Cat Anderson - Cat's In The Alley

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:23
Size: 144,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:40)  1. Little Man
(2:26)  2. Cat's In The Alley
(4:00)  3. Blue Jean Beguine
(2:48)  4. My Adorable "D"
(3:23)  5. June Bug
(2:37)  6. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(3:24)  7. Birth Of The Blues
(3:12)  8. You're The Cream In My Coffee
(2:37)  9. Nina
(4:20) 10. Chelsea Bridge
(2:46) 11. The Mexican Bandit
(4:18) 12. Loveinnessence
(4:36) 13. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
(3:41) 14. Between Some Place, Goin' No Place
(3:04) 15. Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive
(3:45) 16. Summertime
(3:39) 17. Like Dig

As the lead soloist for the Duke Ellington Orchestra and recognized in smaller circles as one of the all-time great jazz trumpet improvisers, Cat Anderson did not have much time for fronting a band of his own. Up until his passing in 1981, Anderson still took many a backseat for listeners, critics, and the general public who knew virtually nothing about him. This single CD should change all of that, a reissue of his first two dates as a leader, with a 15-piece big band Cat on a Hot Tin Horn for Mercury records, and Ellingtonia, for octet, originally on the obscure Wynne label. Both have been out of print on vinyl for decades, making this release more than merely long awaited. Anderson, a proprietor of the upper octave high note solos that bent notes and challenged air traffic lanes, surprisingly takes a backseat for the greater good of the ensemble on most of this, and also finds him an adept composer of original swing to bop music. Of course the bands are fully loaded with great soloists, Ellingtonians or not, most notably fellow trumpeters Clark Terry and Ernie Royal, trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, tenor saxophonists Jimmy Forrest and Ernie Wilkins (also arranger,) and drummer Panama Francis. Of the nine big band charts from 1958, the opener and longest jam, "Little Man," gets the ball rolling with standout solos from the wailin' Forrest, baritone saxophonist Sahib Shihab, Cleveland, and a free-for-all from the trumpet section. 

The rest of the tunes are short, ranging from Anderson's supremely confident low octave, vocal-like lead on "Birth of the Blues," the dramatic, Latin "Besame Mucho" flavored, light lavender colored "Blue Jean Beguine," and the jumpier "Mexican Bandit." Earle Warren's bravissimo vibrato on alto sax is featured during "My Adorable D," while the rocking drums of Francis set off the sparks of a "Blues for Sale" spin-off "Cat's in the Alley," and the skittering and even slightly irritating but big themed "June Bug." The large group pieces from 1959, with legendary Elllington trombonist Quentin "Butter" Jackson and different (than Francis for sure) drummer Sam Woodyard, sports an entirely different lineup, with two features, the sensual "Lovelinnessence" and the classic ballad "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing," for the immortal violinist Ray Nance. Budd Johnson and Rudy Powell split sax and clarinet chores. Johnson is backing Nance, and Powell adds to the advanced modern swinger "Between Some Place, Goin' No Place" the bouncy, fun "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," and the bright, happy "Like Dig." Throughout the disc you hear many typical Ellington phrases, as if the master is looking over Anderson's shoulder, but they are snippets and not clichés. Besides "Flower," the big band with Anderson upfront does a muted trumpet wah wah plunger-accented "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," while the octet performs a perfect "Chelsea Bridge" and a lush, Ellington-like, hot, slow, and sultry "Summertime," but those are the few and far between covers. This one should, by definition, be impossible to nit-pick, for the recording sound is excellent, the players beyond reproach, and the variety of (then) modern jazz fits the progressive aesthetic of Ellington and the then expanding Anderson to a T. This comes highly recommended; it's nearly essential, and is one of the best mainstream jazz reissues in recent years. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/cats-in-the-alley-mw0001161028

Personnel:  Cat Anderson, Ernie Royal, Clark Terry (tp), Jimmy Cleveland, Henderson Chambers (tb), Earl Warren, Jimmy Forrest, Ernie Wilkins, Budd Johnson (reeds), Ray Nance (vln), Jimmy Jones (p), George Duvivier, Jimmy Woode (b), Panama Francis, Sam Woodyard (d)

Cat's In The Alley

---

Andrew Hill - A Beautiful Day

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:32
Size: 142,4 MB
Art: Front

( 8:19)  1. Divine Revelation
(11:28)  2. Faded Beauty
( 8:43)  3. Bellezza
( 6:42)  4. 5 Mo
( 7:36)  5. New Pinnochio
( 5:50)  6. J Di
(11:44)  7. A Beautiful Day
( 1:07)  8. 11/8

Andrew Hill followed his first Palmetto release, the widely acclaimed Dusk, with this remarkable live album, which was recorded during a three-night run at New York's Birdland in January 2002. Whereas Dusk featured a sextet, A Beautiful Day boasts a large ensemble, billed at Birdland and previous gigs as the Andrew Hill Sextet + 11. Despite a large regiment of horns, Hill's reflective piano figures prominently. Trumpeter Ron Horton relieves Hill of the conducting burden by serving as musical director, managing an arcane system of cues and transitions and keeping all the players, quite literally, on the same page. The band's peculiar methodology yields a wonderfully complex and layered sound, by turns strident and melodious, driven by the sturdy rhythmic backbone of bassist Scott Colley and drummer Nasheet Waits. Jose Davila reinforces the low end with his omnipresent tuba. Amid the fanfare of full band passages, contemplative interludes emerge, with varied and inspired instrumental colorings. Tenor saxophonists Greg Tardy and Aaron Stewart go toe to toe on the opening "Divine Revelation," an older piece, newly arranged by Horton. "Faded Beauty" includes radiant solos by John Savage on flute and Marty Ehrlich on bass clarinet. Horton steps forward to deliver pointed witticisms on "Belleza," baritone saxophonist J.D. Parron gets the floor on the exuberant "J Di," and Hill weaves spiky piano harmonies into the dense structures of "5 Mo" and "New Pinnochio." The epic title track winds down with an enigmatic foray by trumpeter Dave Ballou, who is joined in short order by John Savage on alto sax. With its wide array of available textures and juxtapositions, the big band proves an ideal vehicle for Hill's powerful, unclassifiable music. ~ David R. Adler https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-beautiful-day-mw0000227787

Personnel:  Andrew Hill – piano;  John Savage – flute (tracks 2 & 4), alto saxophone (tracks 1, 3 & 5-8);  Marty Ehrlich – clarinet (track 4), bass clarinet (track 2), alto saxophone (tracks 1, 3 & 5-8);  Aaron Stewart, Greg Tardy – tenor saxophone;  J. D. Parran – baritone saxophone;  Dave Ballou, Laurie Frink, Ron Horton (tracks 1-6), Bruce Staalens – trumpet;  Mike Fahn, Joe Fielder, Charlie Gordon – trombone;  Jose D'avila – tuba;  Scott Colley – bass;  Nasheet Waits – drums

A Beautiful Day

---

Brother Jack McDuff - That's The Way I Feel About It

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:17
Size: 127,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:15)  1. The Age Of Aquarius
(8:49)  2. Blooze In G
(6:14)  3. Theme From Mission Impossible
(8:04)  4. That's The Way I Feel About It
(3:59)  5. Six A.M.
(4:53)  6. Saturday Night Fish Fry
(5:32)  7. Old Folks
(7:46)  8. Flamingo
(4:42)  9. Moody's Mood For Love

At times, McDuff demonstrates how soul-jazz organ stars used to make albums back in their '60s heyday, playing then-current pop hits like "The Age of Aquarius" and the theme from Mission: Impossible (which, thanks to cinema, was a hit all over again in 1996 when this CD was made). We also hear McDuff trying out his vocal cords for the first time on Louis Jordan's "Saturday Night Fish Fry"; actually, he merely talks the lyrics over the rhythm section -- and at 70, he's entitled to this charming lark. Otherwise, this is another fine, home-cookin' soul-jazz session, with McDuff's Hammond B-3 burning at its usual low-intensity, high-blues-content level. Chris Potter dances around the organ on flutes, Andrew Beals and Jerry Weldon offer solid solos on alto and tenor respectively, and the rest of the Heatin' System runs the gamut from Latin to soul-deep grooves. Fans of the genre can buy with peace of mind. ~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/album/thats-the-way-i-feel-about-it-mw0000024437

Personnel:  Jack McDuff: Hammond B3 (+ vocals on "Saturday Night Fish Fry");  John Hart: Guitar;  Andrew Beals: Alto Sax;  Jerry Weldon: Tenor Sax;  Kip Reed: Electric Bass (except last track);  Rudy Petschauer: Drums

That's The Way I Feel About It

---

Stanley Clarke - The Message

Styles:  Guitar Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:48
Size: 103,0 MB
Art: Front

(1:58)  1. And Ya Know We're Missing You
(6:59)  2. After the Cosmic Rain/Dance of the Planetary Prince
(3:32)  3. The Rugged Truth
(5:04)  4. Combat Continuum
(2:47)  5. The Message
(5:31)  6. Lost in a World
(3:46)  7. Alternative Facts
(2:25)  8. Bach Cello Suite 1 (Prelude)
(4:04)  9. The Legend of the Abbas and the Sacred Talisman
(3:44) 10. Enzo's Theme
(4:52) 11. To Be Alive

Once upon a time, he was the enfant terrible of jazz bassists, whizz-kid of Chick Corea's Return to Forever. On his latest album, The Message, at the ripe old age of 66, Stanley Clarke is very much the elder statesman, standing back on the cover pic, arms crossed, letting the youngsters grab the limelight and not giving a damn.  Open up the sleeve and there's Clarke again, besuited, sitting in a leather armchair, holding his electric bass, cool and calm, surrounded by the dudes of his band, in ripped jeans, creative hairstyles and looking as though they have attitude problems.  The opening track is a requiem for recently departed musical luminaries Al Jarreau, Tom Petty (yes, Tom Petty), Chuck Berry (yes, Chuck Berry), Larry Coryell and Darryl Brown. Clarke seemingly wants you to know he does not approve of categorization when it comes to music, man.  The main ambience of the album is spacey, courtesy, Clarke says, of L. Ron Hubbard, sci-fi writer and founder of Scientology . But there are many digressions. "Lost in a World" and "After The Cosmic Rain/Dance of the Planetary Prince," leavened with girly back-up vocals, are pure pop. More importantly, "The Message" features the leader on acoustic guitar. It's a lovely number and a relief from the spacey hokum.  But "Combat Continuum" sees Clarke switching to Orson Welles-mode as -courtesy of voice actor Steve Blum -he broadcasts news of an alien invasion. Things are looking grim for Planet Earth until Blum reveals that it was all a linguistic misunderstanding; the aliens only wanted to help us heal the planet from the ecological damage we've inflicted on it.  Meanwhile, full marks, Commander Clarke, for a masterly Bach prelude, expertly bowed. But surely we could have been spared "To Be Alive" the seemingly inevitable rap number. The message (perhaps from an older, wiser civilisation in a galaxy far, far away) is that even a great musician comes unstuck trying to be all things to all men... and women. ~ Chris Mosey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/stanley-clarke-band-the-message-stanley-clarke-mack-avenue-records-review-by-chris-mosey.php

Personnel: Stanley Clarke: guitar, bass; Beka Gochiashvili: piano; Cameron Graves, Pat Leonard, Dominique Taplin: synthesizers; Mike Mitchell: drums; Salar Nadar: tabla; Doug Webb: saxophone, flute; Chuck Findley, Ron Stout: trumpet, French horn; Dwayne Benjamin: trombone; Michael Thompson: guitar; Steve Blum, Skyeler Kole, Trevor Wesley, Sofia Sara Clarke, Chris Clarke, Doug E Fresh: vocals.

The Message

---