Silky Denims: 12/12/16

Monday, December 12, 2016

Duke Jordan - Beauty Of Scandinavia

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:41
Size: 127.5 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2004/2011
Art: Front

[6:30] 1. Dear Old Stockholm
[6:50] 2. Midnight Sun
[6:40] 3. Night Train From Snekkersten
[4:23] 4. Chateau Ed Suede
[5:02] 5. The Midnight Sun Will Never Set
[3:43] 6. When You Wish Upon A Star
[2:33] 7. Gule Blomster (Yellow Flower)
[4:17] 8. Misty Thursday
[5:59] 9. What Is Wrong
[5:30] 10. Sweet Meat
[4:08] 11. Sultry Eve

Duke Jordan (piano); Jesper Lundgaard (bass,electric bass); Ed Thigpen (drums). Recorded at Eazy Sound Recording, Copenhagen, Denmark, on August 25 & 26, 1995.

Beauty of Scandinavia is Duke Jordan's musical love letter to the region he called home for the latter part of his life. A long-time resident of Copenhagen, Denmark, he recorded many beatutiful albums for European and Japanese labels such as SteepleChase, Marshmallow and Videoarts.

The program consists of famous Scandinavian traditionals ("Dear Old Stockholm"), songs inspired by the region ("Midnight Sun," "Midnight Sun Will Never Set") and Jordan's attractive originals. His fellow American expat living in Denmark, the great drummer Ed Thigpen contributed one original ("Yellow Flower") as well. With the strong support from Thigpen and the great bassist Jesper Lundgaard, this album became an instant classic. Recommended!

Beauty Of Scandinavia

Alex Bugnon - Soul Purpose

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:28
Size: 127.0 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Contemporary jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[4:15] 1. Around 12:15 Am
[3:53] 2. Walking In Rhythm
[4:07] 3. Rio.Com
[4:24] 4. Night Groove
[4:08] 5. Sunset Over Manhattan
[4:07] 6. Faraway
[0:58] 7. Giant Steps
[4:03] 8. Love Song # 2
[4:29] 9. Soul Purpose
[4:17] 10. Strollin'
[3:49] 11. Ewf
[4:05] 12. Changes
[4:06] 13. Can't Get You Out Of My Mind
[4:43] 14. In A Sentimental Mood

Alex Bugnon displays a variety of influences on Soul Purpose, his second album to be marketed as a contemporary jazz release. The title track, as its name suggests, borrows from '60s Memphis soul, even if much of it is played on synthesizers. In his sleeve note for "EWF," he writes, "Learning every Earth, Wind & Fire song was a big part of my musical education." Actually, that tune doesn't sound much like Earth, Wind & Fire, but "Rio.com" (nominally a Brazilian number) and "Changes" certainly do, though Bugnon smoothes out the band's familiar funk rhythms. He attempts to show off his jazz chops on a cover of John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" that sounds more like a studio goof, lasting only a minute, but his version of Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood" actually shows reverence. These differing genre exercises are the most notable aspects of the album, but they really just provide variety to what is otherwise a fairly pedestrian set of contemporary jazz pieces. As is de rigueur for the genre, a steady, smooth-but-slightly-funky rhythm track underlies a couple of repetitive melodic patterns on each song, over which Bugnon solos on acoustic piano, sometimes adding a Hammond B-3 organ or Fender Rhodes track. His improvisations have narrow limits, and the pieces simply roll along for about four minutes each before fading out. A couple ("Around 12:15 AM," "Can't Get You out of My Mind") have rudimentary vocals consisting of a line or two. It's a formula designed to appeal to smooth jazz radio and is as anonymous as most of what is played on such stations. The Ellington track indicates Bugnon is capable of more, but the blander stuff no doubt pays the bills. ~William Ruhlmann

Soul Purpose

Sergio Mendes & The New Brasil 77 - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:52
Size: 73.0 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Jazz-Funk
Year: 1977
Art: Front

[3:25] 1. Love Me Tomorrow
[3:31] 2. Love City
[3:00] 3. Mozambique
[3:43] 4. If You Leave Me Now
[2:12] 5. Penninsula
[3:30] 6. Why
[4:43] 7. The Real Thing
[3:55] 8. P-Ka-Boo
[3:50] 9. Life

A great, funky album from Sergio, featuring some standout tunes, notably his Stevie Wonder-penned minor hit "The Real Thing," which got a lot of airplay in some markets but which sadly failed to crack the Top 40. There are also great reworkings of Chicago's "If You Leave Me Now" and the gorgeous "Why" co-written by Michael Sembello, both of which introduce some Quarteto em Cy harmonies into the Mendes vocal palette, something he would continue to exploit for the rest of his 70s Elektra output. This was Sergio's group with two drummers, on top of his usual battery of percussion, and the rhythm arrangements positively crackle with energy. Highly recommended. ~JMK

Sergio Mendes & The New Brasil 77

Red Garland - I Left My Heart...

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:09
Size: 87.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1999/2003
Art: Front

[5:48] 1. Will You Still Be Mine
[6:09] 2. Please Send Me Someone To Love
[6:26] 3. Bye Bye Blackbird
[5:52] 4. Body And Soul
[8:22] 5. Bags' Groove
[5:29] 6. I Left My Heart In San Francisco

Alto Saxophone – Leo Wright; Bass – Chris Amberger; Drums – Eddie Moore; Piano – Red Garland. Recorded live at Keystone Korner, San Francisco, May 1978; originally released on Muse 5311.

Recorded during pianist Red Garland's final period, this enjoyable outing (a Muse LP) has three trio numbers by Garland with bassist Chris Amberger and drummer Eddie Moore plus three selections that add altoist Leo Wright to make the group a quartet. Garland's style was unchanged from the '50s, as he shows on "Will You Still Be Mine" and "Bye Bye Blackbird." Wright's portion of the date finds him playing lyrically on two ballads (including a surprise version of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco") and swinging on "Bag's Groove." The set was recorded live at San Francisco's Keystone Korner and was clearly a happy occasion. ~Scott Yanow

I Left My Heart...

Mal Waldron - Breaking New Ground

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:49
Size: 107,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:02) 1. Dans La Cuisine D'Alibi
(6:51) 2. Suicide Is Painless
(6:48) 3. After the Love Has Gone
(2:49) 4. Beat It
(4:49) 5. You Are the Sunshine of My Life
(6:55) 6. Gymnopedie #2
(5:15) 7. Everything Must Change
(6:17) 8. Thy Freedom Come

Mal Waldron's Breaking New Ground is an abrupt departure for the pianist. Normally focusing on his own compositions, these 1983 trio sessions with Reggie Workman and Ed Blackwell find him mining current pop songs, including a novel approach to "You Are the Sunshine of My Life," and a rather tedious rendition of "Beat It." The moody setting of "Everything Must Change" benefits from Waldron's typically dark chords, while French Impressionist Erik Satie's "Gympnopedie #2" is initially interpreted as a very deliberate solo, with Workman gradually working in some sporadic fills. Johnny Mandel's "Suicide Is Painless" (also known as "Theme from M*A*S*H") was a favorite of pianist Bill Evans, but Waldron opts to approach this darkly comic ballad as an intense post-bop cooker instead. The leader's sole original is the loping opener "Dans La Cuisine d'Alibi," which ends up sounding like a closing theme from a detective film. This CD may startle Waldron's fans a bit, but it proves that he was open to new ideas. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/breaking-new-ground-mw0000188874

Personnel: Mal Waldron — piano; Reggie Workman — bass; Ed Blackwell — drums

Breaking New Ground

Laverne Butler - Day Dreamin'

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:30
Size: 106,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:41) 1. Friday Afternoon
(3:24) 2. Love Me
(2:49) 3. The Happy Song
(4:19) 4. Little Girl Blue
(4:21) 5. When Your Lover Has Gone
(5:08) 6. Let Your Tears Hang Out
(4:14) 7. Gonna Give Lovin' A Try
(5:37) 8. For the Love of You
(3:41) 9. Day Dreaming
(4:59) 10. Photograph
(3:10) 11. Two Different Worlds

With LaVerne Butler having provided so much passionate, intense hard bop on her debut album, No Looking Back, it came as quite a surprise when the singer took a more mellow and laidback approach on her second album, Day Dreamin', which was devoid of loud horn solos and found her joined by an intimate piano trio. Not thrilled to hear Butler interpreting songs by the Isley Brothers and Aretha Franklin, some jazz purists dismissed the CD as lightweight quiet storm music and argued that Butler should have stuck with standards and hard bop. But in fact, Day Dreamin' has a lot going for it. By choosing less obvious material, Butler was taking chances, and they pay off handsomely. The Isleys' "For the Love of You" and Franklin's "Day Dreamin'" work well in an acoustic jazz setting, as does Brazilian singer Dori Caymmi's "Photograph." This CD can function as mood music, but it's personal, heartfelt mood music that is as rewarding as it is thoughtful. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/day-dreamin-mw0000119633

Personnel: LaVerne Butler (vocals); Peter Bernstein (guitar); Rob Bargad (piano); Mark Sherman (vibraphone); Gregory Hutchinson (drums); Daniel Sadownick (percussion).

Day Dreamin'

John Mcneil - Embarkation

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 47:35
Size: 76,3 MB
Art: Front

( 9:41) 1. Greenwich
(10:36) 2. Out
( 7:55) 3. Blue Samba
( 6:35) 4. But Now...
( 6:33) 5. Sea Breeze
( 6:14) 6. Everything I Love

John McNeil grew up in Yreka, CA. The little town off of I-5 wasn't exactly brimming with musical knowledge, but the tenacious McNeil still taught himself trumpet and learned to read music on his own. By his late teens the young trumpeter was playing in combos throughout Northern California; by the mid-'70s he was freelancing in New York City and gaining a reputation as an innovative, lyrical player. He performed with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra at the Village Vanguard, and led his own groups at various area clubs. By the latter part of the decade, McNeil had joined the Horace Silver Quartet and secured a solo contract with SteepleChase. The label issued a flurry of McNeil releases, including 1978's Embarkation and The Glass Room, Faun, and (with Tom Harrell) Look to the Sky in 1979. In the 1980s, the trumpeter continued to work as both a sideman and leader. He appeared as a soloist with Gerry Mulligan's band, and formed the John McNeil Trio/Quartet for 1983's I've Got the World on a String. He toured internationally, and was recognized by the contemporary jazz community as a go-to writer, arranger, and producer. McNeil went on to issue a series of critically acclaimed albums, including the Kenny Burger collaborations Hip Deep (1996, Brownstone) and Brooklyn Ritual (1998, Synergy). Released in 2001, Fortuity featured a few pop-inspired numbers, like a Latin-flavored interpretation of the Beatles' "I Will." The Latin influence continued with 2003's This Way Out (Omnitone), which McNeil recorded in Barcelona with tenor saxophonist Gorka Benitez and bassist Giulia Valle. The record was breezy, bold, and curious, and proved that McNeil's hunger for music hadn't diminished an iota from those days learning trumpet in the fields of Yreka. Since then, McNeil has kept busy releasing Sleep Won't Come in 2004, East Coast Cool in 2006, and Rediscovery in 2008. ~ Johnny Loftus https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/john-mcneil/id23880907#fullText

Personnel: Bass – Rufus Reid; Drums – Billy Hart; Piano – Joanne Brackeen; Tenor Saxophone – Bob Berg; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – John McNeil

Embarkation

Kim Bock - Secrets

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 65:22
Size: 120,2 MB
Art: Front

( 8:17) 1. Secrets
(10:22) 2. 65 Miles
( 6:01) 3. Pink
(12:05) 4. Cat in box
( 5:46) 5. One Out Of Nine
( 6:51) 6. I Never Knew
( 9:34) 7. Pivot Points
( 6:22) 8. Sepone

The angular compositions on Kim Bock’s second CD give his chordless quartet a broad, malleable space to play in. In a running dialogue, the Danish saxophonist and trumpeter David Smith sketch out structures in long arcs and then combine for piercing echoes or delicate counterpoint. The uptempo numbers gush, with drummer Peter Retzlaff agitating the rhythm into choppy waves while bassist Adam Armstrong creates swirls and eddies around him. On slower pieces, the band’s relaxed interplay gives the music a gentle, thoughtful pulse.~ Forrest Dylan Bryant http://jazztimes.com/articles/18904-secrets-kim-bock-quartet

Personnel: Bass – Adam Armstrong; Drums – Peter Retzlaff; Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Composed By – Kim Bock; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – David Smith

Secrets

Ross McHenry - Child Of Somebody

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:59
Size: 119,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:31) 1. Opening / Despair
(4:39) 2. Stateless
(4:59) 3. Sketch
(2:16) 4. Interlude 1
(6:20) 5. 3-Month Vortex
(1:04) 6. Child of Somebody Intro
(5:48) 7. Child of Somebody
(0:41) 8. Interlude 2
(9:24) 9. Circles in a Circle
(1:09) 10. Interlude 3
(4:10) 11. Clean Break (For Ornette)
(3:54) 12. Little One

Child of Somebody is the new album from multi-award winning composer, producer and bass player Ross McHenry. Known for his work as bandleader of The Shaolin Afronauts as well as his 2013 First Word release ‘Distant Oceans’, Ross has been described as “The Future of Australian Jazz” (PBS FM) The album was recorded at Red Bull Studios in New York in mid-2015 alongside regular collaborators Mark de Clive Lowe, Myele Manzanza and Dylan Marshall as well as seasoned NYC players Marcus Strickland, Corey King, Tivon Pennicott and Duane Eubanks. The resulting album represents the arrival of a unique antipodean voice in modern jazz; one that sits comfortably alongside artists like Kamasi Washington and The Robert Glasper Experiment at the vanguard of contemporary improvised music. Child of Somebody is more than just a collection of compositions; it is an album in the truest sense. Thematically inspired by the world events that have dominated our headlines over the last 12 months this new body of work clearly represents an artistic and compositional progression since the release of Distant Oceans in 2013. “I wanted to create an album that drew on sonically on the template of Distant Oceans but that was harmonically and melodically more ambitious. The album captures my thoughts and feelings at a time where our world is rapidly transitioning towards a future that we are unable to fully envisage but that we are a part of whether we like it or not. It’s an album about the choices we make as individuals and as communities and the intensely personal way we experience the world around us. I feel that as artists we have a responsibility to reflect honestly on the way we see the world.” Having recently completed an Australian national tour that included supporting Robert Glasper at the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Ross will be touring the world in the second half of 2016 in support of this album release look out for dates in the coming weeks. https://rossmchenry.bandcamp.com/album/child-of-somebody

Brilliant work from bassist Ross McHenry, a musician who's chosen to surround himself with some top-shelf talent here including Mark De Clive-Lowe on keyboards, Marcus Strickland on reeds, and Duane Eubanks on trumpet and flugelhorn! These all-star players are a real tribute to the musical vision that Ross has for the set kind of an expanded suite of tracks that works together beautifully in these cascading rhythmic flows and bursts of color not just sounds from the stars, but also contributions from Dylan Marshall on guitar, Tivon Pennicott on tenor and flute, and Corey King on trombone plus beautifully snapping drums from Myele Manzanza, a musician who seems especially well-suited to the electric interplay between McHenry and Clive-Lowe.

Child Of Somebody