Les McCann - From The Top Of The Barrel

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:59
Size: 86,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:18)  1. Frankie and Johnny
(7:50)  2. Medley: But Beautiful/It Could Happen To You
(4:27)  3. Taking A Chance On Love
(4:14)  4. Love Letters
(7:08)  5. Three Slaves
(5:05)  6. On Green Dolphin Street
(1:52)  7. Set Call

Les McCann reached the peak of his career at the 1969 Montreux Jazz Festival, recording "Compared to What" and "Cold Duck Time" for Atlantic (Swiss Movement) with Eddie Harris and Benny Bailey. Although he has done some worthwhile work since then, much of it has been anticlimactic. McCann first gained some fame in 1956 when he won a talent contest in the Navy as a singer that resulted in an appearance on television on The Ed Sullivan Show. After being discharged, he formed a trio in Los Angeles. McCann turned down an invitation to join the Cannonball Adderley Quintet so he could work on his own music. He signed a contract with Pacific Jazz and in 1960 gained some fame with his albums Les McCann Plays the Truth and The Shout. His soulful, funk style on piano was influential and McCann's singing was largely secondary until the mid-'60s. He recorded many albums for Pacific Jazz during 1960-1964, mostly with his trio but also featuring Ben Webster, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine, Joe Pass, the Jazz Crusaders, and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra. McCann switched to Limelight during 1965-1967 and then signed with Atlantic in 1968. After the success of Swiss Movement, McCann emphasized his singing at the expense of his playing and he began to utilize electric keyboards, notably on 1972's Layers. 

His recordings became less interesting to traditional jazz fans from that point on, and after his Atlantic contract ran out in 1976, McCann appeared on records much less often. However, he stayed popular and a 1994 reunion tour with Eddie Harris was quite successful. A mid-'90s stroke put him out of action for a time and weakened his keyboard playing (his band began carrying an additional keyboardist) but Les McCann returned to a more active schedule during 1996 and was still a powerful singer. His comeback was solidified by 2002's Pump It Up, a guest-heavy celebration of funk and jazz released on ESC Records. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/from-the-top-of-the-barrel-live/1332224684

Personnel:  Les McCann - piano;  Herbie Lewis, Leroy Vinnegar - bass;  Ron Jefferson - drums

From The Top Of The Barrel

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Suzy Bogguss - Sweet Danger

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:19
Size: 107,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:51)  1. The Bus Ride
(3:50)  2. Everything
(3:35)  3. No Good Way to Go
(4:05)  4. If You Leave Me Now
(4:09)  5. In Heaven
(4:34)  6. Baby July
(3:38)  7. Even If That Were True
(2:55)  8. Chain Lover
(3:44)  9. Sweet Danger
(4:15) 10. Right Back Into the Feeling
(4:05) 11. It's Not Gonna Happen Today
(3:34) 12. One Clear Moment

Suzy Bogguss issued her fine Swing album in 2003. Other than a Christmas recording why does every artist feel the need to issue one of those? she hasn't released anything in four years. She's toured hard, written songs, and spent her time and energy conceiving the provocative Sweet Danger. Bogguss may no longer be on the country charts, but perhaps with contemporary country's willingness to embrace other American popular song forms she may end up there yet again. For the listener, it doesn't matter. The reason is simply that Sweet Danger is the finest moment in a long career. Bogguss has undergone a metamorphosis as a musician. It's plainly obvious from the opening moments of the album's opening cut, "The Bus Ride." The big minor-key piano chords, hand percussion, and muted drum kit give way to a tasty acoustic guitar lead and it's all reminiscent of Steely Dan's "Do It Again." The similarity ends there in a sense, because when Bogguss opens her mouth and lets the story begin to fall from her, it's all her. But the music here owes more to jazz and samba than country no matter how hip and inclusive its industry says it is, stuff like this would terrify the production formula-obsessed producers in mainstream Nash Vegas. Her style is inimitable, no matter what she's singing. Unlike most vocalists these days, Bogguss is a singer and a stylist. She takes a lyric and makes it a scenario, a gauzy filmic episode. The shimmering finger-popping groove in "Everything" owes as much to Sergio Mendes as it does to Diane Warren; a button accordion accompanies a piano, acoustic guitars, and restrained but ever-present percussion, floating her tale of romantic ambivalence. Her lines alternate speaker to speaker; tag lines come from the ether. There are some curious selections here, such as a cover of Peter Cetera's monster smash "If You Leave Me Now." While Bogguss does bring something different to the tune, it's not enough to keep you from hearing the original in your head. 

The self-penned "Baby July" is a candidate for country radio again if they have the guts. It's no less commercial than anything by Martina McBride, but it's far subtler as piano, acoustic guitar, sparse percussion, and a brief but tasty lead guitar solo color her voice just the right shade of bright. The production by Jason Miles and Bogguss is wonderful. Most of the album was recorded in New York and finished in Franklin, TN, and there isn't a studio in Nashville that could have handled a record like this with the possible exception of Owen Bradley's back in the day. The album is full of warmth, light, and air. There isn't anything hurried, or compressed in the sound to make it "bigger." There are many quiet surprises, too, such as the upright bass intro to "Chain Lover," a smoky, bluesy opening to a beautiful pop song with gorgeous lyrics by Bogguss and Billy Kirsch. The slippery backbeat (ushered in by the bassline) in the title track offers a breezy love song that has everything in it, expressing what being "overwhelmed" by new love means. There are wily little beats in the middle of the mix and Bogguss' relaxed delivery is sexy it's confessional but happy. The dizziness the listener experiences comes from her artful phrasing. Other winners here include a beautifully soulful reading of Beth Nielsen Chapman's "Right Back into the Feeling," the closest thing to a rocker on this disc. It's adult, infectious, and soulful. The other is the closer, a B-3-tinged love song Bogguss wrote with Carson Whitsett and Jon Vezner. Here is the sound that contemporary country music would aspire to if it were sophisticated enough. It's a simple song with a glorious arrangement and lush texture, where the song dictates what the singer offers the listener, not the other way around. Sweet Danger is yet another example of what a true treasure Suzy Bogguss is as a singer, writer, and performer. She is simply timeless in her grace and elegance. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/sweet-danger-mw0000574934

Sweet Danger

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Nelson Riddle - Love Is A Game of Poker

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:01
Size: 80,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:54)  1. Playboy's Theme
(2:37)  2. Alone Too Long
(3:09)  3. Queen of Hearts
(3:00)  4. Red Silk Stockings and Green Perfume
(3:29)  5. Finesse
(2:15)  6. A Game of Poker
(2:22)  7. It's So Nice to Have A Man About the House
(3:18)  8. Witchcraft
(2:12)  9. Two Hearts Wild
(3:13) 10. You Fascinate Me So
(2:59) 11. Penny Ante
(2:27) 12. Indiscreet

"The exciting new sound of Nelson Riddle...a new sound breakthrough," proclaimed the cover of this album, recorded at the end of Riddle's tenure with Capitol Records before he decamped to rejoin Frank Sinatra at Reprise. That exciting new sound seemed to derive from Riddle's recent successes on the large (Lolita) and small (Route 66) screen, and to have been influenced by Henry Mancini's similar success, leading to a more prominent rhythm section and a jazzier feel than one usually associates with Riddle's charts. The conductor's feel for melody was not extinguished by any means but, probably due to his recent experience, his arrangements and (on three tracks) compositions had a far more cinematic flair, which gave them an early-'60s contemporaneity and brought him out of the '50s just as he was moving on to new challenges.~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/love-is-a-game-of-poker-mw0000939022

Love Is A Game of Poker

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Kenny Drew - Cleopatra's Dream

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:20
Size: 131,8 MB
Art: Front

(9:39)  1. Moonlit Desert
(6:05)  2. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(6:14)  3. Right On
(5:35)  4. Cleopatra's Dream
(6:51)  5. What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life
(7:44)  6. Lite Bossa
(3:31)  7. Alice In Wonderland
(6:56)  8. Images
(4:40)  9. Hymn

A talented bop-based pianist (whose son has been one of the brightest pianists of the 1990s), Kenny Drew was somewhat underrated due to his decision to permanently move to Copenhagen in 1964. He made his recording debut in 1949 with Howard McGhee and in the 1950s was featured on sessions with a who's who of jazz, including Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Milt Jackson, Buddy DeFranco's quartet, Dinah Washington, and Buddy Rich (1958). Drew led sessions for Blue Note, Norgran, Pacific Jazz, Riverside, and the obscure Judson label during 1953-1960; most of the sessions are available on CD. He moved to Paris in 1961 and relocated to Copenhagen in 1964 where he was co-owner of the Matrix label. He formed a duo with Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson and worked regularly at the Montmartre. Drew recorded many dates for SteepleChase in the 1970s and remained active up until his death.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/kenny-drew-mn0000081841/biography

Personnel:  Kenny Drew (piano), Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (bass), Alvin Queen (drums)

Cleopatra's Dream

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Pharez Whitted - Transient Journey

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:09
Size: 163,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:28)  1. The Truth Seeker
(5:55)  2. Transient Journey
(7:37)  3. Brother Thomas
(6:38)  4. Monkish
(6:18)  5. Plicky
(5:00)  6. Sunset on the Gaza
(6:23)  7. OS Who
(6:02)  8. Until Tomorrow Comes
(5:21)  9. Our Man Barack
(7:19) 10. Soul Mates
(8:03) 11. Yes We Can

The intimidating yet dapper looking man on the cover plays his horn in the same striking manner of his appearance. Chicago trumpeter Pharez Whitted as they might say on the street, "Ain't No Joke" as witnessed by his serious musicianship  chops that are emotive, filled with technique and touch, and soulful swagger. It's hard to believe that Transient Journey is only his third release as a leader.  A musician, band leader, and educator currently serving as Director of Jazz Studies at Chicago State University, Whitted brings a vast wealth of knowledge and superior skills to the recording. It also helps to have a killing sextet that includes the stellar guitarist Bobby Broom who also co-produced the project. While Whitted's previous two recordings were released in the mid-1990s (for MoJazz, a Motown subsidiary) this set of eleven original compositions is well worth the wait.  A delightfully swinging affair is in store. Polished vamps and even smoother solos are served in "The Truth Seeker" and the title track with a chilly urban charisma that's frosted by Ron Perrillo's keyboards and Whitted's soulful trumpet. "Brother Thomas" sounds like it could've been written in the 1960s on Blue Note, ala Freddie Hubbard (a strong influence and a longtime family friend). The infectious "Monkish" is the sweet spot personified. It gets under the skin; finger-snapping music with an infectious quality and quirkiness that gives props to Thelonious Monk.  Whitted's articulation and command of his horn is as fluent and polished as contemporaries like Wynton Marsalis or Terence Blanchard and could teach younger cats such as Corey Wilkes and Christian Scott a thing or two. His sepia-toned flugelhorn is equally impressive on "Until Tomorrow Comes" where its soft glow is suffused in the track's mellow Bossa rhythm.  Whether it's "Plicky"'s funky tempo (dedicated to his sister) or the band's swinging optimism in "Yes We Can," the set is enjoyable from start to finish. It might have taken a minute (a mere fourteen years since his previous release) but it's good to hear Pharez Whitted delivering his music once again. ~ Mark F.Turner https://www.allaboutjazz.com/transient-journey-pharez-whitted-owl-studios-review-by-mark-f-turner.php

Personnel: Pharez Whitted: trumpet, flugelhorn; Eddie Bayard: tenor, soprano saxophone; Ron Perrillo: piano, keyboards; Dennis Carroll: bass; Greg Artry: drums.

Transient Journey

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