent a sampling of where the band was in the '80s and how it continues to evolve and explore the parameters of its unique blending of East-meets-West musical styles. Hiroshima is not the same band in 2009 as it was in 1979, when it recorded its debut album. The band's personnel have changed, technology has changed and the music has evolved over three decades. Original members saxophonist/multi-instrumentalist Dan Kuramoto, kotoist June Kuramoto and drummer Danny Yamamoto are joined by longtime bassist Dean Cortez, keyboardist Kimo Cornwell, "new guy" Shoji Kameda on his big, booming taiko drum, and other members of the extended Hiroshima family.

Hiroshima maintains its innovative edge by being respectful to the original material, but not so slavishly faithful that it can't push the envelope a bit and stretch its musical muscles. June Kuramoto's koto remains at the core of the band, and the other instrumentalists build around her. "One Wish" was the crossover hit that captured the attention of many listeners to the Hiroshima sound, and still retains a timeless beauty 24 years after its debut. The guitar leads by John "Doc" McCourt on "Dada" and Yvette Nil's vocals on "Dada," along with Yamamoto's pummeling drums, are reminders of where the "rock" in jazz/rock came from.

The lush and gorgeous "Thousand Cranes" is a tribute to Sadako Sasaki, who was two years old when the atomic bomb was dropped on the city of Hiroshima. Sasaki developed leukemia when she turned 11, and in following the advice of a friend that the gods would grant a wish if she folded 1000 paper cranes. Sasaki folded 644 cranes before passing away. Jim Gilstrap and Terry Steele's lead vocals are joined by the entire band's backing harmonies, lifting this ode to peace into the sonic stratosphere. Hiroshima's career arc includes its share of peaks and valleys but it's a varied one, and Legacy makes a good jumping-on point for new fans and an essential addition for completists. The liner notes suggest Legacy is the first installment of a series. In the process of fondly looking back at where they've been, Hiroshima continues to boldly push forward. ~ Jeff Winbush https://www.allaboutjazz.com/legacy-hiroshima-heads-up-international-review-by-jeff-winbush.php
 

Personnel: June Kuramoto: koto, vocals; Dan Kuramoto: flutes, saxes, shakuhachi, synths, flute, vocals; Kimo Cornwell: piano, keyboards, synths; Danny Yamamoto: drums, percussion; Dean Cortez: bass; Shoji Kameda: taiko, percussion; Terry Steele: lead vocal (9), vocals; Yvette Nil: lead vocal (4, 7); Jim Gilstrap: vocals; Richie Gajate Garcia: congas, timbales, percussion; George Del Barrio: string arrangements; Derek Nakamoto: additional string programming

Legacy

---