Mal Waldron - Mal, Dance and Soul

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:55
Size: 164,9 MB
Art: Front

(9:34)  1. Dancing on the Flames
(7:59)  2. A Bow to the Classics
(8:11)  3. Little One
(7:52)  4. From a Little Acorns
(8:58)  5. Soul Mates
(6:49)  6. Blood and Guts
(8:56)  7. Solar
(7:35)  8. Blue Monk
(6:00)  9. Golden Golson

A pianist with a brooding, rhythmic, introverted style, Mal Waldron's playing has long been flexible enough to fit into both hard bop and freer settings. Influenced by Thelonious Monk's use of space, Waldron has had his own distinctive chord voicings nearly from the start. Early on, Waldron played jazz on alto and classical music on piano, but he switched permanently to jazz piano while at Queens College. He freelanced around New York in the early '50s with Ike Quebec (for whom he made his recording debut), Big Nick Nicholas, and a variety of R&B-ish groups. Waldron frequently worked with Charles Mingus from 1954-1956 and was Billie Holiday's regular accompanist during her last two years (1957-1959). Often hired by Prestige to supervise recording sessions, Waldron contributed many originals (including "Soul Eyes," which became a standard) and basic arrangements that prevented spontaneous dates from becoming overly loose jam sessions. After Holiday's death, he mostly led his own groups, although he was part of the Eric Dolphy-Booker Little Quintet that was recorded extensively at the Five Spot in 1961, and also worked with Abbey Lincoln for a time during the era. He wrote three film scores (The Cool World, Three Bedrooms in Manhattan, and Sweet Love Bitter) before moving permanently to Europe in 1965, settling in Munich in 1967. Waldron, who has occasionally returned to the U.S. for visits, has long been a major force in the European jazz world. His album Free at Last was the first released by ECM, and his Black Glory was the fourth Enja album. Waldron, who frequently teamed up with Steve Lacy (often as a duet), kept quite busy up through the '90s, featuring a style that evolved but was certainly traceable to his earliest record dates. 

Among the many labels that have documented his music have been Prestige, New Jazz, Bethlehem, Impulse, Musica, Affinity, ECM, Futura, Nippon Phonogram, Enja, Freedom, Black Lion, Horo, Teichiku, Hat Art, Palo Alto, Eastwind, Baybridge, Paddle Wheel, Muse, Free Lance, Soul Note, Plainisphere, and Timeless. In September of 2002, Waldron was diagnosed with cancer. Remaining optimistic, he continued to tour until he passed away on December 2 in Brussels, Belgium at the age of76. ~Scott Yanow

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mal-waldron-mn0000665824/biography                              

Personnel:  Mal Waldron - piano;  Jim Pepper - tenor saxophone;  Ed Schuller - bass;  John Betsch - drums

Mal, Dance and Soul

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Eileen Farrell - Sings Rodgers & Hart

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:07
Size: 97,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:34)  1. I Could Write a Book
(2:10)  2. I Wish I Were in Love Again
(3:13)  3. Wait Till You See Him
(3:08)  4. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(2:01)  5. Love Me Tonight
(3:14)  6. Nobody's Heart
(5:28)  7. It Never Entered My Mind
(2:40)  8. Mountain Greenery
(2:29)  9. Sing for Your Supper
(2:52) 10. Can't You Do a Friend a Favor
(3:01) 11. Lover
(2:50) 12. My Heart Stood Still
(3:39) 13. Little Girl Blue
(2:41) 14. You're Nearer

Eileen Farrell won acclaim and fame as an opera singer. She proved an effective, sometimes impressive standards and pre-rock performer, although she wasn't a jazz singer in any sense. This is a 14-song package from 1989 with arrangments by Louis McGlobon. The backing band includes fine trumpet and flugelhorn solos from Joe Wilder and an unusual instrumental bonus with the inclusion of vibist Jim Stack on some cuts. ~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/eileen-farrell-sings-rodgers-hart-mw0000202465    

Personnel: Eileen Farrell - vocals;  Joe Wilder - trumpet, flugelhorn;  Jim Brock - percussion;  Loonis McGlohon - piano;  Bill Stowe - drums;  Doug Henry - flute, saxophone;  Greg Hyslop - guitar;  Jim Stack - vibraphone;  Terry Peoples - bass

Sings Rodgers & Hart

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Elvin Jones - In Europe

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:28
Size: 145,4 MB
Art: Front

(17:40)  1. Ray
(32:45)  2. Doll of the Bride
(13:02)  3. Island Birdie

Recorded live at a jazz festival in Germany, In Europe represents a typical Jazz Machine live performance, three selections from the group's regular repertoire where the musicians get plenty of room to stretch out, fueled by Jones' propulsive polyrhythms. "Ray-El," written by Elvin's brother Thad Jones, is a medium tempo blues number featuring a fine flute solo by Sonny Fortune. The traditional Japanese folk song "Doll of the Bride" is a 32 minute tour-de-force beginning with Fortune's flute and a long Jones drum solo using mallets, then moving into a Latin-ish vamp with excellent solos from Fortune on tenor sax and Willie Pickens on piano. "Island Birdie," written by McCoy Tyner, is a happy calypso reminiscent of "St. Thomas" with a nice turn on soprano sax by Ravi Coltrane, the son of Elvin's former employer John Coltrane, and bassist Chip Jackson. This was Jones' return to recording after a seven year hiatus. ~ Greg Turner https://www.allmusic.com/album/in-europe-mw0000678298

Personnel:  Elvin Jones - drums;  Sonny Fortune - tenor saxophone, flute;  Ravi Coltrane - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone;  Willie Pickens - piano;  Chip Jackson - bass

In Europe

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Vladimir Shafranov Trio - Whisper Not

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:45
Size: 153,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:14)  1. You And The Night And The Music
(6:21)  2. Hply Land
(7:10)  3. I Remember Clifford
(4:43)  4. Whisper Not
(8:48)  5. Moon And Sand
(9:21)  6. Hush-A-Bye
(6:41)  7. Day Dream/Star-Crossed Lovers
(3:18)  8. Oblivion
(4:58)  9. If You Could See Me Now
(8:06) 10. A Beautiful Friendship

Born December 31 1948 in Leningrad,Russia.  Vladimir Shafranov was educated in Leningrad Conservatory on violin and piano. Already as a teenager he began playing jazz at the local scene,much to dismay of his teachers. He emigrated to Israel in 1973 and then to Finland in 1974. While in Finland he was one of the most in demand pianist especially accompanying visiting Americans. Greatly encouraged by many of them to move to New York he did so in 1983 and was very active in Manhattan Jazz Scene playing at clubs such as Bradley's, Blue Note, Village Vanguard,Village Gate among others. He was a duo partner w. bassists like Ron Carter,Red Mitchell,George Mraz and Buster Williams, led trios with Ron Carter-Al Foster, Rufus Reid-Victor Lewis, George Mraz-Albert "Tootie" Heath to name but a few. He also played with many top soloists such as Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie,Art Farmer, Clifford Jordan,George Coleman, Pepper Adams and accompanied singers such as Carmen McRae,Ernestine Anderson, Etta Jones and Jimmy Scott.Since 1998 he and his family settled on Åland Islands and has become one of best-selling jazz pianists in Japan having released 11 CD's and DVD. His latest release is "I'll Close My Eyes"(20010) featuring Jesper Lundgaard on bass. https://www.last.fm/music/Vladimir+Shafranov/+wiki

Personnel:  Vladimir Shafranov - piano;  Peter Washington - bass;  Victor Lewis - drums.

Whisper Not

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Michael Franks - The Music In My Head

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:47
Size: 123,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:04)  1. As Long As We're Both Together
(4:35)  2. Suddenly Sci-Fi
(5:05)  3. The Idea Of A Tree
(4:23)  4. Bluebird Blue
(6:14)  5. To Spend The Day With You
(4:21)  6. Bebop Headshop
(5:52)  7. Where You Hid The Truth
(4:57)  8. The Music In My Head
(5:43)  9. Candleglow
(5:28) 10. Waterfall

A giant of Quiet Storm music since years before that label was coined, Michael Franks is still quietly going about his business. The Music In My Head (June 8 2018, Shanachie Entertainment) is his eighteenth long player over forty-five years, coming a leisurely seven years after his last one. Franks really doesn’t need to make new music apart from just the personal enjoyment of doing it; old farts like myself would be forever content to cue up Art of Tea on the turntable and come see him perform strictly fan favorites and hits from the 70’s and 80’s. But while he might record at the same languid pace that much of his music inspires in others, he’s never quit creating new music and new sides. That inner flame still burns and that smoky, breathy voice is exactly the same as it’s always been. A spiritual heir to the late Mose Allison but with less blues and more Brazil (though Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee once did record a few of his songs), Franks is part of a dying breed of singers who can still convincingly make the case for jazz as popular music, and do it with thoughtful, grown-up songs from his own pen. In going back to read my 2011 review of Time Together, at least ninety percent of what’s said about that last release could aptly describe The Music In My Head. That goes right down to Franks’ use of five different producers, with Gil Goldstein, Scott Petito and Jimmy Haslip responsible for all but two of the ten tracks. Such a strategy could be perilous and result in an uneven product but thankfully, every one of these producers were very much attuned to that classic Michael Franks sound and showed great respect for it. 

Even with his usual collection of star musicians and producers involved in this project, there is no question who is the mastermind. His songs reach out to listeners on a personal level and like Time Together, the clean and uncluttered way they’re arranged and recorded only makes it easier to feel that direct connection. In keeping with his Brazil fascination, several of these songs are played with soft, bossa nova rhythms, like “Suddenly Sci-Fi.” That song has such a silky texture, you might not even notice it’s all acoustic save for David’s Spinozza’s tasty-as-frick guitar, the perfect accompaniment to Franks’ cooing out his signature impishly clever lines (“It seemed to say in Phillip K. Dick-tation/It’s now a sci-fi nation”). Spinozza, who first appeared on a Franks album way back in 1980(!), traces Franks’ scatting on the sly number “The Idea Of A Tree” and further makes his mark on three other tracks. “To Spend The Day With You” is another breezy bossa nova groove and this time it’s showcase for pianist Rachel Z. Franks’ tender ballad “Bluebird Blue” is one of the best testimonies that this is the same guys who wooed fans back in the day with classic ballads like “Lady Wants to Know” and “Tiger In The Rain,” as Goldstein gives the song the same light production touch that Tommy LiPuma did for Franks’ recordings some four decades earlier. Memories of Franks’ jazz awakening during his time in college come to swinging life on the all-acoustic “Bebop Headshop.”“The Music In My Head” is also autobiographical, a song about how the sounds of nature serve as his muse. The title track has the most contemporary vibe of this grouping of songs, with a sophisticated bridge and Franks effortlessly trading phrases with Bob Mintzer’s sax. The tender, sensual “Candleglow” is notable for a melodic exchange between Haslip and saxophonist Gary Meek, and “Waterfall” takes the album to a willowy landing with a big assist from Goldstein’s balletic piano.Lastly, there’s the song that appears first. “As Long As We’re Both Together” (stream above) is the only one with Chuck Loeb’s involvement: he produced, arranged and played guitar and keys on it. But Loeb was a very sick man at the time he left behind the polished backing track that featured for a final time some very graceful guitar that he was known for. Soon afterwards, cancer had claimed his life. In the end, that great loss didn’t dissuade Michael Franks from presenting the world the music in his head. The Music In My Head continues his forty-five year tradition of delivering comfort music with intellect, wit and grace. http://somethingelsereviews.com/2018/06/04/michael-franks-the-music-in-my-head-2018/

The Music In My Head

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