Ralph Alessi - Quiver

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:27
Size: 129,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:57)  1. Here Tomorrow
(5:18)  2. Window Goodbyes
(6:56)  3. Smooth Descent
(6:46)  4. Heist
(9:49)  5. Gone Today, Here Tomorrow
(6:14)  6. I to I
(5:17)  7. Scratch
(7:05)  8. Shush
(4:14)  9. Quiver
(1:47) 10. Do Over

Quiver finds trumpeter Ralph Alessi and his quartet in a lyrical, reflective mood. Alessi describes the atmosphere in the recording studio as "pensive," a quality that imbues this music. The group includes most of the players from Alessi's acclaimed ECM leader debut Baida (2013). Drew Gress (double-bass) and Nasheet Waits (drums) return, with Gary Versace taking the piano chair in place of Jason Moran. Tempting to ascribe the differences between the two sessions to the pianists, but I think it has more to do with the material and the interaction of the whole band. "Here Tomorrow" opens the set with a brief legato meditation, and the mood for much of the album is established from the start. Versace often begins the pieces with an unadorned statement of the harmony, and doesn't even take a solo until the third track, "Smooth Descent" (which is also a bit more up-tempo). "Heist" breaks the mold by opening with solo trumpet, but it makes room for another piano solo and a bass solo from team player Gress. At almost ten minutes "Gone Today, Here Tomorrow" is the longest selection, and it too contains more moderate up-tempo music, finally giving Waits an opportunity to cut loose a bit. While there's no burning here, it certainly is not all taken at rubato or ballad tempo. "Scratch" is built upon an ostinato, following some lovely piano playing on "I to I." "Shush" combines all of the previous musical elements by beginning rubato. building to an energetic middle section, then closing with a repeating pattern. Only the closer "Do Over" provides a large contrast, as the band plays the only really up-tempo tune in the program while Waits solos all the way through. It's far too short, and it's a shame the record doesn't contain a bit more of this kind of playing. The variety would have been welcome. But while it's a generally low-key session, it's full of beautiful playing and empathetic group interaction. ~ Mark Sullivan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/quiver-ralph-alessi-ecm-records-review-by-mark-sullivan.php

Personnel: Ralph Alessi: trumpet; Gary Versace: piano; Drew Gress: double-bass; Nasheet Waits: drums.

Quiver

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Lils Mackintosh - Black Girl

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:53
Size: 115,2 MB
Art: Front

(0:22)  1. Intro
(4:03)  2. Black girl
(3:09)  3. Shorty George
(3:13)  4. Bottle up and go
(3:22)  5. Ledbetter
(3:07)  6. Relax your mind
(3:42)  7. Slavery is still around
(2:50)  8. Goodnight my teen
(4:34)  9. Backwater blues
(4:41) 10. Take this hammer
(1:32) 11. Bring a little water
(3:12) 12. Silver city bound
(3:08) 13. Hurt me
(3:35) 14. Good morning blues
(5:16) 15. Take this hammer (instrumental)

Lils Mackintosh (Amsterdam, June 11, 1955) is a Dutch singer, composer, actress and writer. At seventeen she was talent-scouted by the Dutch actor Jack Monkau and traded a formal education for a career in music. Being the daughter of two parents in the music industry, a career along that road seemed a natural step to take. Lils became a professional singer with the acceptance of a role in the musical 'Hair'. Next she played key roles in the Dutch rock opera 'Ik, Jan Cremer' and the high profile musical 'Barnum'. Lils then decided to become more experienced as a lead singer and played in different rock and hardrock bands. She also toured on a regular basis. One of the highlights was an extended tour in Sudan, Kuwait and Egypt. This was also the period in her career where she had the honor to perform with jazz legends like Oscar Peterson and B.B. King. In 1977, Lils released her first jazz single, a cover version of the Rogers & Hart classic 'My Funny Valentine'. Winning the 1990 'Vocalistenprijs' at the Dutch Jazzconcours in Breda lead to a significant career change. Lils then decided to specialize in jazz music. She started to perform extensively in Europe and the United States and was a regular performer at the legendary North Sea Jazz Festival. In 1993 she released her debut album, ‘It’s not perfect to be easy’. She received recognition for this album with the nomination for an Edison Jazz Award. Two more albums were released in this period: 'This is the strangest life I've ever known' is released in 1994, followed by 'Seasons', in 1997.

Being an artist with the desire to develop and transform, Lils took a different take on her career when she formed the 'Lils Mackintosh & The Swing Cats' band in 1998. This period also marked the return to the theatre, with the 'Jazznight' theatre tour, together with the Beets Brothers, the Stylus Horns and the Rosenberg Trio. Her fourth studio album, 'Black girl' produced by the renowned saxophone player Hans Dulfer, is a tribute to the American blues singer and guitar player Huddie Ledbetter. The album was released in 1999 and made a big impression in the jazz scene. This, in turn, lead to Lils' first Edison Jazz Award. Published on multi-channel SACD in 2002, Lils' first live endeavor was a recording session at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam, in front of a live audience. The album, named 'In the wee small hours of the morning' was well received by both critics and audiophiles. That same year the Beets Brothers released the first ever Dutch jazz DVD, featuring Lils and Hans Dulfer. A close collaboration with saxophone player Wouter Kiers, lead to the release of the concept album 'Comes love' in 2005. All of the songs deal with different aspects of love and relationships. After a period of extensive touring in Europe, Lils released the album 'About crazy'. This 2008 album is an intimate portrait of an artist who has seen significant ups and downs in her personal life. Lils also used the classic Hammond organ to create a distinctive moody and melancholic sound. The album coincidentally marked the start of her long term collaboration with the Dutch saxophone player Clous van Mechelen. The release of the 2010 album 'A fine romance' is an audiophile's delight. This was actually a remastering of Lils' debut album. In this version, extra care was taken in finding the right balance between voice and band, and achieving the highest possible sound quality. 

The album is a classic demo disc for the demonstration of high end audio systems.  Lils Mackintosh is an award winning jazz- and blues singer and is considered one of the most distinguished artists in the Dutch jazz scene. Lils has worked with the likes of Oscar Peterson, B.B. King, Scott Hamilton, Rita Reys, het Rosenberg Trio, Cor Bakker, Madeline Bell, Hans Dulfer, Candy Dulfer, Louis van Dijk, The Beets Brothers, Georgie Fame and the Dutch Swing College Band. Lils has also worked on different projects as an actress and voice-over performer. She has done numerous commercials, some of which have become quite famous in the Netherlands.http://www.lilsmackintosh.nl/lils-eng-biografie.htm

Personnel:  Vocals, Arranged By – Lils Mackintosh;  Double Bass – Frans van Geest;  Drums – Hans Dekker;  Piano, Arranged By – Peter Beets;  Tenor Saxophone – Alexander Beets, Hans Dulfer (tracks: 10, 12, 15);  Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Arranged By – Jan Wessels

Black Girl

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Miles Davis - Doo-Bop

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:04
Size: 93,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:57)  1. Mystery
(5:02)  2. The Doo-Bop Song
(4:41)  3. Chocolate Chip
(4:40)  4. High Speed Chase
(5:07)  5. Blow
(5:32)  6. Sonya
(4:38)  7. Fantasy
(4:56)  8. Duke Booty
(1:28)  9. Mystery (reprise)

If On the Corner suggested hip-hop beats as far back as two decades ago, then consider Doo-Bop as offspring. Miles' teaming with producer Easy Mo Bee is a natural more in league with England's acid jazz scene than anything in the trumpeter's recent canon. Those who've howled over the post-Bitches Brew work will find no solace here; instead, chalk this up as one of Miles' most entertaining efforts. ~ Steve Aldrick http://www.allmusic.com/album/doo-bop-mw0000078184

Personnel: Miles Davis (trumpet); A.B. Money, J.R. (vocals); Easy Mo Bee (rap vocals).

Doo-Bop

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Jerry Bergonzi - Peek a Boo

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:06
Size: 136,6 MB
Art: Front

( 5:30)  1. Peek a Boo
( 7:05)  2. Internal Affair
(11:01)  3. I'll Let You Know
( 8:32)  4. Idiosyncrasies
( 7:23)  5. Manipulations
( 7:53)  6. Zonian Mode
( 4:54)  7. Creature Feature
( 6:46)  8. Up for the Count

As a tenor saxophonist and composer, Bergonzi asserts himself further on this date with a quintet of established players. Trumpeter Tiger Okoshi forms a good partnership with 'Gonz up front, while the dazzling piano pyrotechnics of Joachim Kuhn, the solid bass playing of Dave Santoro, and the very able drumming of Daniel Humair give the leader quite a foundation from which to work. All eight cuts, save one, are neo-boppish, modern, mainstream vehicles written by Bergonzi, and they express a quick-witted, head-solo-tail written format which, for the most part, swings pretty hard. The CD is bookended with the title track and "Up for the Count," both upbeat numbers with a fervor that's chock full of notes, loaded with 16th's and 32nd's, especially from Kuhn. The latter tune has a staggered phrase, stop-start melody similar to that of Charles Mingus, and a tenor-drum workout for a bridge. Two bluesy swingers are placed back-to-back: The Kuhn-penned "Manipulations" features overloaded lines from piano and bass, and in "Zonian Mode," the tenor and trumpet get antsy ahead of the bar lines, with Kuhn showing moments of anxiety while the rest prove relatively settled into the groove. Scattered, chopped sounds crop up during the easy-paced but seismic melody of "Creature Feature." A Swiss-cheesed "Internal Affair" sounds like a sliced-and-diced, darker take on "Social Call." The hardest swinger is "Idiosyncracies," during which 'Gonz and Tiger live up to their aggressive nicknames. At a most intricate juncture, "I'll Let You Know" has a two-note chord piano ostinato, contrary swinging bass, and unison horns in a Blue Note/Riverside cum Randy Brecker mode. It is also within this piece that Kuhn's piano rattles cages with dizzying blizzards of notes on his solo. The more individualistic he becomes, the more challenging the music becomes, and Bergonzi has certainly upped the ante here with this exceptional combo. Were this an actual working, touring band the results might be different, especially down the road, but all in all this proves to be quite a credible, at times startling effort. ~ Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/peek-a-boo-mw0000174312

Personnel: Jerry Bergonzi (tenor saxophone); Tiger Okoshi (trumpet, flugelhorn); Joachim Kühn (piano); Daniel Humair (drums).

Peek a Boo

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Michael Dease - All These Hands

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:54
Size: 151,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:44)  1. Creole Country
(2:47)  2. Delta City Crossroads
(6:36)  3. Good & Terrible
(5:55)  4. Territory Blues
(6:10)  5. Benny's Bounce
(2:03)  6. Black Bottom Banter
(8:16)  7. Downtown Chi-Town
(5:59)  8. Gullah Ring Shout
(6:49)  9. Chocolate City
(5:53) 10. Memphis BBQ & Fish Fry
(7:16) 11. Brooklyn
(2:21) 12. Up South Reverie

Trombonist Michael Dease is never short on ideas, but this one might be his best yet: With All These Hands, Dease traces the early migratory patterns of jazz through his own well-crafted originals. He starts in NOLA and moves along to many a music mecca, including the Mississippi Delta, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and New York. All the while he addresses regional dialects that developed as jazz permeated different regions while remaining cognizant of the need to avoid the quicksand of the past. This is Dease's take on jazz's journey, not his attempt at making a period piece. The port of departure for this musical saga is "Creole Country," a number transported by a Vernell Fournier-esque beat that speaks to the Crescent City's melting pot culture through rhythm. Steve Wilson's flute adds color and fills gaps, Renee Rosnes' fingers dance across the keys of the piano, Etienne Charles brings warm light with his flugelhorn work, and Dease is predictably strong in his solo delivery. It's the perfect number to serve as a launch pad for this project. Dease packs his bags after that opener, quickly moving on to his next destination "Delta City Crossroads," the first of several down-home duets to bring roots music into the picture. Here he chats with guitarist Randy Napoleon, engaging in call-and-response, moaning, vocalizing, and sighing with mute in hand. Intimate excursions like these are interspersed between full band numbers throughout the album, serving as a reminder that jazz and blues traditions are inextricably linked. The music that follows those opening tracks further underscores Dease's respect for the history of the music. "Benny's Bounce" serves as a representation of Philadelphia's rich jazz legacy, nodding to iconic saxophonist-composer Benny Golson through its name and harmonic pathways; "Black Bottom Banter" brings Detroit and its outskirts into view, as Dease and bassist Rodney Whitaker take a short trip through the 8-bar blues; "Downtown Chi-Town" captures the resolute spirit of the Windy City in its straight-eighth bearing; "Memphis BBQ & Fish Fry" is a greasy good time, as Dease mixes it up in trio with Wilson's soprano saxophone and Rosnes' Wurlitzer; and "Brooklyn" stands firm atop Rufus Reid's sturdy bass lines. Oh, the places that jazz goes! When taken as a whole, All These Hands proves to be both sobering and delightful, as Dease delivers one uplifting performance after another while also addressing all of the racial ills that shadow(ed) jazz and jazz musicians. Dease never turns a blind eye to history's truths, but he never lets them get the better of him either. He's a force for positivity, and All These Hands is proof positive of that statement. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/all-these-hands-michael-dease-posi-tone-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Michael Dease: trombone; Renee Rosnes: piano (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11); Gerald Cannon: bass (1, 3, 5, 7, 9); Lewis Nash: drums (1, 3, 5, 7, 9); Lewis Nash: drums (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11); Steve Wilson: flute (1, 7), alto saxophone (5), soprano saxophone (10); Etienne Charles: flugelhorn (1), trumpet (3, 9); Randy Napolean: guitar (2, 4, 8); Rodney Whitaker: bass (4, 6, 8, 12); Jason Hainsworth: tenor saxophone (7); Diego Rivera: tenor saxophone (7); Rufus Reid: bass (11); Dan Pratt: tenor saxophone (11).

All These Hands

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