Jimmy Witherspoon - With The Junior Mance Trio

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:23
Size: 85.6 MB
Styles: Urban blues, Jazz-blues vocals
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[0:23] 1. Intro
[2:16] 2. Lowdown Dirty Blues
[4:07] 3. Cal It Stormy Monday
[3:01] 4. Kansas City
[2:55] 5. Trouble In Mind
[3:12] 6. Times Getting' Tougher Than Tough
[4:16] 7. Ain't Nobody's Business
[2:54] 8. I'm Gonna Move To The Outskirts Of Town
[4:10] 9. Going Down Slow
[3:19] 10. Roll Em' Pete
[6:46] 11. No Rollin' Blues

With a voice as tasty as grandma's cooking, Witherspoon hit the 1940s running and had a series of hit records. The Blues that burst out of him were tinged with a weary sense of loss: he roared but it was almost a quiet roar. By the mid-'50s, he was considered all washed up. He started recording with a series of jazz greats such as Ben Webster, Richard Groove Holmes, and Buck Clayton. It was a move that did more than just revive his career: his music was better than ever. Witherspoon's intense delivery is so powerful that he can lay out during long solos and his presence can still be felt. More soul is found in his music than in a cemetery. He left that soul with us when he finally lost his long battle with throat cancer in '97. He was singing until the end.

With The Junior Mance Trio

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Pete Christlieb with the Lori Mechem Quartet - Live At The Jazz Cave

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:04
Size: 158.1 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[5:29] 1. Yours Is My Heart Alone
[9:08] 2. Limehouse Blues
[8:51] 3. You've Changed
[8:27] 4. When Lights Are Low
[5:52] 5. Turn Out The Stars
[5:54] 6. Only Trust Your Heart
[9:19] 7. We'll Be Together Again
[7:23] 8. The Song Is You
[8:36] 9. Day Dream

Pete Christlieb: tenor sax; Lori Mechem: piano; Andy Reiss: guitar; Roger Spencer: bass; Chris Brown: drums.

I fell head-over-heels in love with the tenor saxophone the first time I heard Zoot Sims play one, and my heart (thank goodness) has never quite recovered from the impact. These days I have two tenors of choice, one on each coast—Eric Alexander in the east, Pete Christlieb way out west. And the strange part is, about the only thing they have in common is that they both play the same horn. Alexander is a hard-line, straight-ahead, no-nonsense swinger from the Dexter Gordon/George Coleman (and Zoot Sims) school, whereas Christlieb dances nimbly and impulsively "on the edge, much like altoist Lee Konitz or the late Warne Marsh, and one seldom knows what avenue he may choose to explore or where the next phrase may lead him. Truth be told, Christlieb could play the phone book and make it sound intriguing.

Christlieb doesn't play the phone book at the Nashville Jazz Workshop's Jazz Cave, but he's all over the tenor, as usual, in an electrifying live performance with the remarkably adept and supportive Lori Mechem Quartet. While there's no doubt that Christlieb is the headliner, Mechem and her colleagues are there when he needs them, conveying the impression that this was a well-rehearsed gig instead of a hastily planned session, occasioned by Christlieb's brief stopover in Nashville in April 2006. Mechem, in particular, is a real eye-opener. What a pianist with her singular talent is doing in Nashville is anyone's guess, but they're lucky to have her. She's not only an impressive soloist (who numbers among her influences Wynton Kelly, Oscar Peterson, Gene Harris, Monty Alexander, Erroll Garner and Bill Evans), but a vigilant and perceptive accompanist who always finds the proper notes to underscore precisely Christlieb's impromptu acrobatics. Bassist Roger Spencer, drummer Chris Brown and rhythm guitarist Andy Reiss round out a splendid group that is by no means eclipsed or overawed by its celebrated guest star.

The music chosen for the concert is for the most part well-known, consisting of half a dozen standards plus jazz evergreens by Evans ("Turn Out the Stars ) and Benny Carter ("When Lights Are Low, "Only Trust Your Heart"). Luckily, Christlieb is a peerless balladeer, as there are four on the menu, including the requisite encore, Ellington/Strayhorn's "Day Dream. The snappy flag-wavers are Jerome Kern/Oscar Hammerstein's "The Song Is You and Franz Lehar's sunny opener, "Yours Is My Heart Alone. Speaking of alone, Christlieb devises a breathtaking unaccompanied cadenza on "We'll Be Together Again. In sum, this is a marvelous live performance, splendidly recorded with generous sixty-nine minute playing time. Don't be put off by the fact that Christlieb's companions are unknown; this is as sharp and stalwart a quintet as you are likely to encounter in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago or anywhere else. ~Jack Bowers

Live At The Jazz Cave

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Polly Bergen - Something Wonderful

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:45
Size: 70.4 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[2:37] 1. By Myself
[2:17] 2. Something Wonderful
[2:48] 3. All Alone
[3:09] 4. It's Easy To Remember
[2:53] 5. Glad To Be Unhappy
[2:35] 6. When The Wind Was Green
[2:09] 7. I'm Glad There Is You
[2:44] 8. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
[2:25] 9. Spring Is Here
[2:05] 10. He Didn't Call
[2:30] 11. Too Late Now
[2:29] 12. Not Like Me

Actress/singer Polly Bergen was born July 14, 1930 in Knoxville, TN, making her radio debut at the age of 14 and honing her craft on the summer stock circuit before journeying to Hollywood in 1949. She soon made her feature debut in Across the Rio Grande, quickly followed by roles in no less than three Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis comedies -- At War with the Army, That's My Boy and The Stooge. Increasing dissatisfaction with the roles coming her way prompted Bergen to walk away from a lucrative movie contract in 1953, however, and she soon made her Broadway debut in the revue John Murray Anderson's Almanac; upon recovering from throat surgery, two years later she also recorded her self-titled debut LP for Jubilee, followed later that year by Little Girl Blue. She jumped to Columbia for 1957's Bergen Sings Morgan, and continued recording for the label until the early 1960s; in the meantime she also maintained her stage career, additionally finding success in the business world through a series of ventures including Polly Bergen Cosmetics, Polly Bergen Jewelry and Polly Bergen Shoes. In 1960, she also authored the first of three books, Fashion and Charm. Bergen returned to film in the 1961 noir classic Cape Fear, although in the decades she was perhaps best known for her many television appearances, including a starring role in the 1983 miniseries The Winds of War and its 1988 sequel War and Remembrance. ~ Jason Ankeny

Something Wonderful

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Chet Atkins - Travelin'

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:59
Size: 71.0 MB
Styles: Country
Year: 1963/2015
Art: Front

[2:28] 1. Wheels
[2:56] 2. Calcutta
[2:12] 3. La Dolce Vita
[3:14] 4. Exodus
[2:33] 5. Baubles, Bangles And Beads
[2:14] 6. Naboon Sprint Polka
[2:43] 7. Muskrat Ramble
[2:00] 8. Warm Patat
[2:40] 9. Volare
[2:24] 10. Mossie Se Moses
[2:21] 11. Sweetness
[3:09] 12. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise

Besides doing session work and helping to create the Nashville sound while at RCA, guitarist Chet Atkins cut many jazz- and pop-inflected country instrumental albums under his own name. After producing sides for country stars like Don Gibson, Connie Smith, and Eddy Arnold, Atkins would team up with pianist Floyd Cramer, tenor saxophonist Boots Randolph, and other RCA musicians to reel off smooth, but usually engaging, covers of everything from blues and schmaltzy standards to Beatles tunes. While often seen as no more than hokey, easy listening ephemera, Atkins' many sides from the '60s deserve a reassessment. The stellar jazz dates Atkins later did at Columbia may better showcase his jazz leanings, but these RCA discs still have a wealth of quality picking and a good share of top-drawer material. This time out, Atkins showcases music from around the world, mixing in warhorses like "Exodus" and "Volare" with nice surprises like Nino Rota's "La Dolce Vita." Of course, the album has a few overly glib and stiff moments but, in spite of the mire, the playing is always great. And even though it's out of print, Travelin' usually can be found for just a few dollars at your local vinyl emporium. ~Stephen Cook

Travelin'

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Ted Rosenthal Trio - Rhapsody In Gershwin

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:40
Size: 134.3 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[17:06] 1. Rhapsody In Blue
[ 4:52] 2. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
[ 5:53] 3. Fascinatin' Rhythm
[ 5:40] 4. I Loves You Porgy
[ 5:30] 5. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[ 6:06] 6. Strike Up The Band
[ 6:34] 7. Someone To Watch Over Me
[ 6:54] 8. Love Walked In

Ted Rosenthal: piano; Martin Wind: bass; Tim Horner: drums.

The glories of George Gershwin have been well-documented in jazz settings. In fact, many would argue that Gershwin's music has been done to death. So does the world really need another tribute to this iconic tunesmith? In theory, it does not. Supply and demand, and the very nature of saturation, would say that a more-than-sufficient dose of Gershwin has been given to the world, so it's time to move on. However, these principles have never applied to this type of art. When somebody has something valuable to add to the jazz canon, it doesn't matter if they're the first, tenth, hundredth, or thousandth person to essay a specific topic. Good art is good art, and Rhapsody In Gerswhin certainly qualifies under this measure.

For his fifteenth album as a leader, pianist Ted Rosenthal decided to dive into the Gershwin songbook, visiting oft-covered favorites with his trio mates—sensitive-and-swinging drummer Tim Horner and beautifully balanced bassist Martin Wind. Together, they reimagine what this music can be. This trio works at the balance point between expectations and possibilities. It gives Gershwin's melodies, harmonies and rhythms their due, but applies transformative touches to all of them. The seventeen-minute "Rhapsody In Blue" is the perfect example. All of the sweeping sections and elegant melodic strains are there, but transitory nature surrounds this interpretation as the trio swiftly cuts from idea to idea. Shifting roles, styles and ideas enliven this performance of an oh-so-familiar classic. The seven other songs on the album speak to sophistication and wit. "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" finds Rosenthal playing against and around the rhythm section, brilliantly avoiding the too-cute-by-half trap that so many versions of this song fall into. "Fascinatin' Rhythm" lives up to its name for a change, with quizzical call and response between Rosenthal and Horner, flowing streams of piano beneath Wind's arco melodies, and driving swing episodes. "I Loves You Porgy" is a mellow Bill Evans-ish beauty, "They Can't Take That Away From Me" finds Rosenthal and Wind in fine form, gliding atop the gilded swing of Horner, and Rosenthal's "Strike Up The Band" rewrite is rhythmically striking, moving from understated strolls to fast-and-furious sprints. The album then closes with a slowly drifting "Someone To Watch Over Me" and a lively "Love Walked In."

With Rhapsody In Gerswhin, Rosenthal reminds that single-mindedness in programming does not equate to one dimensional performances. Everything here might bear the trademark of George Gerswhin, but the multi-faceted nature of these performances is all about Rosenthal. ~Dan Bilawsky

Rhapsody In Gershwin

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Lester Young - Kansas City Swing

Styles: Saxophone And Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:55
Size: 167,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
(3:00)  2. Countless Blues
(2:59)  3. Them There Eyes
(2:53)  4. I Want A Little Girl
(2:57)  5. Pagin' The Devil
(4:12)  6. I Got Rhythm
(4:09)  7. I'm Fer It Too
(3:06)  8. Hello Babe
(3:06)  9. Linger Awhile
(3:14) 10. Just You Just Me
(3:11) 11. I Never Knew
(3:10) 12. Afternoon Of A Basie-ite
(3:07) 13. Sometimes I'm Happy
(4:44) 14. After Theatre Jump
(4:12) 15. Six Cats And A Prince
(4:28) 16. Lester Leaps Again
(3:53) 17. Destination KC
(2:55) 18. Three Little Words
(3:20) 19. Jo-Jo
(2:51) 20. Four O'Clock Drag
(3:18) 21. I Got Rhythm

Lester Young was one of the true jazz giants, a tenor saxophonist who came up with a completely different conception in which to play his horn, floating over bar lines with a light tone rather than adopting Coleman Hawkins' then-dominant forceful approach. A non-conformist, Young (nicknamed "Pres" by Billie Holiday) had the ironic experience in the 1950s of hearing many young tenors try to sound exactly like him. Although he spent his earliest days near New Orleans, Lester Young lived in Minneapolis by 1920, playing in a legendary family band. He studied violin, trumpet, and drums, starting on alto at age 13. Because he refused to tour in the South, Young left home in 1927 and instead toured with Art Bronson's Bostonians, switching to tenor. He was back with the family band in 1929 and then freelanced for a few years, playing with Walter Page's Blue Devils (1930), Eddie Barefield in 1931, back with the Blue Devils during 1932-1933, and Bennie Moten and King Oliver (both 1933). He was with Count Basie for the first time in 1934 but left to replace Coleman Hawkins with Fletcher Henderson. Unfortunately, it was expected that Young would try to emulate Hawk, and his laid-back sound angered Henderson's sidemen, resulting in Pres not lasting long. After a tour with Andy Kirk and a few brief jobs, Lester Young was back with Basie in 1936, just in time to star with the band as they headed East. Young made history during his years with Basie, not only participating on Count's record dates but starring with Billie Holiday and Teddy Wilson on a series of classic small-group sessions. In addition, on his rare recordings on clarinet with Basie and the Kansas City Six, Young displayed a very original cool sound that almost sounded like altoist Paul Desmond in the 1950s. After leaving Count in 1940, Young's career became a bit aimless, not capitalizing on his fame in the jazz world. He co-led a low-profile band with his brother, drummer Lee Young, in Los Angeles until re-joining Basie in December 1943. Young had a happy nine months back with the band, recorded a memorable quartet session with bassist Slam Stewart, and starred in the short film Jammin' the Blues before he was drafted. His experiences dealing with racism in the military were horrifying, affecting his mental state of mind for the remainder of his life.

Although many critics have written that Lester Young never sounded as good after getting out of the military, despite erratic health he actually was at his prime in the mid- to late-'40s. He toured (and was well paid by Norman Granz) with Jazz at the Philharmonic on and off through the '40s and '50s, made a wonderful series of recordings for Aladdin, and worked steadily as a single. Young also adopted his style well to bebop (which he had helped pave the way for in the 1930s). But mentally he was suffering, building a wall between himself and the outside world, and inventing his own colorful vocabulary. Although many of his recordings in the 1950s were excellent (showing a greater emotional depth than in his earlier days), Young was bothered by the fact that some of his white imitators were making much more money than he was. He drank huge amounts of liquor and nearly stopped eating, with predictable results. 1956's Jazz Giants album found him in peak form as did a well documented engagement in Washington, D.C., with a quartet and a last reunion with Count Basie at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival. But, for the 1957 telecast The Sound of Jazz, Young mostly played sitting down (although he stole the show with an emotional one-chorus blues solo played to Billie Holiday). After becoming ill in Paris in early 1959, Lester Young came home and essentially drank himself to death. Many decades after his death, Pres is still considered (along with Coleman Hawkins and John Coltrane) one of the three most important tenor saxophonists of all time. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lester-young-mn0000259529/biography

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Lester Young;   Double Bass – Al Hall, John Simmons, Rodney Richardson , Slam Stewart , Walter Page;  Drums – Jo Jones, Sidney Catlett;  Electric Guitar – Eddie Durham; Guitar – Freddie Green;  Piano – Ellis Larkins, Joe Bushkin, Johnny Guarnieri, Prince Charming;
Trombone – Dickie Wells;  Trumpet – Bill Coleman, Buck Clayton

Kansas City Swing

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Randy Weston - Plays Cole Porter In A Modern Mood

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:39
Size: 68,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Get Out of Town
(3:13)  2. I Get a Kick Out of You
(3:00)  3. I Love Her
(4:42)  4. In the Still of the Night
(4:31)  5. Just One of Those Things
(3:37)  6. Night and Day
(2:53)  7. What Is This Thing Called Love
(3:09)  8. I've Got You Under My Skin

Cole Porter tributes are a dime a dozen in the bop world. Although competently executed, many of them lack imagination. But back in 1954 -- when a 28-year-old Randy Weston recorded Randy Weston Plays Cole Porter in a Modern Mood saluting Porter wasn't an idea that beboppers had run into the ground and beaten to death. It was still an intriguing idea, and the element of intrigue is definitely present on this record (which contains Weston's first session as a leader). Forming a drumless duo with bassist Sam Gill, the pianist tackles eight well-known Porter standards. And he does it on his own terms, bringing a strong Thelonious Monk influence (with elements of Bud Powell) to angular performances of "I Love You," "Night and Day," and other favorites. Even in 1954, these standards had been recorded countless times by swing, pre-rock pop, and cabaret artists. But for a bebopper like Weston, Porter's songbook was still fertile ground. In the 1960s and 1970s, when Weston was exploring modal post-bop and incorporating elements of world music, some beboppers would become the stodgy, stuffy, cranky old conservatives who cursed anything having to with modal playing, avant-garde jazz or fusion. But in 1954, bop was still dangerous and cutting-edge (although it was more accepted than it had been in the 1940s). This Riverside LP was produced by Orrin Keepnews, which is appropriate because Keepnews worked with Monk extensively and understood an equally intellectual player like Weston. Not that Weston was ever a knee-jerk clone of Monk or anyone else; as Monk-minded as he was in 1954, he was still his own man. With Randy Weston Plays Cole Porter in a Modern Mood, the pianist's career as a leader was off to an impressive start. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/plays-cole-porter-in-a-modern-mood-mw0000876773

Personnel:  Randy Weston – piano;  Sam Gill - bass

Plays Cole Porter In A Modern

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Christian McBride - Conversations with Christian

Styles: Post-Bop, Straight-Ahead Jazz 

Year: 2011

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 76:27

Size: 175,2 MB

Art: Front

(4:21)  1. Afrika (feat. Angelique Kidjo)

(4:40)  2. Fat Bach and Greens (feat. Regina Carter)

(4:19)  3. Consider Me Gone (feat. Sting)

(6:18)  4. Guajeo Y Tumbao (feat. Eddie Palmieri)

(5:21)  5. Baubles, Bangles and Beads (feat. Roy Hargrove)

(7:07)  6. Spiritual (feat. Dr. Billy Taylor)

(5:09)  7. It's Your Thing (feat. Dee Dee Bridgewater)

(5:32)  8. Alone Together (feat. Hank Jones)

(5:35)  9. McDukey Blues (feat. George Duke)

(9:06) 10. Tango Improvisation #1 (feat. Chick Corea)

(6:39) 11. Sister Rosa (feat. Russell Malone)

(5:36) 12. Shake 'n Blake (feat. Ron Blake)

(6:39) 13. Chitilins and Gelitefish (feat. Gina Gershon)

Plenty of ink has been spilled by those espousing their opinions on the art of the trio, but the duo format doesn't get its due nearly as often either in print or on record. The trio format allows for various permutations in musical interaction, but pairing two artists together is all about direct, head-to-head conversation, and bassist Christian McBride knows a thing or two about this. While McBride has made a name for himself as a go-to bassist for all occasions and styles of music, his podcasts, Sirius-XM Radio Show (The Lowdown: Conversations With Christian McBride) and work as the co-director of The National Jazz Museum in Harlem have also shown the bassist to be an engaging presence in one-on-one games of the aural variety.  While McBride considered the idea of a duo record in the late '90s, he had other things on his mind at the time. Now, more than a decade later, he brings this concept to fruition with some help from thirteen A-list partners. Violinist Regina Carter joins the bassist for a baroque-meets-the-blues exploration of Johann Sebastian Bach's Double Violin Concerto ("Fat Bach And Greens"), vocal-pop icon Sting makes an appearance with guitar-in-hand on "Consider Me Gone," McBride and vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater engage in saucy repartee on the funky and engaging "It's Your Thing," while shtick comes into the picture on a bluesy Jew's harp and vocals-meet-bass number with actress Gina Gershon ("Chitlins And Gefiltefish").

While McBride is more than comfortable and compelling in every setting on this album, the piano and bass partnerships on display seem to rise above the rest of the performances. Eddie Palmieri brings high energy Latin jazz into the mix on "Guajeo Y Tumbao," the dearly departed Dr. Billy Taylor brings a sense of calm and peace to the album with his own "Spiritual," which opens and closes with some gorgeous arco work from McBride, and George Duke delivers the most chops-heavy piano work on the record, with "McDukey Blues." While the late Hank Jones' isn't nearly as aggressive as Palmieri or Duke, his connection with McBride may be more powerful and palpable, and this pair deserves to be dubbed The Great Jazz Duo for this performance. Preconceived notions concerning structure seem to surround most of these numbers, but McBride's duet with pianist Chick Corea is of the organically-developed variety. Suspense-filled sounds and Spaniard-Argentine influences abound as "Tango Improvisation #1" takes shape, but a blues foundation sneaks into the music as the piece develops, and the final act surrounds choppy, paranoid single-note statements from Corea's piano. Conversations With Christian McBride may, ultimately, be critically eclipsed by the bassist's fine big band record, The Good Feeling (Mack Avenue, 2011), that arrived a mere two months before this collection, but that would be a shame. These albums are actually companion pieces that highlight McBride's mastery of all things musical. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/conversations-with-christian-christian-mcbride-mack-avenue-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Christian McBride: bass; Angelique Kidjo: vocals (1); Regina Carter: violin (2); Sting: vocals (3), guitar (3); Eddie Palmieri: piano (4); Roy Hargrove: trumpet (5); Dr. Billy Taylor: piano (6); Dee Dee Bridgewater: vocals (7); Hank Jones: piano (8); George Duke: piano (9); Chick Corea: piano (10); Russell Malone: guitar (11); Ron Blake: tenor saxophone (12); Gina Gershon: vocals (13).

Conversations with Christian                

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Bruce Ditmas - What If

Styles: Free Jazz, Fusion  
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:54
Size: 138,8 MB
Art: Front

(10:12)  1. Island Seven
(10:21)  2. What If
( 7:52)  3. Clever Conversation
( 3:19)  4. 3348 Big Easy:  Deep Blue Sleep
( 7:18)  5. 3348 Big Easy:  Thursday Nite Special
( 4:09)  6. 3348 Big Easy:  Voodoo Street Beat
( 8:00)  7. Pulp
( 3:46)  8. Power Surge
( 4:54)  9. Don't Wake Me

Drummer Bruce Ditmas’ wish list comes to fruition on the 1995 “Postcards” release titled, What If. Among the noteworthy crop of re-releases from Arkadia Records who now own the Postcards catalogue is this mind boggling work featuring a who’s who of modern jazz stylists such as pianist Paul Bley, bassist Dominic Richards, saxophonist Sam Rivers and guitarist John Abercrombie. According to the liners, Ditmas handed Postcards something similar to a Christmas want-list as they proceeded to round up these consummate and highly influential jazz musicians. On What If Ditmas slashes and burns while boasting a booming, resonant sound as he provides the thunderous intro for pianist Paul Bley on the opener, “Island Seven”. Here and throughout, Ditmas engages complex polyrhythms in effortless fashion as he provides the enormous pulse behind Abercrombie’s angular and somewhat ferocious attack, which rekindles memories of his now classic ECM release, “Timeless”. The title track, “What If” is electrically charged and proceeds at a feverish pace as the great Sam Rivers’ sinewy and explosive tenor sax work along with the forceful rhythms and turbo charged interplay among the bandmates offers something which borders fusion and modern jazz. Paul Bley stretches out in elegant fashion on “Clever Conversations” while Ditmas and Richards employ a relentless rhythmic assault. Unadulterated intensity provided by Abercrombie’s signature and somewhat manic guitar stylizations along with the muscular rhythmic assault are prevalent factors on the barnburner titled, “Pulp”. On “Power Surge”, the heat continues while “Don’t Wake Up” is ethereal and dreamy thanks to Bley’s colorful and textural articulations on synthesizer along with his pensive or somewhat dirge-like acoustic piano work. A fitting finale to an unyielding and explosive affair! Upon its original release, What If received critical praise and accolades and justifiably so as it becomes rather obvious from the onset that Ditmas was geared up for this date. What If offers a potpourri of modern/free-jazz, fusion and takes off into the stratosphere to some unknown destination, as the men only know one way, which is straight ahead with no looking back. * * * * ½ ~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/what-if-bruce-ditmas-postcards-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel: Bruce Ditmas; Drums: John Abercrombie; Guitars: Paul Bley; Piano & Synthesizers: Dominic Richards; Bass: Sam Rivers; Tenor & Soprano Saxophone.

What If

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