Dick Katz - Three Way Play

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:26
Size: 142.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[5:14] 1. Three Little Words
[4:29] 2. Solar
[4:43] 3. You're My Thrill
[5:45] 4. Steepleechase
[4:01] 5. The Little Things That Mean So Much
[5:18] 6. Monk's Dream
[5:20] 7. Limehouse Blues
[3:15] 8. Star Crossed Lovers
[7:17] 9. Blues In My Heart
[5:57] 10. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
[6:01] 11. Samburan
[5:02] 12. There Is No Greater Love

Dick Katz had a long career in jazz, though a relatively small discography as a leader. These 1992 sessions for Reservoir represent the next to last CD that he made under his own name, with the pianist joined by two veterans, bassist Steve LaSpina and drummer Ben Riley. While Katz has considerable chops, he is not an overly busy pianist on these selections, giving the music plenty of breathing space and room for the input of his sidemen. His breezy take of Miles Davis' "Solar" is a playful affair, while the trio is in jaunty spirits throughout Charlie Parker's "Steeplechase," an imaginative reworking of "I Got Rhythm." There are also plenty of standards, including an intricate study of "There Is No Greater Love" that swings like mad, while his creative take of the old warhorse "Limehouse Blues" incorporates a bit of Claude Debussy's impressionism. It's always great when a leader takes the time to put the spotlight on a contemporary's composition that isn't well-known. His adaptation of pianist/vocalist Daryl Sherman's "Samburan" is a sauntering affair that makes it seem like a perfect soundtrack for a detective show. Sadly, Dick Katz only made one more recording for Reservoir prior to his death in 2009, while this outing is easily one of his best. ~Ken Dryden

Three Way Play mc
Three Way Play zippy

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Seal - Standards

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:46
Size: 95.6 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[4:34] 1. Luck Be A Lady
[2:54] 2. Autumn Leaves
[2:54] 3. I Put A Spell On You
[3:14] 4. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[4:29] 5. Anyone Who Knows What Love Is
[3:42] 6. Love For Sale
[4:30] 7. My Funny Valentine
[3:11] 8. I've Got You Under My Skin
[4:29] 9. Smile
[3:04] 10. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[4:39] 11. It Was A Very Good Year

Seal: vocals, guitar; Randy Waldman: piano; Greg Fields: drums; Chuck Berghofer: bass; The Puppini Sisters: vocals (10).

It shouldn't be a surprise that Seal would take on the American songbook, with a baritone that was made for classics like "Autumn Leaves" and "Love for Sale." Born Henry Olusegun Adeola Samuel in Paddington, England, the singer, guitarist and composer rose to fame with his global hits, and Grammy-winning songs, "Crazy" and "Kiss From a Rose," both from his first self-titled album (Warner Music UK, 1991). That albumand a number of subsequent Seal releases were produced by Trevor Horn of The Buggles and Yes. Seal had previously released two albums dedicated to soul classics but Standards is Seal's first foray into the jazz world.

Seal recruited a number of musicians who would bring additional jazz-legitimacy to this project. Pianist Randy Waldman toured with Frank Sinatra and worked with George Benson and The Manhattan Transfer; Greg Fields also played drums with Sinatra and with The Count Basie Orchestra. Bassist Chuck Berghofer played with Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper and others.

Seal's arrangements are not especially innovative but that's an advantage in that the interpretations shine solely on his extraordinary vocal ability. Especially rewarding is "I Put a Spell on You," first made popular by its writer Screamin' Jay Hawkins and later by Nina Simone. Seal offers a beautiful version of "Smile," a hit for Nat "King" Cole in the mid-1950s, the song was written by Charlie Chaplin in 1936, for the soundtrack to his movie Modern Times. Seal gives new life to Duke Ellington's "I'm Beginning to See the Light" and Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin" and includes an outlier, "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is," co-written by Randy Newman and Jeannie Seely.

To add to the aura of authenticity, Seal recorded a good portion of the album in the studios where the original classics were captured, including Capitol Records in Los Angeles and Sinatra's United Studios. During his career, Seal has sold more than thirty-million albums and those who appreciate his popular music legacy are not likely to crave a shift to crooner status. Be that as it may, Annie Lennox and Lady Gaga have successfully taken on standards and Seal is, arguably, a more comfortable fit in this genre. Standards never feels like a pop star cross-over and it would be a welcome treat if Seal chose a follow-up with less ancient material. ~Karl Ackermann

Standards 

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Hampton Hawes - Something Special

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:37
Size: 115.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[7:47] 1. BD & DS Blues
[9:13] 2. Pablito
[9:37] 3. Sunny
[9:03] 4. Nice Meanderings
[5:29] 5. St. Thomas
[9:25] 6. Fly Me To The Moon

This 1994 CD released for the first time a live set (recorded at Half Moon Bay, California) performed less than a year before pianist Hampton Hawes' death. Hawes, in a quartet with guitarist Denny Diaz, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Al Williams, dominates the music and displays his ability to uplift a couple of pop tunes ("Sunny" and "Fly Me to the Moon"). He also swings creatively through a blues, "St. Thomas" and a pair of his originals. This excellent music gives no hints of Hawes' upcoming demise. ~Scott Yanow

Something Special mc
Something Special zippy

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Nina Simone - Mood Indigo: The Complete Bethlehem Singles

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:08
Size: 103.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[4:09] 1. I Loves You, Porgy
[3:20] 2. Love Me Or Leave Me
[3:30] 3. Little Girl Blue
[2:27] 4. He Needs Me
[3:03] 5. Don't Smoke In Bed
[3:08] 6. African Mailman
[2:42] 7. Mood Iindigo
[3:00] 8. Central Park Blues
[3:59] 9. For All We Know
[2:57] 10. Good Bait
[3:09] 11. You'll Never Walk Alone
[3:26] 12. Plain Gold Ring
[2:36] 13. He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
[3:37] 14. My Baby Just Cares For Me

Nina Simone's classic Bethlehem singles collected in one package featuring remastered "Porgy (I Loves You, Porgy)" b/w "Love Me Or Leave Me". Features 7 unique single-only versions and an alternate take of "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands", all previously only available on the Original 45s. Carefully curated and packaged together to bring back Nina's classic recordings, the notes by Ashley Kahn contain a new interview with bassist Al "Tootie" Heath!

Nina Simone is a 2018 inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.

Mood Indigo: The Complete Bethlehem Singles mc
Mood Indigo: The Complete Bethlehem Singles zippy

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Alex Acuña & The Unknowns - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:10
Size: 101.1 MB
Styles: Fusion
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[3:51] 1. Te Amo
[3:51] 2. Joe's Red Eye
[4:42] 3. Marionettes
[5:30] 4. Hoppin' It
[4:09] 5. Nice
[4:15] 6. Cocho San
[2:52] 7. Van Nuys Jam
[5:04] 8. Thinking Of You (Pensando En Ti)
[6:00] 9. Psalms
[3:52] 10. Ten O' Clock Groove

Backing Vocals – Dante Young, Tiki; Bass – Abe Laboriel, John Peña; Drums, Percussion, Vocals – Alex Acuña; Flute – Danilo Lozano; Flute, Synthesizer [Wind] – Pedro Eustache; Guitar – Carlos Santana; Guitar [Guitars] – Ramon Stagnaro; Keyboards – Cocho Arbe; Keyboards, Vocals – Otmaro Ruiz; Percussion – Luis Conte, Michito Sanchez, Paulinho Da Costa, Rudy Regalado; Saxophone [Sax] – Brandon Fields; Vocals – Diana Acuña; Vocals, Piano – Lou Pardini.

Born in Pativilca, Peru, Acuña played in local bands from the age of ten, and moved to Lima as a teenager. At the age of eighteen he joined the band of Perez Prado, and in 1966 he moved to San Juan Puerto Rico. In 1974 Acuña moved to Las Vegas, working with artists such as Elvis Presley and Diana Ross, and the following year he joined the jazz-fusion group Weather Report, appearing on the albums Black Market and Heavy Weather. Acuña left Weather Report in 1978, and became a session musician in California, recording and playing live with (amongst many others) Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell, Ella Fitzgerald, Elvis Presley, Chick Corea, Whitney Houston, Plácido Domingo, former Weather Report bandmates Wayne Shorter and Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, Carlos Santana, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Beck, Roberta Flack, U2, Al Jarreau Marcos Witt. He can be found on recordings by musicians as culturally Lee Ritenour, Johnny Clegg, Roy Orbison, YellowJackets, Lalo Schiffrin, Milton Nascimento, Don Grusin, Dave Grusin, The Brecker Brothers, Arturo sandoval, Paquito d' Rivera, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Brad Melhdau, Paco de Lucia, John Patitucci, Sadao Watanabe, Lyle Mays, Diana Ross, Sergio Mendez, Robbie Robertson, Jackson Browne Beth Midler, Christina Aguilrera, Seal, Chris Botti.

Alex Acuna & The Unknowns are one of the greatest fusion groups that nobody has heard of! Alex Acuna (drummer for the famous Weather Report) and world class session drummer is well known but his work with the "Unknowns" remains unknown to the vast majority of the jazz fusion listening public! ~David Arivett

Alex Acuña & The Unknowns mc
Alex Acuña & The Unknowns zippy

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Dave Liebman - Dedications

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:35
Size: 138,8 MB
Art: Front

(11:16)  1. The Delicacy of Youth
( 7:44)  2. South Africa
(12:08)  3. The Code's Secret Code
(12:34)  4. Ode for Leo
( 8:26)  5. Treblinka
( 8:25)  6. Mr. K

'79 septet performances led by saxophonist David Liebman. These mix standards, originals, blues, and ballads, with strong, intense solos from Liebman, fine arrangements and ensemble interaction, and standout contributions from pianist Richie Beirach and bassist Eddie Gomez. 

~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/dedications-mw0000871380     

Personnel: Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute [Alto], Producer – David Liebman;  Bass – Eddie Gomez;  Cello – Clay Ruede;  Piano – Richard Beirach;  Viola – Judy Geist;  Violin – Charles Veal, Susan Ornstein

Dedications

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Alison Ruble - Ashland

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:38
Size: 125,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:43)  1. The Summer Knows
(6:03)  2. S'wonderful
(4:29)  3. Here I Am
(7:06)  4. Let's Fall In Love
(4:13)  5. Night And Day
(5:42)  6. Under The Milky Way
(5:32)  7. Tangled And Dark
(4:04)  8. Matte Kudasai
(4:49)  9. Route 66
(4:53) 10. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go

Vocalist Alison Ruble's second CD for Origin is much like her first effort, a mix of standards and pop with embellishments of folk and rock, with arrangements again by guitarist John McLean. Gifted with a warm alto voice, Ruble starts off with an intriguing take of "The Summer Knows" (remembered by many as Michel Legrand's haunting theme written for the early-'70s film Summer of '42) that has a rich backdrop of acoustic guitar, alto flute, arco cello, and bass caressing her warm vocals. Most arrangers don't put a lot of thought into the scoring of the standard "Let's Fall in Love," yet McLean's brilliant chart incorporates an infectious vamp and subtle use of the strings and Jim Gailloreto's soprano sax to back Ruble's playful vocal. Though written by Bobby Troup, "Route 66" is readily identified with the late jazz pianist/vocalist Nat King Cole. Ruble's contemporary version is well out of jazz territory and heads into soft rock, though it retains a high energy level. The newer songs from country, pop, rock, and blues are a bit uneven. Emmylou Harris is a country/rock artist who has thoroughly tested her own musical boundaries, so it's logical that Ruble would explore her own songs. Organ and acoustic guitar are prominent in Ruble's contemporary interpretation of Harris' "Here I Am." Less interesting are the country-flavored setting of King Crimson's "Matte Kudasai" (hampered by both its weak melody and forgettable lyrics) and the funky yet bland take of Bonnie Raitt's "Tangled and Dark." While this is a generally enjoyable CD by Alison Ruble, it isn't quite as strong as her debut release This Is a Bird. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/ashland-mw0002029531

Personnel: Alison Ruble (vocals); John McLean (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Jill Kaeding (cello); Jim Gailloreto (alto flute, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Karl Montzka (Hammond b-3 organ); Larry Kohut (acoustic bass, Chapman stick); Jim Widlowski (drums, percussion)

Ashland

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Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Quartet - Dancing on the Tables

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:48
Size: 91,3 MB
Art: Front

(14:48)  1. Dancing on the Tables
( 1:37)  2. Future Child
( 3:32)  3. Jeg gik mig ud en sommerdag
( 9:30)  4. Evening Song
(10:19)  5. Clouds

Famous for his work as a teenager in Europe playing with veteran American greats, and for his many recordings as a sidemen with the veteran straight-ahead jazz all-stars for the Pablo label (including Oscar Peterson), bassist Niels Pedersen's own projects tend to be more modern than bop-oriented. For this set, Pedersen's quartet includes three rather notable sidemen: the then fairly unknown guitarist John Scofield; drummer Billy Hart; and Dave Liebman on tenor, soprano, and alto flute. The bassist contributed four compositions, which are joined by a Danish folk song. The nearly 15-minute "Dancing on the Tables" (which utilizes some childlike melodies) and the episodic "Clouds" are highlights of the continually intriguing and adventurous program. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/dancing-on-the-tables-mw0000181517  

Personnel:  Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen – bass;  Dave Liebman – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute;  John Scofield – guitar;  Billy Hart – drums

Dancing on the Tables

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Gianni Basso & Renato Sellani - Isn't It Romantic?

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:20
Size: 166,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. Nancy with the Laughing Face
(5:20)  2. Embraceable You
(5:51)  3. I'm Getting Sentimental over You
(5:30)  4. Deep Purple
(4:11)  5. Everything I Have Is Yours
(3:49)  6. Isn't It Romantic?
(8:02)  7. Body and Soul
(4:29)  8. I Should Care
(7:46)  9. I'll Remember April
(5:23) 10. Over the Rainbow
(8:48) 11. It Might as Well Be Spring
(7:21) 12. I Remember Clifford

A fantastic update of an older tenor and piano mode served up here by the great Gianni Basso and Renato Sellani! Both players are stalwarts of the Italian scene, and both often never fully got their due on this side of the Atlantic and together, they craft a wonderful set of moody, late nite ballads that could just as easily have been cut by Ben Webster and Oscar Peterson although maybe with some darker, more modern currents on Sellani's piano than Oscar and some classic, but individual phrasing by Basso! 

The tunes are all standards, but opened up in that very personal way that the best soloists can acquire and titles include "Nancy", "Everything I Have Is Yours", "Deep Purple", "I Remember Clifford", "I Should Care", "Body & Soul", and "I'll Remember April".  © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/857709/Gianni-Basso-Renato-Sellani:Isn%27t-It-Romantic

Personnel: Gianni Basso (tenor saxophone); Renato Sellani (piano).

Isn't It Romantic?

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Matthew Shipp - Zero

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:51
Size: 103,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:33)  1. Zero
(3:52)  2. Abyss Before Zero
(3:22)  3. Pole After Zero
(4:17)  4. Piano Panels
(3:46)  5. Cosmic Sea
(2:15)  6. Zero Skip and a Jump
(6:39)  7. Zero Subtract from Jazz
(5:18)  8. Blue Equation
(2:50)  9. Pattern Emerge
(1:42) 10. Ghost Pattern
(5:13) 11. After Zero

Playing improvised solo piano is essentially a conundrum. Where do you start and when does a form emerge? Music begins as sounds and a composition could be the shaping of those sounds, but what about silence and the thing that comes before sound? Avantgarde-composer, John Cage, famously framed the sound of silence on his composition "4'33" to show that music is always happening, but in a very conceptual way. Pianist, improvisor and composer, Matthew Shipp, arrives at the same point on his solo piano album, Zero, but not through the reduction of minimalism, but the expansion of melody. Indeed, Zero, in spite of its philosophical implications, is not a difficult avant-garde work, but an album that can be enjoyed simply as great jazz music bursting with musical ideas. The idea of the zero is referenced on several compositions: "Zero," "Abyss Before Zero," "Pole After Zero," "Zero Skip and a Jump," "Zero Subtract From Jazz" and "After Zero" and in the liner notes, writer Steve Dalachinsky also quotes Shipp pondering the subject of zero: "What existed before existence zero is the universe a vacuum state where things seem to exist but in reality are flows of energy that twirl in kaleidoscopic flow patterns? does it go back to its ground state in zero? what is a piano? is it a zero? is it an alphabet of language of zero? how could it be anything if ground bass is zero? is zero base potentially everything? or is it one? I have an album called ONE. also, I like emanations does one come out of zero? is one zero? who gives a fuck? is the universe one big fucking joke or is it zero joke?"

Musically the question of zero becomes a joyful journey through many different musical forms. The title track alone contains enough musical information for several compositions as melodic lines evolve with hints of baroque ornamentation, solid swing and knotty breaks and a theme emerges that would have made Thelonious Monk proud. There is a strange feeling of the piece moving forward and yet starting again and again. The music seems through-composed, every phrase shining like diamonds, and yet there's an immediate energy that comes with improvisation, music being made in the moment. To quote another title, a "Pattern Emerge" and a form becomes. These forms are also historically conscious. The sounds of "Pole After Zero" could only have been made by a pianist who knows Duke Ellington and the complex anatomy of swing. Inspiration can be a simple thing, the quotation of specific songs or the use of clearly identifiable musical tropes, like a certain riff. Shipp's inspiration is more complex than that. It is rather subtle layers. The idea of an archaeologist digging through the ground to find layers of different historical periods comes to mind. Shipp seamlessly integrates all the ages of jazz into his expression and comes out with something that is both old and new. Another thing is the attention to harmony. The lush harmonic landscape of "Cosmic Sea" is stunning in its sensitivity and far from the sledgehammer that Shipp has used to great effect on some of his other pieces. Here the language is more delicate. A composition like "Piano Panels" says it all. Shipp knows the tiniest details of his instrument and brings out all of its shades and colors. The music is both bodily, intellectual and spherical, but most of all immediately accessible. Despite the complexity of musical information, it reaches out with melodies and rhythms that connect the past, present and future. Zero is both a return to the roots and a new beginning that offers an alternative path to solo piano playing. ~ Jacob Baekgaard https://www.allaboutjazz.com/zero-matthew-shipp-esp-disk-review-by-jakob-baekgaard.php

Personnel: Matthew Shipp: piano.

Zero

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