Allegra Levy - Lonely City

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 53:01
Size: 98,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:10)  1. Anxiety
(3:57)  2. I Don't Want to Be in Love
(5:34)  3. Everything Green
(4:52)  4. A New Face
(5:19)  5. Why Do I
(4:57)  6. A Better Day
(5:16)  7. I'm Not Okay
(4:02)  8. Clear-eyed Tango
(4:26)  9. Lonely City
(4:13) 10. Our Lullabye
(5:10) 11. The Duet

Steep in the traditions of classic jazz interludes, Lonely City from vocalist Allegra Levy resonates with authentic American swing trimmings and smooth blues grooves. If audiences didn’t know any better they’d think Levy’s tunes are all jazz standards, but in fact, the songs are all originals penned by Levy as she brings the jazz of yesteryear into a modern age. The New York City-based singer creates an amalgamation of blues, jazz and soul clad with the sensual vocal stylizing of Nancy Wilson as she synthesizes an intimate atmosphere with nostalgic beauty. Earthy sensations mingle with ethereal dreams in the lyrical content making for a recording that expresses the multiple dimensions of the human soul.  Levy embraces the classic jazz spectrum in “Anxiety” illustrating an American swing palette that is reminiscent of vintage tunes composed by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Mercer. “I Don’t Want to Be in Love” is an upbeat romp with springy rhythmic grooves and horns that flare with sheer elation. The pop-fringed ballad “Everything Green” is helmed by gentle vocal strokes shrouded in a light sprinkle of keys and strings. The sunny tone of the horns in “A New Face” have an airy vibrancy carried along the wings of gliding keys while the smooth jazz ballad “Why Do I” conveys an introspective mood.

The sparse instrumentation of “A Better Day” is chiseled in flouncy horns and trickling keys which flex a bluesy tone in “I’m Not Okay” as Levy’s vocals progress in waves of suavely driven struts which bring out the woeful state expressed in the lyrical content. An acceptance of fate is conveyed as Levy nurses a deep sadness, “I’m not okay and I never will be / I’m not okay and that’s okay with me / Don’t be a fool and try to save me / I’d rather sit and live the blues God gave me.” Levy sings as though the sorrow is being drowned in gallons of libation. The slow rhythm of “Clear-Eyed Tango” transitions into an Argentine tango preening a gypsy-like shimmy in the zigzagging notes of the strings. The romantic ambiance of the title track is sparked by atmospheric guitar chords and dripping keys as Levy’s vocals purvey a soft simmer reflective of Sara Barielles traveling into the smooth winding ballad of “Our Lullaby.” The pop ballad “The Duet” closes the album looming soft bass notes around Levy’s vocals as gently twinkling keys are entwined in violin swirls creating delicate silhouettes along the track. The frolicking cantor of Levy’s vocals is expressive sharing the impulsive nature of Regina Spektor to improvise along the vocal melody. The songs, though exemplary of classic jazz standards, are modern anthems sharing thoughts of personal conflicts and introspective feelings. Her connection with blues, jazz, swing, and soul creates an intimacy with audiences that is genuine and bridges classic jazz with a modern age. ~  Susan Frances  https://www.axs.com/album-review-lonely-city-from-allegra-levy-27671

Personnel:  Allegra Levy – vocals, Richie Barshay – drums, Jorge Roeder – bass, Adam Kolker – tenor saxophone, Steve Cardenes – guitar, John Bailey – trumpet, Carmen Staaf – piano, Mark Feldman – violin

Lonely City

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Chuck Mangione - Everything For Love

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:34
Size: 149,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:10)  1. Peggy Hill
(7:08)  2. Slo Ro
(7:02)  3. Amazing Grace
(6:18)  4. Seoul Sister
(7:48)  5. Viola
(4:14)  6. Fox Hunt
(6:33)  7. Annalise
(6:00)  8. I Do Everything For Love
(6:29)  9. Papa Mangione
(6:50) 10. Freddie's Walkin'

Chuck Mangione, the famed flugelhornist and trumpeter fills his first recording of the 21st century with some wonderfully subdued love songs whose subtle, intimate qualities may surprise those of his fans who best know his boisterous pop hits. More than simply expressing a romantic boy-girl kind of love, Mangione is playing gentle, atmospheric jazz for a wide variety of special people, real and animated. And there is no doubt that the truest love here is that between the artist and some of his old bandmates; saxman Gerry Niewood played with Mangione from 1968 through the mid-'70s, while guitarist Grant Geissman (showing a rich, traditional jazz depth only hinted at on most of his smooth jazz efforts) and bassist Charles Meeks were there during Mangione's late '70s pop heyday. "Slo Ro," dedicated to Mangione's wife, is a moody reflection piece led by a drifting muted trumpet and the bluesy duality of Niewood's smoky tenor and Allen's keys. A seven-minute meditative version of "Amazing Grace" begins as a quiet, prayer-like duet between Mangione and Geissman, who switches partway through from the Wes sound to an electric rock axe for an edgy solo; then, Allen's organ solo takes this very spiritual rendition to church before Niewood chimes in with a sweet flute solo. Within each song, there are moments when Pellegrini's drums kick the softness up a few notches, and the peppery horn playing on "Fox Hunt" and the clapping percussion on the Latin-spiced "I Do Everything for Love" show a more playful side than Mangione displays elsewhere. Fans who know Mangione's whole career will see this as a fine addition to his jazz catalog; those who want more pop hits will be surprised at the low-key nature of the project. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/everything-for-love-mw0000104126

Personnel: Chuck Mangione (trumpet, flugelhorn); Charles Meeks (vocals, electric bass); Gerry Niewood (soprano & tenor saxophones); Corey Allen, Tim Regusis (keyboards); Grant Geissman (acoustic & electric guitars); Darryl Pellegrini (drums); Paulette McWilliams, Cindy Mizelle (background vocals).

Everything For Love

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Kirk Knuffke - Amnesia Brown

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:11
Size: 139,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. How It Goes
(2:31)  2. Double
(3:29)  3. Level
(3:47)  4. Amnesia Brown
(2:52)  5. 2nd
(1:55)  6. Read Bag
(4:19)  7. Leadbelly
(3:12)  8. Practical Sampling
(3:31)  9. Hears It
(4:54) 10. Totem
(3:26) 11. Need
(3:38) 12. Fix It, Charlie
(2:46) 13. High-Pants Bob
(3:14) 14. Narrative
(3:03) 15. Please Help, Please Give
(3:04) 16. Anne

Brooklyn-based trumpeter Kirk Knuffke's sophomore effort, Amnesia Brown is a far more esoteric affair than his conventional piano-less quartet debut, Big Wig (Clean Feed, 2008). Eschewing a traditional rhythm section, Knuffke is joined by fellow members of Butch Morris' Nublu Orchestra legendary Downtown stalwarts Doug Wieselman (on clarinet and electric guitar) and drummer Kenny Wollesen. Through sixteen brief cuts, the trio waxes and wanes from contemplative to impassioned, bounding effortlessly from one mood to the next. Swinging without constraint, Knuffke's trio ignores the conventions of free-bop hegemony, moving beyond the stylistic antecedents of his previous release, invoking not only the innovations of the New Thing and AACM, but genres beyond jazz as well. Generating a surprising level of timbral diversity from a limited palette, Knuffke, Wieselman, and Wollesen veer from the chamber music-like austerity of "Narrative" to the raucous futuristic rockabilly of "Fix it, Charlie."

Wieselman's approach towards his choice of instrument often dictates the trio's tenor; his clarinet can be mellifluous and lyrical ("Need"), or strident and caterwauling ("High-pants Bob"). His amplified fretwork tends to be more abrasive, coloring "Red Bag" with coruscating shards, but he is also prone towards reverb-laced twang, used to good effect on the surf-inflected "Leadbelly." Knuffke's warm tone and earthy phrasing provides a stimulating contrast to Wieselman's skronky guitar, while transparently knitting with his pliant clarinet cadences. Wollesen proves his rhythmic ingenuity without a bassist, fulfilling the role of both time-keeper and melodic colorist. Although the tunes are brief (three minutes on average) the trio manages to pack a significant number of ideas into each of these miniatures more than some artists fit into an entire album. The title track and "Leadbelly" are stellar examples of the trio's ability to integrate inventive, succinct improvisations into memorable themes. Showcasing their diversity, "Please Help, Please Give" serves as the dissonant flipside to the album's tender closer, the romantic and sentimental ballad "Anne." Referring to a bizarre family incident involving his great grandfather from many years ago, Amnesia Brown is appropriately disjointed, but compositionally astute, revealing an expansive worldview encapsulated in microcosmic fragments. ~ Troy Collins https://www.allaboutjazz.com/amnesia-brown-kirk-knuffke-clean-feed-records-review-by-troy-collins.php

Personnel: Kirk Knuffke: trumpet; Doug Wieselman: clarinet and guitar; Kenny Wollesen: drums.

Amnesia Brown

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Steve Gadd And Friends - Live At Voce

Styles: Crossover Jazz, Fusion
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:44
Size: 178,5 MB
Art: Front

( 9:10)  1. Watching The River Flow
( 7:36)  2. Way Back Home
( 8:20)  3. Undecided
(10:29)  4. Bye Bye Blackbird
(11:45)  5. Them Changes
( 6:04)  6. Georgia On My Mind
( 8:55)  7. Back At The Chicken Shack
( 8:57)  8. Sister Sadie
( 2:23)  9. Here I Am Now
( 3:59) 10. Down

In 2009, veteran pop and jazz session drummer Steve Gadd hosted a rare club date that has resulted in an even rarer recording under his own name. On Live at Voce, Gadd fronts a jazz quartet also including Joey DeFrancesco (organ and trumpet), Ronnie Cuber (baritone saxophone), and Paul Bollenbeck (guitar). They turn in a hard bop blowing session that finds them giving jazzy readings to pop songs like Bob Dylan's "Watching the River Flow." An obvious choice, and the album's longest track at 11:45, is a version of Buddy Miles' "Them Changes" that Gadd begins with his characteristic brushes-on-tom-toms sound before it turns into a horn challenge between Cuber and a muted DeFrancesco. These two dominate the solos throughout, whoever may be credited as leader. But Gadd does take the occasional solo, as does Bollenbeck. The players stretch the tracks out, often putting quotes from other songs in their leads, demonstrating their mastery of pop and jazz repertoire. 

This is not an album that is going to change jazz history or the career of Steve Gadd, but it sounds like it was fun to be in the club that night. [The deluxe edition of the album adds two tracks written and sung by Edie Brickell. Brickell's husband, Paul Simon, has employed Gadd frequently (that's him playing the signature snare part on "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," for instance), and she and Gadd have even formed a band, the Gaddabouts. Here, the two combine in a voice-and-drums version of the optimistic "Here I Am Now," while the more downcast "Down" boasts a fuller pop/rock arrangement. 

~ William Ruhlmann http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-voce-mw0002030417

Personnel:  Steve Gadd – drums;  Joey DeFrancesco - Hammond B3 organ, trumpet;  Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone;  Paul Bollenbeck - guitar

Live At Voce

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