Rich Perry & Harold Danko - Rhapsody

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:52
Size: 151,2 MB
Art:

(7:13)  1. I Hear a Rhapsody
(6:42)  2. Soul Trane
(9:41)  3. Come Rain or Come Shine
(6:31)  4. Beautiful Love
(5:42)  5. Yesterdays
(7:33)  6. Autumn Leaves
(7:04)  7. Star Eyes
(6:57)  8. Like Somone in Love
(8:26)  9. Central Park West

Tenor saxophonist Rich Perry, who has been active on the jazz scene for several decades in a variety of settings, is the common factor between these two top shelf recordings. The first is a duo date with veteran pianist Harold Danko; the latter features Perry as a member of drummer Christian Finger's international band. Rhapsody is a very appropriate title for the duo meeting of Perry and Danko. The two men, who first played together in the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra and have since worked together on many small group recording sessions - typically quartet or duo dates - have no qualms about working their magic on seven of the most frequently played standards. There is no showboating at all, just imaginative yet restrained improvisations upon these familiar themes that never venture too far from the original melodies, even songs like "Star Eyes that all too often seem to be played on autopilot. No matter who is in the lead, the backing musician provides the perfect accompaniment. 

Perry's mature tone, while it may not be easily recognizable to many listeners in a blindfold test, is not overly influenced by any one tenor saxophone great. Danko has never sounded better as an accompanist, finding just the right chords behind Perry every time. They also add two familiar (if less frequently performed) compositions: a soft, moving take of Tadd Dameron's "Soultrane and a lush, subdued finale of John Coltrane's "Central Park West that suggests a quiet Manhattan evening after everyone has turned in for the night. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allaboutjazz.com/rich-perry-rhapsody-and-merge-into-beauty-by-ken-dryden.php

Personnel: Rich Perry: tenor sax; Harold Danko; piano.

Rhapsody

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Molly Johnson - If You Know Love

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:40
Size: 119,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:47)  1. If You Know Love
(4:29)  2. Let's Waste Some Time
(3:39)  3. Tristes Souvenirs
(4:44)  4. Let's Do it
(4:20)  5. Sticks and Stones
(4:01)  6. Rain
(3:17)  7. Streets of Philadelphia
(3:48)  8. Sunday
(3:36)  9. Messin' Around
(3:18) 10. Tonight
(3:25) 11. But Not for Me
(4:45) 12. Northern Star
(3:25) 13. Avignon Blues

Heavily influenced by Billie Holiday, If You Know Love is the French edition of bohemian retro-jazz vocalist Molly Johnson's third studio album, Messin' Around. The 2007 release includes 11 of the twelve original tracks (her cover of Prince's "Tangerine" is omitted), while two previously unreleased songs, a cover of Cole Porter's "Let's Do It" and "Avignon Blues" appear in its place. The Toronto singer's follow-up to Another Day also features a reworking of Bruce Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia" alongside several original compositions co-written with Steven MacKinnon, including the lead single, "Rain."~ Jon O’Brien http://www.allmusic.com/album/if-you-know-love-mw0001539401

If You Know Love

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Jed Levy - Rain

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:36
Size: 162,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:07)  1. Stomp In F Sharp Minor
(7:15)  2. Step Waltz
(5:47)  3. Make Someone Happy
(9:34)  4. Rain
(6:47)  5. Cry Me A River
(6:29)  6. The Producer
(8:13)  7. Reflections
(6:02)  8. The Q
(9:18)  9. Fran Dance
(5:58) 10. P.T. Blues

Saxophonist Jed Levy has been a mainstay on the New York jazz scene for over 20 years. In addition to performing and recording as a leader, he has had long standing working relationships with such jazz luminaries as Jaki Byard (a musical mentor, 3 recordings and countless performances), Don Patterson, Jack McDuff (valuable road experience), Ron McClure (2 CDs and ongoing performances), and Headhunters drummer Mike Clark (2 CD's and new projects in the works.)  He has also been fortunate to have worked with, Junior Mance, Eddie Henderson, Jack Walrath,The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Shirley Scott, Kevin Mahogany, Gene Bertoncini,Don Friedman,Cedar Walton, Curtis Fuller, Chico O'Farrill, Attilla Zollar, Groove Holmes, Tom Harrell, and many others. Levy has toured Japan as a leader and appeared at several international jazz festivals as well as leading bands at such New York venues as Sweet Basil, Blue Note, Birdland, Visiones and Zinno. Diversity has been the key to Levy's success on the New York scene. A recent week found him moving from a concert with the Cab Calloway Orchestra to a night with Mike Clark and Charley Hunter at the Knitting Factory, to the Apollo Theater with the Temptations and the Four Tops, to Birdland with Chico O'Farill's Afro Cuban Orchestra. In his presentations as a leader, as well as in his compositions, Levy tries to incorporate these varied musical experiences. His compositions have been recorded by such artists as the Headhunters, Don Friedman, Eddie Henderson, and Mike Clark. His CD's "Mood Ellington", "Gateway" and "Evans Explorations " on Steeplechase are receiving critical acclaim. http://www.jedlevy.com/

What critics say of Jed Levy
-from the All About Jazz review of "Evans Explorations"Jed Levy has set for himself in his explorations of a piece of the Evans digest using his tenor trio is a daunting one. Levy succeeds remarkably well through his own impressionistic gentle touch, Francois Moutin's up-in-the-mix yet perceptively sensitive bass and the drumming of Evans grad Eliot Zigmund.

-from the All About Jazz review of "Gateway" Jed Levy, as demonstrated on the most attractive Gateway, lives in the mainstream world, but one that is filled with unexpected twists and turns while bringing together musicians who had never played together as a quartet.

-from the Jazz Times.com review of "Mood Ellington":  Tenorist/flutist Jed Levy's Mood Ellington can be both admired and enjoyed for its imaginative reworkings of some lesser-known Duke Ellington compositions, all performed with skill and affection by a stellar quintet.

-from the Montreal Mirror Review of "Mood Ellington" 10/10:  Tenorman Levy comes up with one of the greatest Ellington CDs in recent memory, including compositions like "Neo Hip Hot Cool Kiddies Community" from Duke's suite "The River?" and "Circle of Fourths," inspired by the Bard. It's also a great introduction to pianist Bill Mays.

-from Penguin Guide to Jazz, a review of "Round and Round":  "Jed's playing, though, is again tremendous.  He powers through themes and solos in a way which ought to seem bland, in terms of the steely confidence of the execution, yet its nothing but full-throated enjoyment.  The sort of record which empowers the jazz-repertory tradition without troubling to make any statements at all. 
  
- from Jazz Review  review of "Round and Round": "The first thing to notice about this fine album is what a lot of sax playing you get for your money.  Jed Levy's tenor is unstoppable: the music flow out the horn in torrents."  

-from the Penguin Guide to Jazz's review of "Sleight of Hand": "Very impressive and about as inventive a departure from the standard tenor-and-rhythm conventions as one can hope for.  Levy's broad-shouldered tone and confident delivery give him the kind of full-on swing one associates with an earlier generation, but he's soaked in bebop and hard-bop practice."   

Personnel:   Jed Levy (ts);  George Colligan (p);  Ron McClure (b); Adam Nusbaum(ds).

Rain

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The Claus Ogerman Orchestra - Gate of Dreams

Styles: Big Band, Jazz-Funk 
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:07
Size: 85,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:10)  1. Time Passed Autumn (Part I)
(2:48)  2. Time Passed Autumn (Interlude and Part II)
(4:52)  3. Time Passed Autumn (Part III)
(4:48)  4. Caprice
(2:58)  5. Air Antique
(8:14)  6. Night Will Fall
(2:32)  7. Night Will Fall (Interlude and Conclusion)
(6:42)  8. A Sketch of Eden

Pictured on the back of the album dragging on what looks like a small cigar deep in thought, the moment captured above, that’s where the listener is too, the shimmering strings of ‘Time Passed Autumn’ still and contemplative at the beginning: in a Gil Evans-like domain, the modal progressions moving along quite deliciously but gently until a kind of a light funky jazz rock guitar solo jolts you out of your reverie. Gate of Dreams can and does overegg the pudding in terms of what might almost be jazz-rock symphonic flourishes or what now seems generic movie score touches, but it’s hard not to get sucked in to mondo Ogerman the composer an expert at narrative development via his captivating arranging style. The orchestra also includes some extraordinary players, Michael Brecker and John Guerin among them, heard in a different context to the jazz-rock and funk of the day. It’s interesting that this year has seen the reissue of Keith Jarrett’s Arbour Zena recorded in 1975. Listen to ‘Runes’ and then the beginning of ‘Time Passed Autumn Part 1’ and there’s a striking continuum in the strings at least although Arbour Zena eventually develops along more experimental chamber jazz lines and Gate of Dreams is a warmer sound certainly tonally. On balance the ‘Time Passed’ sequence is where the best moments are to be found; the later ‘Night Will Fall’ sections are maybe just that bit too corny for complete enjoyment. SG  http://www.marlbank.net/reviews/1670-the-claus-ogerman-orchestra-gate-of-dreams-warner-bros.html

Gate of Dreams

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