Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Chick Corea & Steve Gadd - Chinese Butterfly

Styles: Piano Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 95:30
Size: 220,4 MB
Art: Front

( 9:23)  1. Chick's Chums
( 6:39)  2. Serenity
( 6:44)  3. Like I Was Sayin'
( 8:51)  4. A Spanish Song
(11:50)  5. Chinese Butterfly
(17:29)  6. Return To Forever (feat. Philip Bailey)
(18:13)  7. Wake-Up Call
(16:17)  8. Gadd-zooks

Pianist Chick Corea and drummer Steve Gadd purposefully rekindle their '70s fusion roots on 2017's double-disc Chinese Butterfly. Although they are longtime associates, with Gadd touring often with Corea and appearing on albums like 1976's My Spanish Heart, they've never totally collaborated on an album before. On Chinese Butterfly, Corea joins Gadd's working ensemble for a set of newly penned originals that make the most of their long-held mutual admiration. Joining them are their equally adept bandmates, saxophonist/flutist Steve Wilson, guitarist/vocalist Lionel Loueke, bassist Carlitos Del Puerto, and percussionist Luisito Quintero. Together, they have crafted an album that draws upon the expansive, keyboard-heavy sound of Corea's '70s fusion work, while also weaving in various Latin and African traditions. In some ways, the album brings to mind Corea's 1978 album Friends, which also featured Gadd in a similarly loose and lively atmosphere. Tracks like the opening "Chick's Chums" and slinky "Like I Was Sayin'" are funky, bop-inflected jams that could easily have been culled from a vintage Return to Forever album. Similarly, the languid, Brazilian-accented "Serenity" is a lyrical, gorgeously rendered number that fits nicely into Corea's long-standing love of world rhythms. 

Those rhythms are further explored on the album's second disc, which features an epic reading of the classic "Return to Forever" theme featuring guest vocals by Philip Bailey. Elsewhere, Loueke grounds the Afro-bossa-influenced "Wake-Up Call" with his hushed vocals that give way to the band's lively group interplay. With both Corea and Gadd in their seventies at the time of recording, it's refreshing to hear them sound so inventive and willing to explore new songs, even as they look back on their over 50-year partnership. Ultimately, it's that vibrant, in-the-moment reciprocity that makes Chinese Butterfly such a compelling listen. 
~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/chinese-butterfly-mw0003112342

Chinese Butterfly

Marion Brown - Sweet Earth Flying

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:02
Size: 89,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:41)  1. Sweet Earth Flying, Part 1
(5:58)  2. Sweet Earth Flying, Part 3
(5:58)  3. Sweet Earth Flying, Part 4
(4:58)  4. Sweet Earth Flying, Part 5
(7:17)  5. Eleven Light City, Part One
(2:11)  6. Eleven Light City, Part Two
(5:52)  7. Eleven Light City, Part Three
(3:05)  8. Eleven Light City, Part Four

The second installment of his "Georgia" trilogy, Sweet Earth Flying is arguably Marion Brown's finest work and certainly one of the underappreciated treasures of '70s jazz. Again, the words and ideas of poet Jean Toomer underlie Brown's conception (hence the album's title), though this time (unlike the appearance of Karintha on Geechee Recollections) none of Toomer's actually poetry is utilized. Instead, he calls into service the remarkable keyboard paring of Muhal Richard Abrams and Paul Bley, an inspiration that pays off in spades. The two pianists alternate acoustic and electric keyboards, bringing a slight tinge of the propulsiveness of Miles Davis' late-'60s bands, but with a grace, soul, and sense of freedom rarely achieved by Corea and Jarrett. In fact, Abrams' feature on Part Five of the title suite is one of the single most beautiful and cogent statements he ever created. Brown's sound on both soprano and alto has a unique quality; he tends to sound tentative and innocently hesitant when first entering, only to gather strength as he goes, reaching utter conviction along the way. Special mention must be made of vocalist Bill Hasson. He's featured on only one piece, but his deep voiced recitation in a language of his own construction (drawing from West Africa, Brazil, the Caribbean, and North American down-home English) is a very special treat indeed. Very highly recommended to open-eared jazz fans of all tastes. ~ Brian Olewnick https://www.allmusic.com/album/sweet-earth-flying-mw0000892491

Personnel:  Marion Brown — alto saxophone, soprano saxophone;  Muhal Richard Abrams , Paul Bley — piano, electric piano, organ;  James Jefferson — bass, electric bass;  Steve McCall — drums, percussion;  Bill Hasson — percussion, narration.

Sweet Earth Flying

Marcus Koch - Maldives

Styles: Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:52
Size: 75,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:30)  1. Maldives
(6:31)  2. Fires
(7:51)  3. Clocks
(6:30)  4. In The Flow
(5:30)  5. Get The Party Started

Marcus grew up in a musical family and got early piano lessons. As a teenager, he developed a strong interest in the composition , as well as the production of their own music. During this time he learned other instruments including guitar , drums and accordion . After graduation in 1998, he began studying music and mathematics, which he finished in 2004 successfully. As a result, he worked as a producer in many recording studios , including artists such as Martin Solveig , Shaun Baker and John Davies . The M & M's remix of "Rocking Music" for Martin Solveig made it to # 9 on the Media Control Charts . The collaboration with Shaun Baker and John Davies also showed various chart placements. In 2011, Marcus signed exclusive to the label Plusquam Records and released his debut album "Behind the Rhodes" whose single "Smooth" reached the 13th place of the German chillout charts. The titles of this album are today on many successful and international compilations represented. In 2012 Marcus released his second album "Last Summer", as well as the EPs "Maldives", "One by One" and "Symphony". In 2013 the label Amaro - Music took over his entire music catalog. His third album "Chillmodes" and the piano LP "Time" were released in December 2013. Under the pseudonym "Symphonicum" in the same year his first classic work with the name "Awakening" appeared. In 2016, Marcus was nominated for the "Schallwelle Award", a German prize for electronic music, in the New Discovery category. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcus_Koch_(Musiker)

Maldives