Friend 'N Fellow - Home

Size: 119,9 MB
Time: 50:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2006/2016
Styles: Jazz/Soul/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. One More Day (4:50)
02. Home (3:55)
03. You (3:14)
04. I Wonder (4:34)
05. Livin' In A World (2:35)
06. Bluebird (2:35)
07. How Will I Know (3:19)
08. All Of It (2:55)
09. Liar (2:26)
10. I Gave It All (4:12)
11. I Know (4:34)
12. This Love (2:04)
13. Love Child (2:56)
14. Other Side (3:12)
15. Cajun Moon (3:01)

Constanze Friend and Thomas Fellow performed more than 1000 concerts together and travelled from BEIJING (China Millenium Park) to SHANGHAI (Anting New Town Open Air), from MALAYSIA (Kuala Lumpur/Penang Jazz Festival) to NEW YORK (World Trade Center) and from PARIS (Elyssees Montmartre) to LONDON (The 100 Club) and shared the stage with legends as RAY CHARLES, LUTHER ALLISON and AL JARREAU. Meanwhile they became one of the most successful acoustic acts in the junction where BLUES, JAZZ and SOUL meet. Their music combines the intensity of the blues with the freedom of jazz and the sound of soul in inimitable fashion.

"You knocked me out with your playing" – Bill Evans
"I really enjoy your work" – Al Jarreau
"Killing! It absolutely sounds like a whole band" – Tommy Emmanuel
"A top-notch duo" Welt am Sonntag
"The sound of the new century" Luther Allison
"The voice of an angel" Keb' Mo'

Concerts in London, Paris, New York, Peking, Vienna, Zurich, Lucerne Festival (Lucerne, Switzerland), Tollwood-Festival Munich, Festival Internacional de la Porta Ferrada (Spain), 1st Blues & Soul Weekend (Zurich, Switzerland), Simmen Lörrach, Jazzrally Dusseldorf with Ray Charles, Al Jarreau, Simply Red, Marianne Faithful, Maceo Parker.

Constanze Friend started her musical career in the band "Mr. Adapoe" with performances at international top festivals and as the support act to James Brown and others.

Thomas Fellow won several prizes at international competitions for classical guitar and played concerts in India, South America and the USA. Prof. Thomas Fellow is the head of the education "ACOUSTIC GUITAR (concert music/worldmusic/jazz) at the Hochschule für Musik "Carl Maria von Weber" in Dresden (Germany) and "WORLDMUSIC" at the Hochschule für Musik Weimar and lead masterclasses at different conservatories and festivals in Europe and the USA. He is also the artistic director of the STRING SPRING FESTIVAL DRESDEN and the EUROPEAN GUITAR AWARD, one of the most prestigious competitions for creativ guitarplayers (next time spring 2012). He developed a comprehensive schoolbook for the guitar as a comping instrument (FELLOWBOOK).

Home

---

Peter Edwards Trio - A Matter Of Instinct

Size: 101,2 MB
Time: 37:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Samba City (5:12)
02. Loved Ones (4:23)
03. Groove Swing Funk (4:11)
04. The Runaround (3:52)
05. A Matter Of Instinct (5:01)
06. Flying High (4:17)
07. Down But Not Out (5:26)
08. Escape Velocity (5:18)

This is the second album by Trinity Laban graduate and 2014 MOBO Awards nominee Peter Edwards, his first being 2014's Safe And Sound. Edwards was a member of a group led by the late trumpeter Abram Wilson and is currently a member of vocalist Zara McFarlane's band. Opening with an infectious Latin beat, "Samba City" recalls the foot- tapping imperative of Chick Corea's Return To Forever era. A calmer mood ensues with "Loved Ones" recalling the blues-infused, chordal-rich piano of Joe Zawinul during his time with the Julian "Cannonball" Adderley Quintet.

The more rhythmically complex "Groove Swing Funk" certainly matches its title and with a memorable theme it conjures-up an evocation of the Dudley Moore Trio in full flight. This album offers a veritable potpourri of styles, such as the lively, swinging "The Runaround" adorned by semi-pastiche Erroll Garner-like swathes of piano.

The title track sees Edwards on slinky Fender Rhodes backed by a keen sheening rhythm from Moses Boyd, the drummer half of the MOBO 2015 award-winning duo Binker and Moses. The straight-ahead "Flying High" with Edwards returning to acoustic piano precedes the slow blues of "Down But Not Out"; reminiscent of Ramsey Lewis it's embellished by an excellent pizzicato bass solo from Max Luthert.

The final number "Escape Velocity" has the trio in expansive mood, the piece distinguished by a repeated hook-like motif which eventually all-but closes-out the piece. Edwards' lithe compositions are matched by the trio's consummate performances, all contributing to a truly compulsive listening experience. ~Roger Farbey

Personnel: Peter Edwards: piano, Fender Rhodes; Max Luthert: bass; Moses Boyd: drums.

A Matter Of Instinct

---

Laura Fygi - Jazz Love

Size: 101,4 MB
Time: 43:16
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Like A Star (4:01)
02. La Vie En Rose (3:48)
03. Cupid (3:57)
04. If I Ain’t Got You (5:06)
05. Vincent (4:00)
06. Your Love Is King/Smooth Operator (4:08)
07. And I Love Him (2:55)
08. Sunny (3:56)
09. Right Here Waiting (4:07)
10. Our Day Will Come (3:25)
11. La Vie En Rose (French Version) (3:47)

Everywhere that Laura Fygi visits, she is a veritable vision of exotica. In her home country of the Netherlands, they know her as the woman who was raised in Uruguay as the daughter of an Egyptian belly dancer; in the Far East she is the emancipated Western lady who many others aspire to be. But wherever she may be, there is one common factor in all of those locations: that instantly recognisable voice which has won her hearts all over the globe.

Since her dance hits with the girl group Centerfold in the early 1980s, Laura has travelled down numerous musical pathways, such as jazz, Latin, and chansons, not shying away from any genre or style. That wilful quest for renewal has rendered collaborations with such music luminaries as the late Toots Thielemans, Michel Legrand and Michael Franks. Laura has also been presented with various gold and platinum discs and awards, as well as playing the lead role in Singapore of her favourite musical Victor/Victoria.

Laura has performed throughout Europe, South America and Asia. As a Dutch singer, she even managed to conquer the Chinese market, a unique achievement! In 2012 she signed a contract with one of China’s largest record companies and recorded the CD Flower specifically for the Asian market. It contains original Chinese compositions that Laura had arranged in her own style. Some songs were translated into English and French, but she also sang four songs in the original Chinese!

What is the secret of her success? It is the combination of a number of things. First of all she has a husky voice with a beautiful diction and great timing, which has already been compared to that of Peggy Lee, and the intimacy of Julie London . She has an international appearance which enables her to perform in Ronnie Scott ‘s Jazz club in London’s Soho with the same ease as on the biggest stages in most of the world cities. She looks beautiful and is as Latin as Jazzy . But the most important thing Laura is a storyteller, someone who knows how to turn a song into a story that touches you directly from her heart to yours. While it still swings like crazy!

In 2015 Laura celebrated her 25th anniversary as a solo artist but there is no way of stopping her! Previously being under contract with Universal Music Netherlands, her career has moved to the Asian part of the world so the next step was a logical one… She recently signed a worldwide record deal with Universal Music in Asia and this year a brand new CD will be released titled Jazz Love. Laura selected a number of popular pop songs and had arrangements written in her own unique style. Bossa, swing, soft jazz, songs from Sade, the Beatles, Alicia Keys and Don McLean gain a whole new dimension!
The jazz diva still has many plans of which performing is her favorite activity. She will make sure people have a good time and that is what she does best, entertaining!

Jazz Love

---

Bruce Williams - Private Thoughts

Size: 135,2 MB
Time: 58:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Mata Leon (4:24)
02. Private Thoughts (5:03)
03. Premonitions (4:36)
04. Forever Asking Why (5:03)
05. Old Forester (5:41)
06. Last Visit In The Mirror (3:50)
07. The Void (6:01)
08. The Price We Pay For Peace (7:02)
09. I Still Carry On (6:07)
10. View Through A Street (6:23)
11. Past Tense (3:49)

Williams' fourth recording as a leader is his first featuring solely original music. The Bard College and Juilliard Jazz professor has graced the horn sections of The World Saxophone Quartet, as well as groups led by Stanley Cowell and the like. On Private Thoughts, Bruce Williams asserts himself as a stirring composer and triumphantly underscores the emotion, and acceptance of life's fragility. Bruce Williams: alto & soprano saxophone, Josh Evans: trumpet, Frederick Hendrix: trumpet & flugelhorn, Brad Williams: guitar, Brandon McCune: piano, Alan Palmer: piano, Chris Berger: bass, Vincent Ector & Chris Beck: drums.

Private Thoughts

---

Barb Jungr - Come Together: Barb Jungr & John McDaniel Perform The Beatles

Size: 135,8 MB
Time: 58:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Got To Get You Into My Life (3:46)
02. Things We Said Today (3:39)
03. Eleanor Rigby (4:29)
04. Mother Nature’s Son (2:13)
05. And I Love Her - All My Loving - All You Need Is Love (4:43)
06. I Will (2:17)
07. Getting Better - Here There And Everywhere (4:18)
08. For No One (2:19)
09. Back In The USSR (3:43)
10. It’s For You - Step Inside Love (3:42)
11. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (3:11)
12. The Fool On The Hill (4:26)
13. Something - The Long And Winding Road (4:30)
14. Come Together (4:08)
15. In My Life (3:23)
16. Golden Slumbers - Carry That Weight - The End (3:31)

The critic Chris Ingham has summed up the significance of the Beatles as follows: “[They] represent one of the few times in musical history when the most popular was also the best”. In our current cultural moment, the most popular is so very far from being the best that Ingham’s comment might make you wince with nostalgia. In their terrific new show, “Come Together”, however, Barb Jungr – one of Britain’s finest interpreters of popular song – and John McDaniel – the award-winning American composer and pianist – bring the past vibrantly into the present with a programme of innovatively re-arranged Beatles songs.

Jungr and McDaniel are new collaborators, and they’ve been performing this show over the past few months, including stints at the Edinburgh Festival and across the US, with more New York dates forthcoming in January. Londoners got their first chance to experience the show over four nights last week in the cosy confines of the St. James Studio. It was an occasion not to be missed.

The Beatles could hardly be described as a band that have lacked for tributes over the years, of course. But “Come Together” is about as far removed as can be imagined from the likes of a thrown-together jukebox show such as the hit West End musical Let It Be. Celebrated for her incisive and arresting treatments of the work of songwriters including Brel, Dylan, and Cohen, Jungr, whose shows at the Southbank Centre and City of London Festival have been among 2015’s cultural highlights in the capital, brings a similar approach to bear on The Beatles’ material, her vocals supplemented only by McDaniel’s supple piano-work and her own occasional harmonica-playing. McDaniel also provides harmonies throughout the set, and takes creditable leads on two White Album gems: “Mother Nature’s Son” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”.

The stark and dynamic presentation afforded by the cabaret context allows every word in the songs to resonate afresh. With her terrific phrasing, protean delivery, and expressive physicality that turns every track into a fully embodied experience, Jungr digs so deeply into the songs that they emerge new-minted in pretty much every case, with lyrics that you’ve barely noticed before held up to the light and revealed as the very crux of a particular composition.

Given the incredible stylistic diversity of the Beatles’ output, the range of material covered in the show is impressive, the set encompassing both oft-performed classics and album obscurities. “Got to Get You into My Life” was an infectiously exuberant opener, less a straightforward love song (or drugs paean) in this account than a joyous hymn to openness and inclusivity. “Eleanor Rigby”, with haunting high harmonies and delicate piano from McDaniel, was taut, disconsolate and deeply affecting. “The Long and Winding Road” wound itself into stridency that was equal parts desperate and cathartic, Jungr briefly transforming herself into a figure blown by the gales as she reached “the wild and windy night” lyric. Augmented by harmonica and great foot-stamping, “Back in the U.S.S.R.” was equally exhilarating.

Opening the second half, “Hello Goodbye” was delivered as a pleasingly goofy duet. By contrast, “The Fool on the Hill” was mesmerizingly intense, the track slowed and stripped of any hint of jauntiness in this arrangement, the better to quietly celebrate an outsider’s insights and secret strength. Lifting her tear-filled eyes aloft, Jungr seemed momentarily overcome by the emotion the track evoked, before moving elegantly into a drop-dead gorgeous “Something”.

Throughout, Jungr applied her customarily intelligent approach to sequencing the set, with some songs juxtaposed and combined to form story cycles and suites. A wry, sharply pointed “Piggies” mutated into a delicious “Penny Lane”: “very strange”, perhaps, but wonderfully effective. A medley comprising a gender-switched “And I Love Her”, “All My Loving” and “All You Need Is Love” (the latter stripped of obvious anthemic associations to become simply conversational) charted youthful hope and longing leading to the affirmation of “I Will”. Segueing into an exquisite “Here, There and Everywhere”, a blistering “Getting Better” traded menacing, punky verses for redemptive choruses that implied the taming of male belligerence through love. Yet ultimately the narrative concluded with the separation of the couple poignantly evoked in “For No One”, Jungr ending the song on a surprising, perfectly judged note that suggested both mature ruefulness and resolve on the part of the abandoned male.

As presented here “For No One” took on the contours of a reflection on the challenges and liberations of feminism. Indeed, bantering affectionately with McDaniel between songs, Jungr also provided some characteristically quirky, thoughtful commentary on The Beatles’s significance in pop and counter-culture, reflecting (as she did with Cohen and Dylan) on the contrasting personas of Lennon and McCartney, and also suggesting how the band’s music not only mapped but also inspired social changes. The drugged-up craziness of “Come Together” was a supreme closer, Jungr acting her way through the most surreal lyrics with furious aplomb before she and McDaniel returned to the stage for the single-song encore of “In My Life”, delivered as a radiant and gracious benediction.

“Come Together” is very much the kind of show that one can imagine shifting and expanding as Jungr and McDaniel continue to tour it, perhaps taking on different songs and arrangements. (Personally, I’d swap a pair of charming but fairly inconsequential Cilla Black-associated tracks for something meatier. “A Day in the Life”, perhaps? Oh boy.) Thrilling and revelatory, the show is that rarity: an Anglo/American collaboration that’s actually worth celebrating, and that’s enough to restore your faith in “the Special Relationship”, after all. ~by Alex Ramon

Come Together

---

Melanie Marod - I'll Go Mad

Size: 123,7 MB
Time: 53:00
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. I'll Go Mad (3:46)
02. Spanish Harlem (3:42)
03. Dance Me To The End Of Love (2:44)
04. Love Ain't Easy (3:51)
05. Smile (4:59)
06. Running Back To You (3:07)
07. Corcovado (4:16)
08. Candy (3:32)
09. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas (2:38)
10. People Will Say We're In Love (3:41)
11. Isn't This A Lovely Day (4:05)
12. Somewhere Over The Rainbow (4:54)
13. Besame Mucho (3:35)
14. Everybody's Talkin' (4:03)

Melanie was born and raised in Grand Haven, Michigan where she began singing and expressing her love for music at the age of seven. By age ten, she had performed in the musical Sweeney Todd with Tony Award Winner, George Hearn and Pamela Meyer.

Melanie graduated from Hope College with a B.A. in Musical Theatre. She has studied opera in Buenos Aires, Argentina at Instituto Universitario Nacional de Arte and trained at Hillsong College in Sydney, Australia.

Since moving to New York City she has sung at Birdland, The Algonquin, The Oak Room at The Plaza Hotel, The Carlton as well as various venues throughout the city. Her influences are Stacey Kent, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, and Nat King Cole.

I'll Go Mad

---

Peggy Lee - Spotlight On... Peggy Lee

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:51
Size: 116,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:21)  1. I've Got The World On A String
(2:46)  2. When A Woman Loves A Man
(1:47)  3. I'm Beginning To See The Light
(3:37)  4. There Is No Greater Love
(2:22)  5. Too Close For Comfort
(2:28)  6. Unforgettable
(2:18)  7. Close Your Eyes
(2:23)  8. If I Should Lose You
(2:07)  9. I'm Just Wild About Harry
(2:58) 10. Deep Purple
(2:20) 11. It's Been A Long, Long Time
(3:44) 12. The Man I Love
(3:21) 13. The Best Is Yet To Come
(2:37) 14. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(3:22) 15. Fever
(2:28) 16. I Wanna Be Around
(2:08) 17. I Hear Music
(3:36) 18. The Folks Who Live On The Hill

Peggy Lee spent a good many years with Capitol, and it was there that she cut some of her best sides. Save for a few years in the late '40s (and several early hits), Lee hit her stride with the label during the end of the '50s and throughout the '60s. Working in a variety of settings, from string orchestras to jazz combos, Lee applied her vocal talents to swing, blues, Latin, and cabaret. This edition of Capitol's classy Spotlight series rounds up 18 of Lee's best performances. And while many of the hits are missing ("Black Coffee," "Is That All There Is," etc.), the disc makes up for it with stunners like "The Best Is Yet to Come" and "The Folks Who Live on the Hill." Plus, there's the charts and conducting work of such luminaries as Benny Carter, Nelson Riddle, Bill May, Quincy Jones, and even Frank Sinatra. A fine sampler from Miss Lee's prime. ~ Stephen Cook http://www.allmusic.com/album/spotlight-on-peggy-lee-great-ladies-of-song-mw0000628187

Spotlight On... Peggy Lee

---

Albert Heath, Ethan Iverson & Ben Street - Tootie's Tempo

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:09
Size: 108,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:42)  1. The Charlston
(4:52)  2. Charade
(2:18)  3. Danube Incident
(5:39)  4. Stompin At The Savoy
(6:12)  5. Violets For Your Furs
(4:04)  6. The Intimacy Of  The Blues
(5:07)  7. How Insensitive
(3:44)  8. Fire Waltz
(1:46)  9. Cute
(4:28) 10. It Should Have Happened A Long Time Ago
(5:12) 11. Tootie's Tempo

At 78 years old, Albert “Tootie” Heath is certainly a link to jazz history. This is due to both his lineage as the youngest of the three jazz-playing Heath brothers and his many accomplishments as a musician on his own. Here, pianist Ethan Iverson and bassist Ben Street join Heath, and the results are as satisfying as a visit with a favorite old uncle. The music is straight-down-the-middle bebop with a strong emphasis on ballads and relaxed midtempo gems. Ever the gentleman, Heath plays here with subtlety and elegance, setting his tempos and throwing in little rhythmic wrinkles rather than banging away on solos. Just listen to his playing on “The Intimacy of the Blues,” the title track, and “Cute” to see what we mean. The often-pensive material here ranges from a fun, un-flapper-like version of “The Charleston” to the lovely theme from the film Charade to an earthy take of the bossa nova classic “How Insensitive.” Then things do pick up for a robust version of “Fire Waltz.” It's highly recommended for fans of classic jazz. ~ Itunes Reviews https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/tooties-tempo/id676272985

Personnel:  Bass – Ben Street;  Drums – Albert Heath;  Piano – Ethan Iverson

Tootie's Tempo

---

Joel Harrison 7 - Search

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:12
Size: 133,3 MB
Art: Front

(11:18)  1. Grass Valley and Beyond
(15:00)  2. A Magnificent Death
( 8:24)  3. All The Previous Pages Are Gone
( 6:24)  4. The Beauty of Failure
( 8:26)  5. Whipping Post
( 6:19)  6. O Sacrum Convivium
( 2:18)  7. Search

For over a decade, Joel Harrison has been steadily expanding his palette as a composer, although his penchant for unorthodox instrumental combinations and multicultural folk forms encompass only one facet of his inclusive aesthetic. Harrison's most recent efforts have borrowed heavily from Western neo-classical tenets; The Wheel (Innova, 2008) included an expansive five movement suite for jazz quintet and string quartet, while The Music of Paul Motian (Sunnyside, 2011) featured stately arrangements performed by two electric guitarists and a traditional string quartet. Search contains some of Harrison's most seamlessly integrated writing for disparate forces to date. Supported by an archetypal jazz rhythm section, comprised of pianist Gary Versace, bassist Stephan Crump and drummer Clarence Penn, Harrison is joined by tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin and two string players: violinist Christian Howes and cellist Dana Leong, who have both collaborated with the guitarist in similar contexts before.

The septet's broad instrumental palette lends the album a wide dynamic range that keenly exploits Harrison's versatile gifts as a composer; he solos infrequently however, allowing his sidemen ample opportunity to express themselves. Harrison's harmonious contrapuntal themes underscore the bulk of the record, as typified on the panoramic opener, "Grass Valley and Beyond," where Versace's prismatic cadences and McCaslin's intervallic salvos paint a vibrant aural canvas; the saxophonist's dramatic altissimo crescendos and multiphonic flourishes punctuate the proceedings like rich impasto accents. Howes and McCaslin engage in spirited interplay with the cagey rhythm section on the capricious swinger "All the Previous Pages Are Gone," while "A Magnificent Death" and "The Beauty of Failure" exhibit a range of classicist tendencies; the former ascends from hypnotic minimalist motifs to a rapturous climax, the later weaves lyrical thematic variations into a romantic coda. 

The session concludes with two unrelated, but unexpectedly complementary covers: a vivacious reading of Allman Brothers Band's "Whipping Post" and a sublime interpretation of Olivier Messiaen's "O Sacrum Convivum." The classic rock staple is given respectful treatment, but surprisingly, it's Leong's sinuous cello that drives the bluesy number, bolstered by Penn's pugilistic drumming. Conversely, Harrison's introspective fretwork accentuates the mystical ethereality of Messiaen's recast choral motet, setting the stage for the titular closer, a fugue-like postlude for solo piano that incisively encapsulates the date's multifaceted approach reconfirming Harrison's sophisticated compositional acumen in the process. ~ Troy Collins  https://www.allaboutjazz.com/search-joel-harrison-sunnyside-records-review-by-troy-collins.php
 

Personnel: Joel Harrison: guitar; Donny McCaslin: tenor saxophone; Gary Versace: piano, Hammond B-3; Christian Howes: violin; Dana Leong: cello; Stephan Crump: bass; Clarence Penn: drums.

Search

---

Gary Versace - Time And Again

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 62:21
Size: 100,0 MB
Art: Front

( 9:21)  1. Homeland
( 7:30)  2. 222
( 7:26)  3. First Things Last
(11:13)  4. Excuse My Shoes
( 9:58)  5. Time And Again
( 7:11)  6. Ours
( 9:39)  7. Russian Playground

Gary Versace sure gets around. Since relocating to New York in 2002 following a ten-year professorship at the University of Oregon, he's become such an in-demand player that he's rarely at home a situation bound to remain status quo well into 2006. Whether playing accordion on Maria Schneider's acclaimed Concert in the Garden (ArtistShare, 2004), piano on John Hollenbeck's multifaceted large ensemble A Blessing (OmniTone, 2005), or organ in John Scofield's Ray Charles Tribute touring band, his amazing flexibility is becoming increasingly apparent. While Versace is capable on a number of instruments, his focus remains the Hammond B3 organ, like Larry Goldings. And like Goldings, he possesses a clear understanding of the tradition stemming from seminal B3 players Jimmy Smith and Larry Young, but retains his own unique emphasis. The only real precedent would be the more textural approach of Dan Wall making Versace the perfect choice for Abercrombie in his organ trio, now that Wall has chosen to stop touring. Versace clearly understands Abercrombie's more modernistic slant to the jazz tradition, an area he explores on his own debut, Time and Again. Joining Versace for this effort are Abercrombie, Richard Perry a tenor saxophonist Versace has encountered in a number of situations and drummer Billy Hart. Hart is the wild card, but you'd never know it. Despite this being their first time playing together, Hart and Versace sound as if they've been working in sync for years. Testimony to the clearly shared philosophy of open minds, open ears and checked egos, the quartet's remarkable simpatico is evident from the first notes of the gently lyrical "Homeland one of six Versace originals that make up the set, along with Abercrombie's equally melodic "Excuse My Shoes. 

With only one day in the studio, it's no surprise that Time and Again emphasizes blowing over compositional detail. Far removed from the traditional A-A-B-A format, Versace's writing remains rooted in theme-solo-theme structures. His strength is in creating songs that are approachable enough to stick in the mind, yet provide plenty of latitude for improvisational interplay. Abercrombie has always emphasized understatement and implication; Versace and Perry are equally suggestive. The result is that the group never really boils over, but there's a simmering energy throughout. Whether on the gentle sway of the title track, the triplet-over-four feel of "222, or the more emphatic "Russian Playground, everyone plays with the kind of commitment and connection that endows this disc with a cohesiveness belying the single-day studio effort's inherent session-like nature. Time and Again also needs to be placed in context. It demonstrates Versace's improvisational élan and abstract colorations, as well as an ability to write material that encourages risk even as it remains close to the center. But Versace's wide reach also suggests that this is but the tip of the iceberg. Time and Again is a strong debut, but Versace is capable of much more a fact that will no doubt be revealed in good time. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/time-and-again-gary-versace-steeplechase-records-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Gary Versace: Hammond B3 organ; John Abercrombie: guitar; Rich Perry: tenor saxophone; Billy Hart: drums.

Time And Again

---

John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble - A blessing

Styles: Avant-Garde Jazz 
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:43
Size: 145,1 MB
Art: Front

(16:03)  1. A blessing
( 7:28)  2. Folkmoot
( 8:12)  3. RAM
( 5:55)  4. Weiji
(12:12)  5. Abstinence
( 7:23)  6. April in Reggae
( 5:27)  7. The Music of Life

One clear benefit of the global community we live in, with its inherently broad reach, is that many artists have developed into stylistic integrators. On a smaller scale, even people who live within the boundaries of the United States can experience greater artistic diversity than ever before. Only a century ago, people living in small rural towns would have no way of knowing what kind of music was developing in larger urban centres; now, with the broad reach of the internet, it's possible that someone who lives in the most remote town can not only hear what's going on outside their relatively small physical universe, they can incorporate the experience into their own musical development. That's one of the reasons why the definition of jazz is such a slippery slope. Reductionist thinking aside, the very assimilation of a multitude of cultural and stylistic concerns is what keeps jazz alive and well, living and breathing and, most importantly, constantly evolving. Drummer/composer John Hollenbeck has proven over the course of his relatively short career that it's possible to blend a multitude of approaches while working within an idiom that's still somehow indefinably jazz. His latest release, A Blessing, expands on the stylistic melange of his smaller Claudia Quintet with an eighteen-piece ensemble that offers greater textural possibilities and a grander vision. 

The recording explores the almost unlimited possibilities of one voice, five woodwind players, four trombonists, four trumpets, and a rhythm section that in addition to the more traditional piano-bass-drums triumvirate also includes a variety of mallet instruments. There's nothing excessive or bombastic about Hollenbeck's approach, which isn't afraid to let smaller subsets do the talking. Nor is Hollenbeck averse to finding organic ways to emulate ideas that other artists have developed through looping and other electronic means. All kinds of trace elements can be found scattered throughout A Blessing. The sixteen-minute title track unfolds gradually, beginning with Gary Versace's simple piano arpeggios, Matt Moran's bowed vibraphone, and Kermit Driscoll's bass creating a subtle ambient backdrop of gentle beauty for vocalist Theo Bleckmann's crystal pure evocation of "An Irish Blessing. The piece builds slowly, with Hollenbeck's drums developing an ever-strengthening forward motion underneath horn lines that start as long tones, but ultimately evolve into repetitive patterns that take on a rhythmic life of their own, resolving into a kind of post-minimalist Steve Reich-meets-Maria Schneider vibe.

Elsewhere there are elements of primal jungle rhythms ("Weiji ), Brian Eno ambience that builds into a free cacophony before heading for straight-ahead swing ("RAM ), and a kind of free jazz reggae ("April in Reggae ). While it's difficult to single out any one player, Bleckmann's voice while most often integrated into the overall texture of the ensemble, rather than standing out ranges from pristine beauty to percussive panting, and even some miraculous throat singing over the stasis of "The Music of Life. Captivating and compelling from a larger narrative perspective, A Blessing is continued evidence of Hollenbeck's unfailing instincts and endless imagination. A masterpiece. 

~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-blessing-omnitone-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Ben Kono (flute, soprano and alto saxophones); Chris Speed (clarinet); Tom Christensen (tenor and soprano saxophones, English horn); Dan Willis (tenor and soprano saxophones, English horn); Alan Won (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet); Rob Hudson (trombone); Kurtis Pivert (trombone); Jacob Garchik (trombone); Alan Ferber (trombone); John Owens (trumpet); Tony Kadleck (trumpet); Dave Ballou (trumpet); Laurie Frink (trumpet); Kermit Driscoll (bass); John Hollenbeck (drums); Gary Versace (piano); Matt Moran (mallets); Theo Bleckmann (voice)

A blessing

---