Saturday, November 18, 2017

Big John Patton - Let 'em Roll

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:50
Size: 91.2 MB
Styles: Bop, Soul-jazz
Year: 1965/1993
Art: Front

[6:48] 1. Let 'em Roll
[7:20] 2. Latona
[6:52] 3. The Shadow Of Your Smile
[6:45] 4. The Turnaround
[5:35] 5. Jakey
[6:27] 6. One Step Ahead

Drums – Otis Finch; Guitar – Grant Green; Organ – John Patton; Vibraphone [Vibes] – Bobby Hutcherson. Recorded on December 11, 1965.

In an unusual setting for a groove/soul jazz setting, B3 organist extraordinaire big John Patton creates a band around himself that includes Grant Green, drummer Otis Finch, and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. It's truly weird to think of vibes on a groove date, but the way Patton's understated playing works, and the way Green is literally all things to all players, Hutcherson's role is not only a clearly defined one, but adds immeasurably to both depth and texture on this date. What also makes this possible is the symbiotic relationship between Patton and Green. There is a double groove conscious swing happening on every track here, from the bluesed-out slip and slide of the title track which opens the record to a killer version of Hank Mobley's "The Turnaround," which expands the blues vibe into solid soul territory because of Hutcherson's ability to play pianistically and slip into the funk groove whenever necessary. Green's deadly in his solo on the track, shimmering arpeggios through Patton's big fat chords and chunky hammering runs. Also notable are Patton's own tunes, the most beautiful of which is "Latona," a floating Latin number with a killer salsa rhythm in 6/8. As Patton vamps through the chorus, Green slips in one of his gnarliest solos ever. It begins with a groove like run in the hard bop blues and then shoves itself into overdrive, capturing the cold sweat of a Bola Sete or Wes Montgomery in his groove years. But when Green goes for the harmonic edges, all bets are off: Hutcherson lays out, and he and Patton go running to the bridge and bring the melody back just in time to take it out. This is one of the least appreciated of Patton's records, and there's no reason for it; it is great. ~Thom Jurek

Let'em Roll 

Courtney Pine - Black Notes From The Deep

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:09
Size: 94.2 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[3:11] 1. Rules
[4:51] 2. You Know Who You Are
[3:19] 3. Darker Than The Blue
[5:35] 4. Rivers Of Blood
[3:15] 5. In Another Time
[4:53] 6. The Morning After The Night Before
[4:25] 7. A Change Is Sure To Come
[6:27] 8. How Many More
[3:56] 9. Butterfly
[1:13] 10. A Word To The Wise

Ever one to mix things up, Britain’s most celebrated jazzer follows a low-key ballads album with a collection centred on funk-oriented duets with vocalist Omar, though Courtney Pine – back on tenor sax for the first time in years – conjures assorted moods. Rivers of Blood is a brooding meditation taking its title from Enoch Powell’s 1968 racist speech, while A Change Is Sure to Come is a wistful, flute-driven piece. Omar brings an elegant touch to Herbie Hancock’s Butterfly, and snappy vitality to opener Rules. Robert Mitchell’s piano shines among a supporting trio, and Pine, whether in contemplation or post-bop flurry, shows why he’s still top dog. ~Neil Spencer

Black Notes From The Deep

Yusef Lateef - Part Of The Search

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:14
Size: 87.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1974/2006
Art: Front

[3:42] 1. K.C. Shuffle
[0:39] 2. Oatsy Doatsy 1
[2:27] 3. Soul's Bakery
[3:25] 4. Lunceford Prance
[3:41] 5. Rock House
[0:15] 6. Oatsy Doatsy 2
[3:36] 7. In The Still Of The Night
[3:25] 8. Superfine
[4:11] 9. Strange Lullaby
[2:56] 10. Big Bass Drum
[9:53] 11. Getting Sentimental

Yusef Lateef's Atlantic albums tended to be erratic affairs with plenty of chances taken and the overall results being a mixed success. This set (reissued on CD) is one of his better efforts from the era. Lateef, doubling on tenor and alto this time, is backed not only by his trio but a big band, string quartet, three background vocalists and a variety of electric keyboardists and guitarists. There are enough good tracks (particularly "Lunceford Prance," "Rockhouse" and "I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You") to make this a release worth checking out. ~Scott Yanow

Part Of The Search

Cilla Owens - 'tis What It Is

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:20
Size: 124.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:11] 1. I Mean You
[4:17] 2. Little Niles
[3:24] 3. Thou Swell
[2:06] 4. Twisted
[4:57] 5. 'tis What It Is
[5:18] 6. The Nearness Of You
[7:40] 7. Little Sunflower
[3:23] 8. You Don't Know What Love Is
[6:15] 9. What Is This Thing Called Love
[4:13] 10. Simple Samba
[4:20] 11. Take The 'a' Train
[4:12] 12. Fine And Mellow

Cilla Owens' credits include appearances at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Blue Note, the original Small's Paradise, Symphony Space, Henry Street Settlement Playhouse, and the legendary Village Gate. She has performed in Germany, the Caribbean, and at various music festivals including Jazzmobile, The Newport Summer Fest, and La Fete de la Musique. For several years she performed with the Great Day Chorale, dedicated to the preservation of the Negro Spiritual, under the inimitable direction of master musicologist Louvinia Pointer. Cilla Owens is presently the Director of the Jazz Vocal Workshop at Hunter College/CUNY, where she earned a second B.A. in Music, and a M.A. in Performance. She is also the founder/director of the Jazzvox Performance Workshop as well as a private vocal coach.

Throughout the years Cilla has had the pleasure of performing with a variety of artists including Lionel Hampton, Bross Townsend, Michael Hill, Bob Cunningham, Tony Lewis, and Babi Floyd. She is a regular at the historic Cornelia Street Cafe in Greenwich Village, where she gets to rock the house along with Paul Shapiro's 'Ribs And Brisket Revue'.

'tis What It Is

Jackie McLean - A Fickle Sonance

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:03
Size: 80.2 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1961/2000
Art: Front

[7:03] 1. Five Will Get You Ten
[5:51] 2. Subdued
[4:51] 3. Sundu
[6:46] 4. A Fickle Sonance
[5:44] 5. Enitnerrut
[4:44] 6. Lost

Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean was one of the few jazz players to come up through bebop and incorporate free jazz into his style. Even though A Fickle Sonance preceded McLean's intense 1962 album Let Freedom Ring, the playing remained in a swinging blues-oriented style, showing no hint of the direction his music was about to take. The sidemen on the date (Tommy Turrentine [trumpet], Sonny Clark [piano], and Butch Warren [bass]) prove to be an invigorating combination of musicians, however not as involved in the burgeoning free music as drummer Billy Higgins. At the time of these sessions, Higgins had already played with Ornette Coleman, providing a link to the avant-garde, but nevertheless his playing follows the hard bop pace of the others. McLean provides two original compositions, "Subdued" and the title track, while Clark, Turrentine, and Warren fill the remaining tracks. ~Al Campbell

A Fickle Sonance

Bobby Previte's Weather Clear Track Fest - Hue And Cry

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:55
Size: 133,4 MB
Art: Front

( 4:05)  1. Hubbub
( 5:59)  2. Smack-Dab
( 6:04)  3. Move Heaven And Earth
(14:10)  4. 700 Camels
( 7:03)  5. Valerie
(13:16)  6. Hue And Cry
( 7:15)  7. For John Laughlan And All That We Stood For.

Hue and Cry features an eight-strong, all-star version of Bobby Previte's Weather Clear, Track Fast band and results in one of his finest efforts as a leader. Along with Henry Threadgill, Previte, in the late '80s and early '90s, was one of the leading figures of avant-garde jazz, using mid-sized groups to explore complex compositional ideas more than as solo vehicles. He's also extremely adept at tension-and-release structures, often using what might have been an introductory riff for anyone else as an extended phrase, wringing out every bit of melody from it, and leaving the listener in a juicy state of anticipation for the eventual burst into the central theme. Previte uses an interesting pairing up in this band, with Don Byron and Marty Ehrlich often both playing clarinet, Robin Eubanks and Eddie Allen on brass, and, most prominently, Anthony Davis on piano alongside Larry Goldings' organ. Goldings is particularly out front on many of the pieces here, giving the band a very different cast from their earlier recording. 

Only the ambitious "700 Camels" fails to cohere completely; the remainder of the tracks all have both imaginative writing and (at the least) solid playing and soloing. On the other hand, the similarly lengthy title track pulls all the right switches, layering material in a rich fabric and hurtling toward a satisfying climax. The closing number is an unusual dirge, with Previte playing a martial rhythm, Davis trickling out single notes like rainfall, and Ehrlich keening on soprano. Recommended! ~ Brian Olewnick  https://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/1497658/a/hue+and+cry.htm

Personnel: Bobby Previte (drums), Marty Ehrlich (alto & tenor saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet), Don Byron (baritone saxophone, clarinet), Eddie Allen (trumpet), Robin Eubanks (trombone), Anthony Davis (piano), Larry Goldings (organ), Anthony Cox (bass)

Hue And Cry

Esther Williams - Inside Of Me

Styles: Vocal, Soul 
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:51
Size: 85,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:49)  1. I'll Be Your Pleasure
(3:55)  2. Inside Of Me
(3:40)  3. Make It With You
(3:40)  4. You Are The Spice Of My Life
(4:28)  5. You Can Use It
(5:56)  6. Ready For Love
(3:42)  7. Who Said It Was Wrong
(3:38)  8. You Can Have It All

When Esther Williams' Inside of Me was first released in 1981, there was a lot of talk about how disco had died. To hear some people tell it, disco was so out of fashion in 1981 that even Donna Summer was trying to be new wave. But truth be told, disco was quite plentiful in 1981. Disco never died; it evolved and diversified, and new terms emerged in the ‘'80s (dance-pop, deep house, Hi-NRG). Williams enjoyed some exposure in dance clubs in 1981, especially with her seductive hit "I'll Be Your Pleasure" (which opens this album). Inside of Me, which the Brooklyn-based Funky Town Grooves reissued on CD in 2011, doesn't get into Euro-disco at all; rather, Williams favors a disco-soul approach (à la Loleatta Holloway or Jocelyn Brown) on club-friendly offerings such as "I'll Be Your Pleasure," "You Can Have It All," and "You Can Use It." 

But it would be a mistake to think that Inside of Me is strictly an album of uptempo dance grooves. Actually, the slower jams are very much in the Philadelphia soul vein, including "You Are the Spice of My Life," "Ready for Love," and the title song. So even though some parts of this 36-minute CD are club-friendly, other parts of it have a lot of quiet storm appeal. Inside of Me was not a huge commercial hit when it first came out on LP back in 1981; regardless, this is a solid effort from the talented but underexposed Williams (who married Washington, D.C.-based jazz saxophonist Davey Yarborough and shouldn't be confused with the actress who appeared in all those MGM musicals in the '40s and '50s). And it is good to see Inside of Me reissued on CD after being out of print for many years. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/inside-of-me-mw0000847118               

Inside Of Me

Gare du Nord - Kind of Cool

Styles: Smooth Jazz, Future Jazz 
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:47
Size: 143,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:11)  1. Kind Of Cool 1 (Inner City Groove)
(5:49)  2. Sold My Soul
(4:14)  3. L'Hôtel Beat
(6:08)  4. Panchira (Rasa Clinic, 1962)
(5:29)  5. Profondo Blu
(4:13)  6. Dark Chill
(4:59)  7. Kind Of Cool 2 (Miles Et Juliette)
(4:35)  8. Chinese Whispers, Japanese Strings
(3:38)  9. You're So Tight
(4:45) 10. Yo... Que Pasa?
(4:27) 11. I'm Not A Woman, I'm Not A Man
(1:13) 12. Très Cool

As I fluttered through the album shelf in a well-known store, one album caught my eye more than others. Perhaps it is the exotic French inscription, Gare du Nord, or the oval and intriguing wrapping, but in my opinion the combination of the two is the winner, since at that time the journey still clung to me following my return from Paris and I have always loved the purple color.  Gare du Nord is the busiest train station in Europe and is located in the heart of Paris. The name means "the station of the north", and I think it is the most appropriate name for this pair, thanks to the versatility, urbanity, speed and changing styles that characterize railway stations in general and their music in particular. This is the second album of the French-inspired duo, which originally came from Germany and Belgium. Most of the songs were produced in large industrial cities such as Memphis, Berlin and London, and the album was produced in just three weeks. Despite the little time, the album is a delightful and colorful combination of sounds, languages and colors. A combination of different styles of blues, bossa nova, electronic music, jazz and a lot of soul that create one album with a clean and light sound and an uneven but complete musical line.

The album opens with the Kind Of Cool section, which has a distinctly urban feel. It was as if, at this moment, the door of the train car closed and galloped toward the next stop. A pleasant start accompanied by light jazz touches and an urban groove. Next, Sold My Soul, presents a different and different side from the opening, a combination of blues music touching along with wonderful and deep text, all of which is won by the pleasant voice of C Robert Walker who collaborates with the duo. In the fourth section, Panchira, Indian oriental music is associated with an amazing female voice and involves Western electronic rhythm. Panchira is a Japanese expression that was said to a Japanese girl with her skirt up and part of her body exposed. The album cover shows this picture not by chance. To a certain extent I felt that the duo had left no room for coincidence and closed all the edges, creating a clean and accurate album. The sixth track, Dark Chill , was written in the wake of the Twin Towers disaster, a symbol of the dark moments that accompany our lives. There is a mix of chilling media reports with threatening and mesmerizing music.

Later on the album the train continues to gallop between languages ??and places, Busana Nova melodies, light jazz and Latin rhythms. I could really feel the city, the place and the atmosphere in the wake of rooted music. The track that closes the album, Tres Cool, is like the final station, the sound of the groove from the opening returns again in a way that sums up the whole long trip. The auctioneer calls everyone to come down. Beyond the pleasant sounds that make you want to lie on a couch in the sun, it seems that the album is a quick urban creation of changing styles and sounds from one of the creators' ears. Beyond that, it hints at the universality of the Gare du Nord music center. The variety of styles that characterize the album gives it a special touch of internationality, a kind of touching the soul while riding a cool train around the world. When the final station is not known, every listener can choose a place to go down. Translate by Google  http://www.106fm.co.il/albums/12771

Kind of Cool

Vincent Herring - Mr. Wizard

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:31
Size: 115,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:28)  1. All God's Children Got Rhythm
(4:43)  2. Citizen Of Zamunda
(4:05)  3. Hopscotch
(5:04)  4. You Leave Me Breathless
(5:04)  5. Four By Five
(7:43)  6. Encounters
(5:21)  7. Cassius
(7:19)  8. The Walk Home
(5:40)  9. Mr. Wizard

With more than a dozen discs as a leader under his belt, Vincent Herring has developed a foolproof prescription for making great records: employ compatible sidemen, choose appealing compositions and approach the music with zealous devotion. On Mr. Wizard the brilliant saxophonist follows this formula faultlessly and the result is another rewarding listening experience. Herring has one of the most recognizable voices on alto saxophone in music today and is increasingly developing his own personality on soprano as well, as heard on three of the nine tunes here. Joined by young veterans of his recent recordings  trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, bassist Richie Goods, drummer E.J. Strickland and an impressive newcomer in pianist Danny Grissett the leader navigates his quintet through a program mainly comprised of originals by the group’s members.  Beginning with a bebopping arrangement of “All God’s Children Got Rhythm,” featuring alternating alto and trumpet calls and responses in the melody and four bar exchanges with Strickland, the band shows where it’s coming from before Goods’ “Citizen Of Zamunda,” with its modernistic Native American sounding melody and rhythm featuring the leader’s soprano, demonstrates where it can go. Grissett’s “Hopscotch,” named for its stuttering introduction, is an engaging line that might easily be mistaken for a Horace Silver classic. Herring’s impassioned alto is particularly attractive on “You Leave Me Breathless.” The quintet fires up McCoy Tyner’s tricky “Four By Five” with admirable aplomb, breathing new life into a classic from a still neglected period of the jazz repertory. A second Grissett original, “Encounters,” is an harmonic exploration of the territory originally mined by Miles Davis’ ‘60s quintet, with the entire group blending into an expressive impressionism propelled by Strickland’s provocative percussion discussions. A pair from the pen of Pelt, “Cassius” and “The Walk Home,” the former a swinging affair and the latter a pensive waltz, demonstrates the trumpeter’s strength as a composer. Herring wraps up the date with his own “Mr. Wizard,” a Jazz Messengerish anthem that gives everybody in the band the kind of workout you can expect to hear in one of their exciting live performances. ~ Russ Musto https://www.allaboutjazz.com/mr-wizard-vincent-herring-review-by-russ-musto.php

Personnel: Vincent Herring: Alto Sax, Soprano Sax; Danny Grissett: Piano; Richie Goods: Bass; Jeremy Pelt: Trumpet; E.J. Strickland: Drums.

Mr. Wizard

Louis Hayes - Serenade For Horace

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:00
Size: 135,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. Ecaroh
(5:20)  2. Señor Blues
(5:51)  3. Song For My Father (feat. Gregory Porter)
(4:08)  4. Hastings Street
(5:14)  5. Strollin'
(5:55)  6. Juicy Lucy
(5:03)  7. Silver's Serenade
(6:44)  8. Lonely Woman
(5:01)  9. Summer In Central Park
(5:49) 10. St. Vitus Dance
(4:56) 11. Room 608

This gem of a tribute album is, in the words of the poet Wordsworth, a "recollection in tranquility" conceived and led by drummer Louis Hayes in memory of his beloved lifelong friend, pianist Horace Silver. In 1956, Silver invited Hayes to New York City from his native Detroit to join the Horace Silver Quintet, which produced a series of ground-breaking Blue Note albums. Now, at 80, Hayes' drumming is as superb and as youthful as ever, a reason in itself to have this album. He brings together a group of seasoned, dedicated musicians to honor Silver, not by imitating or outdoing him, but by playing his music with great fidelity to Silver's ideas and the hard bop period which he helped to innovate. Thankfully, Hayes had the wisdom neither to copy nor expound upon but definitely emulate Silver's contribution in many respects. Pianist Tom Lawton has aptly summarized Silver's unique playing as follows: "Horace had a mixture of a very guttural approach to bebop: a percussive right-hand attack and often very raw, drum-like left-hand accents, (best example: "Opus de Funk"). He also explored a funky, gospel-tinged, soul and groove influenced music ("Song For My Father") that had a unique feel because of his father's origin in the island of Cape Verde." The Cape Verde Islands off the coast of West Africa were slave trade transit points to South America and the Caribbean and where Creole culture -so important to jazz originated, and which shares the Portuguese influence with Brazil. Silver composed his well- known "Song for My Father" after a trip to Brazil that profoundly influenced his subsequent playing. Silver was a prolific composer, sometimes adding his own lyrics. Most of his originals on this album are from the extended and extensive Blue Note recordings between 1952 and 1981. "Ecaroh" (Horace spelled backwards!) and "Room 608" are from the pre-Hayes Jazz Messenger period in which hard bop was literally invented. The album provides a retrospective that is firmly rooted in Silver and hard bop, but is more laid back and less feisty than the original Silver recordings.

The first tune, "Ecaroh" presages the whole album. Hayes' drumming is superb and measured, in contrast to the banal prestidigitation we hear too often. His swing is lighter and more subtle than in the Silver era, perhaps influenced a bit by Elvin Jones. The horn players Abraham Burton on tenor saxophone and Josh Evans on trumpet, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, and bassist Dezron Douglas are completely in service of the music rather than inserting their own idiosyncracies. Next, the iconic "Señor Blues" is a tad slower than on the Silver recording Live at Newport '58 (Blue Note, 2008). Hayes and the group emphasize the R&B influence over the Latin rhythm implied in the title. The saxophone and trumpet work is sharp and clean, echoing Silver Newport cohorts Junior Cookand Louis Smith. Guest vocalist Gregory Porter does a fine if understated delivery of "Song for My Father" with inflections that bear a distinct resemblance to Kurt Elling. The Brazilian samba rhythm that influenced Silver in writing this song comes through clearly. Dee Dee Bridgewater's version (Love and Peace: A Tribute to Horace Silver, Verve, 1995) is faster and more intense. Porter is closer to Silver's intention, but Silver's inspired piano improvisations on this song are well worth going back to for their own sake. At the suggestion of the producer Maxine Gordon, Hayes wrote one original for the collection. "Hastings Street" was stimulated by his memories of Detroit and is a "classic" hard bop tune that is a prefect vehicle for solos, in this case by Burton, Evans, and Nelson. Some feather-like vibes comping by Nelson adds a special touch, and there is some generous co-improvising at the end, something Silver liked to do in his arrangements. "Strollin'" is a virtual replica of the Horace Silver Quintet version on Horace-Scope (Blue Note, 1960) with Junior Cook on tenor and Blue Mitchell on trumpet. "Juicy Lucy" features an outstanding saxophone solo by Burton. The group does a straightforward version of "Silver's Serenade," while Silver's "Lonely Woman" (not the Ornette Coleman tune) is notable for Bryant's extended piano tribute to Silver, which one has been waiting for all along! Silver had a sunny disposition on most days, and "Summer in Central Park" is, as the title suggests, a pleasant sunny day walk in the park. The title of the next tune, "St. Vitus Dance," portends something different but turns out not to be so. St Vitus Dance is a disease characterized by rapid, uncoordinated jerking movements. The version on this album swings so well that it is a cure for that disease rather than a symptom of it! The album ends with "Room 608," a fast-paced strictly bebop tune which shows the important Bud Powell influence on Silver. Silver could have become just another great bebop player, but he was wise enough to pursue his own voice, which, if we can judge from the lyrics of "Song for My Father," is a striving that came from the advice of his dad. And Louis Hayes is to be thanked for adhering to his stated goal: a loving remembrance and tribute to Horace Silver rather than a flashy post- modern pot-boiler. ~ Victor L.Schermer https://www.allaboutjazz.com/serenade-for-horace-by-victor-l-schermer.php

Personnel: Louis Hayes: drums and leader; Abraham Burton: tenor saxophone; Josh Evans: trumpet; Steve Nelson: vibraphone; David Bryant: piano; Dezron Douglas: bass. (Gregory Porter, vocalist, on Song for My Father.”)

Serenade For Horace