Horace Parlan Trio - Like Someone In Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:50
Size: 95.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1983/1995
Art: Front

[5:02] 1. U.M.M.G
[5:48] 2. Ballade
[4:27] 3. Scandia Skies
[5:27] 4. Little Esther
[8:45] 5. Like Someone In Love
[6:25] 6. The Duke Ellington Sound Of Love
[5:52] 7. Blues In The Closet

Bass – Jesper Lundgaard; Drums – Dannie Richmond; Piano – Horace Parlan. Recorded 16th. March 1983.

Trio setting best portrays Horace Parlan’s unique method of piano playing with the strong left-hand technique which he developed to supplement his partially paralysed right hand. Here with bassist Lundgaard who is on his way to the stardom as Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen has archived and an old colleague from the Mingus band Richmond, Parlan displays

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Bob DeVos - DeVos' Groove Guitar

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:32
Size: 140.9 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[5:13] 1. Tom Thumb
[7:07] 2. The Look Of Love
[7:04] 3. Driftin'
[6:18] 4. Prayin' For Your Return
[8:38] 5. The End Of A Love Affair
[7:00] 6. Cantaloupe Island
[8:28] 7. Round Midnight
[4:59] 8. Coming Home Baby
[6:42] 9. Come Rain Or Come Shine

A versatile jazz guitarist, Bob Devos knows how to compliment the Hammond B3. He has played alongside such organ masters as Charles Earland, Richard "Groove" Holmes and Jimmy McGriff. Devos is a dynamic jazzman delivering first rate guitar and organ driven energy on his Blues Leaf debut, Devos' Groove Guitar!

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Nina Simone - What Happened, Miss Simone? Her Story, Her Voice.

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:37
Size: 132.7 MB
Styles: Jazz/blues vocals
Year: 2016
Art: Full

[ 2:32] 1. I Loves You, Porgy
[ 2:45] 2. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
[ 2:36] 3. I Put A Spell On You
[ 3:29] 4. Strange Fruit
[10:19] 5. Sinnerman
[ 4:52] 6. Mississippi Goddam
[ 2:34] 7. Little Girl Blue
[ 5:26] 8. Don't Smoke In Bed
[ 3:03] 9. My Baby Just Cares For Me
[ 4:15] 10. Lilac Wine
[ 3:25] 11. Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair
[ 3:04] 12. Night Song
[ 2:39] 13. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
[ 2:56] 14. Feeling Good
[ 3:35] 15. Ne Me Quitte Pas

Classically trained pianist, dive-bar chanteuse, black power icon and legendary recording artist, Nina Simone lived a life of brutal honesty, musical genius and tortured melancholy. In this epic documentary, director Liz Garbus interweaves never-before-heard recordings and rare archival footage together with Nina's most memorable songs, to create an unforgettable portrait of one of the least understood, yet most beloved, artists of our time.

WHAT HAPPENED, MISS SIMONE? is a Netflix original, using recently unearthed audiotapes, recorded over the course of three decades, of Nina telling her life story to various interviewers and would-be biographers. From over 100 hours of these recordings, the film weaves together Nina's narrative, told largely in her own words. Rare concert footage and archival interviews, along with diaries, letters, interviews with Nina's daughter, Lisa Simone Kelly, friends and collaborators, along with other exclusive materials, make this the most authentic, personal and unflinching telling of the extraordinary life of one of the 20th century's greatest recording artists.

Thank you SD friend.
What Happened, Miss Simone? Her Story, Her Voice. mc
What Happened, Miss Simone? Her Story, Her Voice. zippy

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Jelly Rolls Sweet Band - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:39
Size: 93.1 MB
Styles: Retro swing
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[3:15] 1. Crazy Rhythm
[4:02] 2. I Can't Believe You're In Love With Me
[2:50] 3. Eeny Meeny Miney Moe
[3:18] 4. Walkin' My Baby Back Home
[3:29] 5. When I Take My Sugar
[3:43] 6. Do You Know What It Means
[3:00] 7. Kee-Mo Ky-Mo
[3:56] 8. Palm Springs Jump
[3:41] 9. It's Only A Paper Moon
[2:26] 10. I'm Shooting High
[3:17] 11. You're The Cream In My Coffee
[3:37] 12. Hey! Stop Kissing My Sister

Rachel Floricourt - Voix + Washboard; Pierlo Chamielec - Piano + Trombone; Fred Clavel - Contrebasse; Gilles Yvanez - Guitare + Banjo; Eric Thiercy - Trompette; Maximiliano Zecchin - Saxophone.

Jelly Rolls Sweet Band is the Montpellier group of swing music. The sound of the beginning of the last century to the delight of lindy-hop dancers. Jelly Rolls Sweet Band is above all a human adventure guided by a common passion for music played in New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th century.

On this first album, we went in search of the source of what we like in this music. Nat King Cole and Fats Waller already in their time were inspired by these melodies to add their imprint. Good music is like good wine, it does not lose a drop of its flavor with the years, and this album will try to keep modestly and respectfully the essence for each of its 12 titles. (Translated from French.)

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Nancy Ames - As Time Goes By

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:27
Size: 69.7 MB
Styles: Folk-pop, Easy Listening
Year: 1966
Art: Front

[3:22] 1. As Time Goes By
[3:19] 2. Once In A While
[2:56] 3. Speak Low
[3:11] 4. Again
[3:02] 5. You've Changed
[3:11] 6. You'll Never Know
[2:55] 7. How Deep Is The Ocean
[2:16] 8. Now Is The Hour
[2:21] 9. He Wore The Green Beret
[3:49] 10. For All We Know

She was born in Washington, D.C., the granddaughter of Ricardo Joaquín Alfaro (1882–1971), who served as President of Panama from 1931-32. The daughter of a physician, she grew up in Washington. She attended Holton Arms College and Bennett College, both of them for girls. By 1964 she was married to Romanian hypnotist Triaian Boyer. By 1968, they had divorced. After the divorce, she married Jay Riviere, a golf course designer. They had one child, a daughter, Nancy, but ultimately divorced. Ames has resided in Houston, Texas since 1972. She and her third husband Danny Ward are the co-founders of Ward and Ames Special Events.

A folk singer with a partially Latin repertoire, she was signed to Liberty Records; her first album was entitled Cu Cu Rru Cu Cu La Paloma. She broke the top 100 twice in 1966; "He Wore the Green Beret," her answer song to Staff Sgt. Barry Sadler's "Ballad of the Green Berets," hit number 89, and later in the year "Cry Softly" also placed in the charts. She had a TV show which aired on KPRC-TV Channel 2 (the Houston area NBC affiliate) from 1972-77. She is listed as the co-writer of the theme song to The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour with Mason Williams per Williams' own 1969 LP entitled Music by Mason Williams. Ames and Williams also co-wrote "Cinderella Rockefella," an international pop hit in 1968.

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Dave Liebman - Joy: The Music Of John Coltrane

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:55
Size: 114.3 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[ 6:13] 1. After The Rain
[ 4:39] 2. Untitled Original
[ 4:44] 3. Alabama
[10:32] 4. India
[ 9:12] 5. Naima
[14:33] 6. Selflessness

Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Jim Roller (tracks: 2, 4 to 6); Alto Saxophone – Bill Schnepper (tracks: 2, 4 to 6), Mike Fansler (tracks: 2, 4 to 6); Baritone Saxophone – Jim Wingo (tracks: 2, 4 to 6); Bass – Pete Spaar (tracks: 2 to 4, 6); Bass Clarinet – Bill Schnepper (tracks: 1), Jed Hackett (2) (tracks: 1), Jim Wingo (tracks: 1), Kenny Flester (tracks: 1), Mike Fansler (tracks: 1); Drums – Howard Curtis (tracks: 3), Mike Nichols (5) (tracks: 2, 4 to 6); Flute – Carrie Scattergood (tracks: 1), Christine Fry (tracks: 1), Dawn Rhinehart (tracks: 1), Elisabeth L. Boivin (tracks: 1), Grace P. Manuel (tracks: 1), Jen Kuk (tracks: 1), Jennifer McQueen (tracks: 1), Kerry O'Connor (tracks: 1), Kristi Blalock (tracks: 1), Mandy Harris (tracks: 1), Margaret Ross (3) (tracks: 1), Mary Kay Adams (tracks: 1), Melinda Gryder (tracks: 1), Miranda Hopkins (tracks: 1), Susan L. Walker (tracks: 1), Tracie Vies (tracks: 1); Flute [Indian], Synthesizer – David Liebman (tracks: 4); Flute [Mayan] – Gunnar Mossblad (tracks: 4); Orchestra – James Madison University Jazz Ensemble (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 6); Percussion – Mike Nichols (5) (tracks: 1), R.J. Gregor (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 6); Piano – Butch Taylor (tracks: 2 to 6), Gunnar Mossblad (tracks: 1); Piano, Synthesizer – Michael Souders (tracks: 2, 4 to 6); Soprano Saxophone – David Liebman; Tenor Saxophone – Gunnar Mossblad (tracks: 3), Jed Hackett (2) (tracks: 2, 4 to 6), Kenny Flester (tracks: 2, 4 to 6); Trombone – Kim Zitlau (tracks: 2, 4 to 6), Michael Mosley (2) (tracks: 2, 4 to 6), Tom McKenzie (tracks: 2, 4 to 6); Trombone [Bass] – Steve Coonly (tracks: 2, 4 to 6); Trumpet – Brian Garland (tracks: 2, 4 to 6), Christopher Breault (tracks: 2, 4 to 6), Donna Ott (tracks: 2, 4 to 6), Gregory Oaks (tracks: 2, 4 to 6), John D'Earth (tracks: 3, 4), Kevin Lewis (5) (tracks: 2, 4 to 6). Recorded at James Madison University's "Studio A", Harrisonburg, Va. on 19th-20th March, 1992.

David Liebman has recorded several tributes to John Coltrane through the years (even though he really doesn't sound like him) and his Candid CD is one of his most rewarding. Utilizing a strong college orchestra, some guests and (on "After the Rain") the 17 flutes and five bass clarinets of the JMU Flute Choir, Liebman performs six of Coltrane's top compositions from the 1961-66 period. He sticks to soprano except for some Indian flute on "India" and pays tribute to Coltrane's creative spirit rather than just imitating his solos. "Alabama" and "Naima" are passionate ballads, "India" sounds exotic and the medley of "Joy" and "Selflessness" are free and intense. There are strong individual moments from pianist Butch Taylor and trumpeter John D'Earth although Liebman is the main soloist throughout. He tackles Coltrane's music on its own terms and the results are fresh and often quite exciting. ~Scott Yanow

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Cannonball Adderley - Discoveries

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:31
Size: 81.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Soul-jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:44] 1. With Apologies To Oscar (Take 1)
[5:44] 2. Bohemia After Dark (Take 1)
[4:06] 3. Chasm (Take 3)
[3:13] 4. Late Entry (Take 4)
[5:00] 5. A Little Taste (Take 1)
[5:18] 6. Caribbean Cutie (Take 1)
[0:39] 7. Spontaneous Combustion (Take 4)
[5:43] 8. With Apologies To Oscar (Take 2)

Alto Saxophone – Cannonball Adderley; Cornet – Nat Adderley; Double Bass – Paul Chambers; Drums – Kenny Clarke; Piano – Hank Jones, Horace Silver; Tenor Saxophone – Jerome Richardson; Trumpet – Donald Byrd.

The lineup on this mid-'50s Cannonball Adderley date is like some kind of hard bop dream team: the alto sax legend is teamed up with brother Nat on cornet, Donald Byrd on trumpet, Jerome Richardson on tenor sax and a rhythm section consisting of drummer Kenny Clarke and bassist Paul Chambers; Horace Silver handles most of the piano chores, while Hank Jones sits in on two tracks. Adderley plays beautifully throughout; note especially the rhythmic tension he sets up as he plays straight eighths over the melody on "With Apologies to Oscar." Horace Silver is at the top of his form as well, and seems to be having fun throwing around veiled Monk references. The trumpet/cornet solo on "Bohemia After Dark," however, sounds tired and hesitant. Unfortunately, the sound quality of this disc varies (sometimes within a single track) more than it should for a recording of this vintage, and the disc's 35-minute length is another annoyance. But the weight of great performances by Adderley, Silver and the infallible Clarke/Chambers axis, combined with the disc's attractive price, make it a solid value. Highly recommended. ~Rick Anderson

Discoveries mc
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Erik Truffaz - Face-À-Face Disc 1 And Disc 2

Album: Face-À-Face  Disc 1

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:46
Size: 174,0 MB
Art: Front

(8:48)  1. Saloua
(5:42)  2. Gedech
(1:11)  3. Presentation
(4:51)  4. Dubophone
(2:50)  5. Ghost Drummer (Intro)
(6:47)  6. Ghost Drummer
(6:26)  7. Whispering
(2:25)  8. Parlofone
(6:41)  9. Magrouni
(5:37) 10. Ines
(5:34) 11. Le Reve D'Eline
(6:01) 12. Yabous
(3:33) 13. Outlaw
(6:07) 14. Big Wheel
(3:03) 15. Jadwell

Face-À-Face

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Album: Face-À-Face  Disc 2

Time: 73:55

Size: 169,6 MB

( 8:23)  1. Sweet Mercy

( 9:21)  2. King B.

( 0:43)  3. Presentation

( 5:01)  4. Wilfried

( 9:23)  5. Bending New Corners

( 1:57)  6. The Walk Of The Giant Turtle (Intro)

( 6:29)  7. The Walk Of The Giant Turtle

(10:25)  8. Arroyo

( 8:16)  9. Flamingos

( 9:35) 10. Belle De Nuit

( 4:17) 11. Betty

French trumpeter Erik Truffaz, one of the hardest working artists in jazz, seems to be endlessly on tour with his two groups. The only place his stylistically hybridized music has yet to make significant inroads is the US which is a shame because Truffaz is a fine player from the electric Miles camp and a largely innovative conceptualist as well. Face-à-Face, his first live release, includes one disc with his piano-based quartet and the other with his guitar-centric Ladyland. It demonstrates just how different studio material can be in performance, where the energy and expansive possibilities are greater. The Ladyland disc also proves it's possible to breathe new life into less-than-stellar material. Mantis (Blue Note, 2002) was a near-perfect blend of fusion-based writing with a distinctive Middle Eastern vibe. Saloua (Blue Note, 2005) unfortunately took the concept too far, emphasizing rapper Nya and Tunisian singer Mounir Troudi's voices over playing by Truffaz and Manu Codjia a guitarist who compellingly mixes quirky Frisellisms, Holdsworthian legato phrasing and the occasional metal edge. Live, the balance is returned. And that's a good thing, considering the lion's share of this material is taken from Saloua. Ladyland covers considerable territory. "Ines revolves around a hypnotic pedal tone, Troudi's plaintive singing in direct contrast with Truffaz's soft-timbred approach also evident on the gentle "La Reve D'Eline, featuring a duet spot for Truffaz and Codjia. "Yabous is more insistent, combining vocals by Troudi and Nya over power chords by Codjia and a visceral dance groove from bassist Michel Benita and drummer Philippe Pipon Garcia. "Magrouni is a pedal-to-the-metal rocker whose muscular theme doubled by Truffaz and Codjia provides one of the disc's most memorable moments.  Truffaz's quartet has been around longer, evolving considerably. It's morphed from an all-acoustic mainstream group in 1997 to a more aggressively rock-informed unit in recent years, influenced by but less dense and angular than Miles' late-'60s and early-'70s work. These days Patrick Muller is often found feeding his Rhodes through a distortion box, with more powerful rhythms coming from bassist Marcello Giuliani and drummer Marc Erbetta.  Live, the quartet occasionally augmented by Nya is the more adventurous of the two groups. The thundering "King B extends to nearly twice the studio take's length. Truffaz uncharacteristically reaches for the upper register of his horn while retaining his thick and appealing tone. As raw as Ladyland can be and as promising a young player as Codjia certainly is Truffaz's quartet is the more successful of the two, taking more collective risk with the material, even though it's equally form-based. "Bending New Corners, with Giuliani's popping bass and Muller's juxtaposition of abstraction and blues-based lines, is more open-ended than anything Ladyland does.  While the quartet disc wins out over Ladyland's because it takes greater chances, Face-à-Face in its entirety provides a terrific introduction to listeners who are unfamiliar with Truffaz and confirmation that, as good as his records have been, he's clearly at his best on the concert stage.~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/face-a-face-erik-truffaz-blue-note-records-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel:  Erik Truffaz : trompette, electronics;  Marc Erbetta : batterie, percussions, chant;  Mounir Troudi: bendir, chant;  Nya : chant;  Manu Codjia : electronics, guitare;  Michel Benita : basse, sampler;  Marcello Giuliani : basse;  Patrick Muller : piano, piano électrique, Fender Rhodes;  Philippe Garcia : sampler, batterie

Face-À-Face

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Julia Rich - I'll Take Romance

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:02
Size: 104,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:12)  1. I'll Take Romance
(3:51)  2. Lullaby Of Birdland
(6:12)  3. More Than You Know
(4:17)  4. Two Afternoons In December
(3:45)  5. Shiny Stockings
(4:16)  6. And I Love Him
(2:51)  7. It's All Right With Me
(5:25)  8. Stars Fell on Alabama
(3:01)  9. Deep Purple
(3:12) 10. Falling In Love With Love
(3:15) 11. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
(2:41) 12. Blue Moon

Julia Rich is the featured vocalist and road manager for the current tribute Glenn Miller Orchestra. For her first album, I'll Take Romance, Rich has opted for an unadventurous, but solid play list of eleven standards and one original, which she delivers in her own sweet way. Rich's big band experience comes into play on this disc. In addition to excellent phrasing, her sense of timing is faultless as she interacts with her instrumentalists in ensemble and individually. "More Than You Know" is introduced with the verse with Rich sequing into the chorus behind the caressing of Bob Mater's cymbals. Tenor man Ricky Woodard comes in with his deep, mellow tenor maneuvering in and around Rich's plaintive of this Billy Rose/Edward Eliscu classic. Woodard's big horn plays a major role throughout this disk as he blows at least one chorus on almost every cut. One of his more interesting solos comes on "Stars Fell on Alabama" where he does some catchy note bending. Rich's own "Two Afternoons in December" is done in 3/4 time and provides one more opportunity for Rich to work intimately with a member of the ensemble. This time it's George Tidwell and his mellow, soft-toned flugelhorn of. A very up beat "It's all Right with Me" highlights Gary Weaver's piano and the ubiquitous Woodard tenor as they this chestnut out for a fast gallop. Weaver shares piano duties with Bob Migliore whose skills are put on display with an unusual arrangement of "Deep Purple" which also spotlights the Latin percussion of Ron Gannaway, the bass of Jim Ferguson and Tidwell's muted trumpet. Ferguson worked with the legendary guitarist Lenny Breau in the 1980's. Migliore also does a regretful sounding piano as he duos with Rich on a melancholy "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning". But things end on a bright note with an upbeat version of "Blue Moon."We are not dealing with a breakthrough album here. Nonetheless, for about 45 minutes the listener is treated to laid back, pleasing and entertaining jazz music presented by a good straight ahead vocalist backed by some very talented instrumentalists. Julia Rich's I'll Take Romance is recommended.~ Dave Nathan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/ill-take-romance-julia-rich-cardinal-records-review-by-dave-nathan.php

Personnel: Julia Rich - Vocals; Gary Weaver, Tony Migliore - Piano; Jim Ferguson - Bass; Bob Mater - Drums/ Percussion; Ron Gannaway - Percussion; George Tidwell - Trumpet/ Flugelhorn; Ricky Woodard - Tenor Sax

I'll Take Romance

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Keith Jarrett - Expectations

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:50
Size: 179,6 MB
Art: Front

( 0:51)  1. Vision
( 8:14)  2. Common Mama
( 6:55)  3. The Magician In You
( 5:25)  4. Roussillon
( 4:29)  5. Expectations
( 9:33)  6. Take Me Back
( 5:06)  7. The Circular Letter (For J.K.)
(17:21)  8. Nomads
( 4:28)  9. Sundance
( 9:51) 10. Bring Back The Time When (If)
( 5:33) 11. There Is A Road (God's River)

This was the first real indication to the world that Keith Jarrett was an ambitious, multi-talented threat to be reckoned with, an explosion of polystylistic music that sprawled over two LPs (now squeezed onto a single CD). Using his classic quartet (Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden, Paul Motian) as a base, Jarrett occasionally adds the biting rock-edged electric guitar of Sam Brown and always-intriguing percussionist Airto Moreira, and indulges in some pleasant string and brass arrangements of his own, along with some grinding organ smears and acceptable soprano sax. Jarrett again turns his early rampant eclecticism loose  from earthy gospel-tinged soul-jazz to the freewheeling atonal avant-garde yet this time he does it with an exuberance and expansiveness that puts his previous solo work in the shade. "Common Mama," a spicy Latin workout with brass punctuations, "Take Me Back," driving soul jazz with streaks of electric jazz-rock, and the lengthy, nearly free "Nomads" are the most invigorating tracks.~ Richard S. Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/album/expectations-mw0000691522

Personnel:   Keith Jarrett: piano, organ, soprano saxophone, tambourine, percussion, arrangements;  Dewey Redman: tenor saxophone, percussion;  Sam Brown: guitar;  Charlie Haden: bass;  Paul Motian: drums;  Airto Moreira: percussion.

Expectations

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Mark O'Connor - The New Nashville Cats

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:34
Size: 151,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:42)  1. Bowtie
(5:26)  2. Restless
(6:13)  3. Nashville Shuffle Boogie
(5:04)  4. Pick It Apart
(3:38)  5. Traveller's Ridge
(3:58)  6. Granny White Special
(2:46)  7. Cat In The Bag
(2:42)  8. The Ballad Of Sally Anne
(4:55)  9. Swang
(3:05) 10. Dance Of The Ol' Swamp Rat
(4:09) 11. A Bowl Of Bula
(2:21) 12. Limerock
(5:14) 13. Sweet Suzanne
(5:44) 14. Orange Blossom Special
(6:31) 15. Now It Belongs To You

With an incredible lineup of Nashville's very best musicians, this package covers a wide range of musical territory, from bluegrass to the blues, with plenty of stellar pickin'. Ironically, this mostly instrumental album won a vocal Grammy when Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, and Steve Wariner teamed with Mark O'Connor on "Restless."~ Tom Roland https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-new-nashville-cats-mw0000263977

The New Nashville Cats

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William Parker - Scrapbook

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:42
Size: 93,5 MB
Art: Front

( 8:04)  1. Scrapbook
(11:35)  2. Sunday Morning Church
( 5:02)  3. Singing Spirits
( 5:08)  4. Dust on a White Shirt
( 7:26)  5. Urban
( 3:23)  6. Holiday for Flowers

William Parker's Violin Trio band is one of the more surprising and delightful bands to come out of New York's modern free jazz scene. Parker and his truly singular tone and ingenious modes of attack, violinist Billy Bang, and drummer Hamid Drake conjure the notion of song as it processes itself not only through the simulation and presentation of improvisation but also through the process of memory allegorical, perceptual, cultural, and personal and they turn it back in itself in creating something brand new from the various shards that lay upon the pavement in the dark, highlighted only by an errant street lamp. The possibilities for music like this lyric, harmonic, and tonal is one of the great surprises this trio brings with them. The six selections here are not "compositions" in the formalist sense but are in fact songs. They are "tunes," with rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic bodies that are flexible and transparent enough to allow for each player to move about freely, carry with him something from the body of each piece, and wind it around the other two in a free manner without being held to the concept of breaking down barriers because they are artificial anyway. Bang's minor key solo on "Sunday Morning Church" against Parker's rhythmic, hypnotic bassline recalls a singer mournfully chronicling regret and then affirmation. 

The funky blues at the heart of "Singing Spirits," with Parker popping his bass under Bang's elongated line, and Drake's tom tom work that presents the appearance of shuffle while dancing all around it are stunning in their assuredness of musical purpose. When Bang takes it outside, Parker doesn't race to catch him but flows through a series of changes with ever more stress put upon tension as Drake dances him through. The final cut, "Holiday for Flowers," is a shimmering exercise in the dynamics of balladry and its various seams, where a free for all could develop at any time. Bang lies close to the melody and Parker goes walking, and walking through the blues, swing, soul, and always back to the original blues, those of New Orleans in 1929 and Kansas City in 1931. This is a restrained and lovely album that possesses real firepower in places, but it's almost never necessary because the level of communication runs so deep between these players that everything feels light as a breeze, poignant as a memory, and as fresh as a wound.~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/scrapbook-mw0000033292

Personnel:  William Parker - bass;  Billy Bang - violin;  Hamid Drake - drums

Scrapbook

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