John Hollenbeck, Alban Darche, Samuel Blaser, Sebastien Boisseau - JASS

Styles: Avant-Garde Jazz 
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:26
Size: 114,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:55)  1. Recurring Dreams
(3:07)  2. Saj's
(5:27)  3. Jazz Envy
(5:36)  4. Water
(6:38)  5. Limp Mint
(5:45)  6. Driving License
(6:16)  7. No D
(4:49)  8. Miss Universe 2031
(3:25)  9. It Began to Get Dark
(3:24) 10. Tricephale

J.A.S.S. as in the first letters of the names of American drummer John Hollenbeck, French saxophonist Alban Darche and double bassist Sébastien Boisseau and Swiss trombonist Samuel Blaser. But Jass also as the term used by the Original Dixieland Jass Band in March 1917 for the very first jazz-album recording or just the name of centuries-old popular card game in Switzerland and Austria.  All of the above references relevant to this quartet who first played together in Berlin in July 2011 and recorded its debut after an artist's residency in Nantes, France, the hometown of Darche and Boisseau. The music features the highly personal, distinct compositional skills of Hollenbeck, Darche and Blaser, observing in an amused manner on the history of jazz, and packed with strong, playful and nuanced melodies. This collective quartet keeps a delicate balance between its four musicians, emphasizing the organic highly melodic flow within its compact, well-constructed compositions. Darche and Blaser's playing stresses a beautiful singing and conversational quality while Hollenbeck and Boisseau vary the rhythmic basis constantly, alternating between loose pulses, exploratory sounds, and light swinging ones.

The quartet enables Hollenbeck to re-contextualize some of his past compositions within a new setting. "Jazz Envy," which he previously performed, and Jazz Bigband Graz on Joys & Desires (Intuition, 2005), is anchored within a strong pulse, but within this rhythmic framework the musicians have the freedom to keep exploring its theme. "Limp Mint," originally from Claudia Quintet's Semi Formal (Cuneiform, 2005) retains its dramatic story narrative, delivered now from four sonic angles that intensify its enigmatic story lines. "No D," from Claudia Quintet debut (CRI, 2002) has the most complex and demanding structure, shifting between pulses and cyclical loose, and dense forms of interplay. Darche's "Water" and "Driving License" highlights the immediate, intuitive bond with Blaser. Both exchanging back and forth ideas, constructing thick, detailed articulations. His ironic "Miss Univers 2031" and "Tricéphale" unfold like a dense stories with many twists. Blaser's two compositions, "Recurring Dreams" and "It began to get gark," stress his unique, searching vocabulary on the trombone. Highly impressive debut that calls for following meetings of this quartet. ~ Eyal Hareuveni https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jass-john-hollenbeck-alban-darche-sebastien-boisseau-samuel-blaser-yolk-records-review-by-eyal-hareuveni.php
 

Personnel: Samuel Blaser: trombone; Alban Darche: tenor saxophone; Sébastien Boisseau: double bass; John Hollenbeck: drums.

JASS

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Annekei - Tsuki

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:21
Size: 125,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Tsuki
(3:17)  2. That's All
(4:46)  3. Arigato Gozaimasu
(3:49)  4. Only You
(4:52)  5. Both Sides Now
(4:48)  6. Dirt in Your Pocket
(4:15)  7. Everly
(3:35)  8. Why?
(3:46)  9. Refill of Inspiration
(5:12) 10. What You Like
(3:59) 11. What is Your Problem?
(4:23) 12. Towani
(3:00) 13. At Home

Annekei grew up in a family of music. Her parents were both jazz musicians and her 4 brothers - just like herself - mastered their instruments at a very young age.  She sings, plays the piano and guitar in addition to writing and arranging her own material.  At 19-years-old, Annekei moved from her home country, Denmark, to pursue her musical ambitions in New York City. Since her arrival in 2002, the young singer has been performing venues as varied as Joe's Pub, Pianos, The Metropolitan Cafe, Rockwood Music Hall, The Living Room, Bowery Poetry Club, Suite 16, The Cutting Room, Blue Note, The Bitter End and Fez under Time Cafe. In 2003 she made it to the finals of the amateur night competition on the TV show, "Showtime at The Apollo", performing her original song "Close Your Eyes". 2 years later, her single "More Of Your Love" broke on the club scene in the UK. In 2006 she signed with a Japanese label and released her self-titled debut album in September the same year. The single "Brother" made it to #4 on the Japanese charts within 2 weeks of release, rose to #1 vocal album on Japanese iTunes and landed her the title: "Best New Foreign Artist" at the AD LIB AWARDS 2006. Her second solo album "Tsuki" dropped only 9 months after the debut, followed up by the collaboration project "Letter" with Korean guitarist Jack Lee. In June this year Annekei released her 3rd solo album "Touch" produced by legendary guitarist Lee Ritenour and featuring a prolific group of musicians from Los Angeles. She is currently touring Asia in support of the record, as well as bi-coastal'y writing and recording for her 4th album. http://annekei.com/files/html/bio.html

Tsuki

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Gary Peacock & Bill Frisell - Just So Happens

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:47
Size: 118,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Only Now
(6:14)  2. In Walked Po
(3:21)  3. Wapitis Dream
(3:30)  4. Home on the Range 1
(5:05)  5. Home on the Range 2
(2:54)  6. Through a Skylight
(3:01)  7. Red River Valley
(4:34)  8. Reciprocity
(5:25)  9. Good Morning Heartache
(4:53) 10. N.O.M.B.
(8:05) 11. Just So Happens

In the early 90’s, the folks at “Postcards” consistently produced some of the finest jazz recordings to hit the stores while featuring artists such as Alan Pasqua, Reggie Workman and here, the teaming of guitarist Bill Frisell and bassist Gary Peacock. Thankfully, Arkadia records have taken ownership of the catalogue and from all appearances, retain the original artwork and packaging. The pairing of Bill Frisell and Gary Peacock is sheer delight as their respective careers in jazz and beyond are well documented. Peacock’s deep, resonant wooden tone along with Frisell’s at times cosmic inventions work extremely well in this setting. Pieces such as “Only Now” and “In Walked Po” are engaging forays into inventive dialogue, brief jagged statements and clever articulations. The duo often sound as if they were putting a jigsaw puzzle together from scratch! Their rendition of the American classic “Home On The Range” is often bluesy in scope yet with Frisell’s astonishing technique and gregarious phrasing, the tune evolves into an ethereal dreamscape. On “Reciprocity” Peacock displays his commanding presence as Frisell’s weaving tapestries of tonal colors offer elegance and contrasts well with Peacock’s deft single note statements. Frisell picks up the acoustic guitar on the laid back “Good Morning Heartache” while vivid imagery prevails on “Just So Happens”. Throughout, Frisell and Peacock lay it on the line via simple elegance, finesse and improvisation of the highest order although most if these compositions are structured yet maintain a relaxed and loose vibe. Recommended. ~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/just-so-happens-gary-peacock-postcards-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel: Gary Peacock (bass); Bill Frisell (guitar).

Just So Happens

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Albert Heath, Ben Street & Ethan Iverson - Philadelphia Beat

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:25
Size: 115,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:24)  1. Bag's Groove
(3:50)  2. Reets and I
(3:44)  3. I Will Survive
(4:49)  4. Concorde
(6:15)  5. Memories of You
(3:04)  6. Con Alma
(3:02)  7. Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
(3:30)  8. Bye-Ya
(4:52)  9. Everything Must Change
(4:09) 10. Speak Low
(3:19) 11. Pentatonic Etude
(5:22) 12. Bakai

Eighty years of fragrance are those of Albert "Tootie" Heath , judging by the quality of the game basted in a trio with the plan of Ethan Iverson and the bass of Ben Street , a game now in its third and most successful hand, voted in the rules unwritten of the jazz school in Philadelphia. A Magisterium, to Heath, formed on lightness, taste subtraction, it said in decades of acquaintances at the top of the history of jazz (asArt Farmer to Yusef Lateef , as Dexter Gordon to John Coltrane, down to Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell ...) This trio seems to deepen the attitude of Iverson to break down to a minimum the syntax of the standards: where with the Bad Plus pianist uses the art of a baroque masked, with an overload of dynamics, here on the contrary he seems even to dry the pasta of the agreements, insisting on a melodic cantabile whose irregularities mention with continuous syncopations and thin contour colors. The bank that the low Street is able to offer the pianist stands out tonally sense that rhythm, chasing osmosis perfectly realized. The percussion of the great Heath start dancing and lead with extraordinary skill, suggesting unexpected openings, ironic asides, punctuation scathing. It is a different way short of remaking the classic feel of this formula, in a path that draws Iverson still following in the footsteps of a genealogy piano: John Lewis , Lennie Tristano ,Bud Powell , Thelonious Monk , Mal Waldron .

There is the scent of Modern Jazz Quartet in several episodes, the initial "Bag's Groove" to an enchanting "Concorde" which cites the beginning Heath the "I'm an Old Cowhand" rollinsiana. The Powell-Monk line (so to speak ..) passes through the beauty of "Reets and I" up to a luxury "Bye-Ya" which pays tribute to Heath Art Blakey and feels ... An alienating treatment is reserved the cult of the album "I Will Survive," loved by Iverson to the point of even sing live (heard years ago in trio Billy Hart ): here the theme is announced by a whirlwind of color scales and slightly dissonant harmony. But think now not too speculative transactions: the music remains clear and fresh, even in the simple magic tricks. How to confirm the literal reading of "Everything Must Change," with reference to that of Mal Waldron of almost thirty years ago, and the Afro-Cuban of "Bakai" which closes the program.  Libretto of very well done CD, with introductions to individual pieces of Iverson , vintage photos of Tootie with Hi-Tones and Bee-Boppers and other current, taken to the mythical Clef Club next door to friends Buster Williams , Mickey Roker , Sam Reed. ~ Stefano Merighi  https://www.allaboutjazz.com/philadelphia-beat-albert-tootie-heath-ethan-iverson-ben-street-sunnyside-records-review-by-stefano-merighi.php (Translate by Google)

Personnel: Albert Tootie Heath: drums; Ethan Iverson: piano, electric piano; Ben Street: bass.

Philadelphia Beat

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Joel Harrison - 3 + 3 = 7

Styles: Guitar Jazz 

Year: 1996

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 55:52

Size: 128,7 MB

Art: Front

(5:19)  1. Ratrace

(2:32)  2. Protest

(6:10)  3. Kali

(7:12)  4. Seven Angels

(4:21)  5. Broderick Crawford's Throat

(7:37)  6. Lovingkindness

(9:44)  7. Someday Earth (For Don Cherry)

(5:14)  8. Child's Dream

(4:25)  9. Cold Day In New York

(3:16) 10. Skin Frontier

San Francisco's guitarist Joel Harrison debuted with the ambitious 3+3=7 (1996) for three guitars and three percussionists, but then wasted his talent on the brief vignettes of Range of Motion (1997) and the confused hodgepodge of Transience (2001).  After relocating to New York, he continued to alternate off lightweight works such as Free Country (2003), a country-music tribute featuring Norah Jones on vocals, Dave Binney on alto sax, violinist Rob Thomas, pianist Uri Caine, and Tony Cedras on accordion, and its follow-up So Long 2nd Street (2004), not to mention the George Harrison tribute Harrison on Harrison (2005), with important and difficult projects such as the post-fusion Harbor (2007), featuring guitarist Nguyen Le, David Binney, and Jamey Haddad, The Wheel (2008), a six-movement suite for guitar and double quartet (string quartet and jazz quartet),  Passing Train (2008) is a collection of songs. Urban Myths (2009) sounds like a tribute to jazz-rock of the 1970s (including the funky Mood Rodeo). Search (2012), featuring saxophonist Donny McCaslin, pianist Gary Versace, violinist Christian Howes, cellist Dana Leong, bassist Stephan Crump, and drummer Clarence Penn is a mixed bag but it contains two of his high-brow compositions: Grass Valley and Beyond and A Magnificent Death.  Holy Abyss (Cuneiform, 2012) was a collaboration with Italian bassist Lorenzo Feliciati featuring trumpeter Cuong Vu, drummer Dan Weiss and keyboardist Roy Powell. http://www.scaruffi.com/jazz/harrison.html

Personnel:  Scott Amendola (Dumbek, Drums, Sound Effects);  John Schott (Guitar, Guitar (Electric));  Joel Harrison (Guitar, Producer, Guitar (Electric), Arranger);  Garth Powell (Drums, Drums (Bass), Sound Effects, Berimbau, Bird Calls);  John Holmes (Cymbals, Drums, Indian Bells, Telephone Voice, Cajon); Brad Dutz (Chimes, Maracas Mbira, Telephone Voice, Frame Drum, Udu, Cowbell, Djembe, Conga, Sound Effects, Tabla, Timbales, Cymbals);  Steve Cardenas (Guitar, Guitar (Electric));  Alex Cline (Chimes, Cymbals, Gong, Bells, Drums);  Glenn Cronkhite (Chimes, Gourd, Bell Tree, Shaker, Drums, Sound Effects);  John Golden (Mastering).

3 + 3 = 7

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