Randy Weston - Jazz a la Bohemia

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:39
Size: 104,6 MB
Art: Front

(0:49)  1. Theme: Solemn Meditation
(9:57)  2. Just a riff
(6:13)  3. You Go To My head
(6:30)  4. Once In a While
(7:28)  5. Hold 'Em Joe
(3:47)  6. It's All Right With Me
(9:27)  7. Chessman's Delight
(1:23)  8. Theme: Solemn Meditation

Randy Weston, who was more under Thelonious Monk's influence back in 1956 then he would be in the near future, is in top form during this live set. His quartet features the rarely heard but talented baritonist Cecil Payne, bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik and drummer Al Dreares. Highpoints of the straightahead set (which has been reissued on CD) include the calypso "Hold 'Em Joe" (recorded almost a decade before Sonny Rollins), "It's All Right with Me" (one of two trio tracks) and the lone Weston original on the date, the stimulating "Chessman's Delight." ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/jazz-%C3%A1-la-bohemia-mw0000316705

Personnel:  Randy Weston - piano - trio track 3 - solo track 6;  Cecil Payne - baritone saxophone;  Ahmed Abdul-Malik - bass;  Al Dreares - drums

R.I.P.

Born:  April 6, 1926 
Died:  September 1, 2018

Jazz a la Bohemia

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Sonny Criss - Warm & Sonny

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:45
Size: 93,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:11)  1. Cool Struttin'
(5:30)  2. The Way We Were
(4:09)  3. That's The Way Of The World
(5:47)  4. Bumpin
(6:27)  5. Sweet Summer Breeze
(6:19)  6. Memories
(6:20)  7. Blues For Willie

Altoist Sonny Criss' next to last recording (as with his final effort, The Joy of Sax), is a commercial date in which he is accompanied by a funky rhythm section, strings, and horns. Even on his own "Blues for Willie" (and definitely on "The Way We Were," "Bumpin'," and "Memories"), Criss sounded like he was going out of his way to record a hit; at that he failed. The music on this out of print LP is pleasant but badly dated. 

~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/warm-sonny-mw0000769953

Personnel:  Sonny Criss, alto sax;  Clarence McDonald, keyboards #1,5,6;  Sonny Burke, keyboards #2-4,7;  Lee Ritenour, guitar #1,5,6;  Dennis Budimir, guitar #2-4,7;  Melvin "Wah Wah" Ragin, guitar #3,5-7;  Scott Edwards, bass #1,5,6;  Chuck Domanico, bass #2-4,7;  James Gadson, drums;  Eddie "Bongo" Brown, percussion; string section: Charles Veal, concertmaster;  Marcia Van Dyke, Winterton Garvey, Harris Goldman, Janice Gower, William Henderson, Karen Jones, Carl LaMagna, Kenneth Yerke, violin;  David Campbell, Rollice Dale, Pamela Goldsmith, Paul Polivnick, viola;  Ronald Cooper, Dennis Karmazyn, David Speltz, cello;  Richard Feves, Susan Ranney, acoustic bass;  Dorothy Ashby, harp; horn section: Bud Brisbois, Charles Findley, Paul Hubinon, trumpet, flugelhorn;  George Bohanon, trombone;  Lew McCreary, bass trombone;  Vincent DeRosa, French horn;  Buddy Collette, tenor sax, flute;  Bill Green, bass sax, flute.

Warm & Sonny

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Jazz Crusaders - Soul Axess

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:20
Size: 181,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:06)  1. Overjoyed
(4:28)  2. Clima Suave (Smooth & Cool)
(4:29)  3. Trail of the Sidewinder
(6:58)  4. Imagine
(3:47)  5. Standing Tall
(5:41)  6. Down Yonder
(5:36)  7. Life in the City (Really Turns Me On)
(5:17)  8. All That Jazz N Razz a Ma Tazz
(7:29)  9. Prodigal Son
(6:32) 10. All Along the Watchtower
(5:25) 11. Over the Rainbow
(4:55) 12. Never Too Late (To Fall in Love Again)
(4:18) 13. Ya Gotta Respect Ya Self
(6:13) 14. Goin' Bukyld

Since the breakup of the original Crusaders in the '80s, there have always been two factions battling for the name: the occasional Joe Sample-Wilton Felder projects billed as "the Crusaders," and another group of rotating smooth jazz musicians led by trombonist Wayne Henderson, usually called the Jazz Crusaders. This new fun-filled, very brassy, and stylistically diverse collection features Felder on only three tracks, but, not surprisingly, one of the best is "Down Yonder," a gospel-inflected midtempo funk number that joyfully recalls the old Crusaders' Southern roots. Elsewhere, it's more a gathering of contemporary greats, with Henderson forming tasty horn sections with guest saxmen Everette Harp (on the bouncy cover of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed," also featuring a crisp Norman Brown guitar solo) and Ronnie Laws. Vibist Roy Ayers adds a touch of class to the Latin-flavored "Clima Suave (Smooth & Cool)," and Bobby Lyle (piano) and Dwight Sills (guitar) find ample room to shine on their numbers. The only drawback is Henderson's seeming need to join the hip-hop generation by adding several rap vocals, one of which pays obligatory homage to jazz heroes ("All That Jazz n Razz a Ma Tazz"). Along with an overreliance on pop covers, this sort of thinking makes Henderson's effort a far less rewarding experience than Sample and Felder's return to the front porch on the previous year's Rural Renewal. There are always glimmers of unique creativity, however. A cover of "Over the Rainbow" featuring vocalist Phillip Ingram features a cool Take 6-like intro, but then evolves into something much more pedestrian. ~ Jonathan Widran https://www.allmusic.com/album/soul-axess-mw0000333594

Personnel:  Bass – Larry Kimpel, Nathan East;  Drums – Tony Moore;  Guitar – Brian Price, Dwight Sills;  Keyboards – Bobby Lyle, Herman Jackson;  Soprano Saxophone – Ronnie Laws;  Tenor Saxophone – Everette Harp, Ronnie Laws, Wilton Felder;  Vibraphone – Roy Ayers;  Vocals – Jean Carne, Phillip Ingram;    Producer – Wayne Henderson

Soul Axess

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Dave Bennett - Don't Be That Way

Styles: Clarinet Jazz 
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:40
Size: 153,4 MB
Art: Front

( 3:06)  1. Slipped Disc
( 4:10)  2. Begin The Beguine
( 5:29)  3. Don't Be That Way
( 3:46)  4. Running Wild
( 9:16)  5. St. James Infirmary
( 6:12)  6. Yetserday
(11:17)  7. Sing, Sing, Sing
( 5:33)  8. Woodchopper's Ball
( 4:51)  9. My Inspiration
( 6:29) 10. Goodbye
( 2:16) 11. A Funeral In New Orleans
( 4:09) 12. When The Saints Go Marching In

Clarinetist Dave Bennett's Don't Be That Way is a throwback album, but it's not a carbon copy of what's come before. Bennett certainly finds inspiration in the work of past masters, driving down the highways and byways that have been paved by Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Woody Herman and others, but he's willing to look at their music with a fresh set of eyes; he's a centrist, but not a complete traditionalist. He'll occasionally throw a curve ball on a well-known tune, as demonstrated on the Brazilian-coated title track, but the ball always goes back over the plate in the end, locking in to some form of widely established and accepted practice. Goodman, more than any other figure, is the influence that hovers over this date. Bennett delights in interpreting several key pieces from Goodman's repertoire, from the immortal "Sing, Sing, Sing" to the bleak-and-beautiful "Goodbye" to the fun-filled "Slipped Disc," and he even resembles the King Of Swing, with a serious bespectacled face and firmly parted hair. The similarities stop there though, as Bennett's tone and timbre bear little resemblance to Goodman's clarion call clarinet sound. Bennett has a more soothing-and-streamlined sound not the same as, but in the realm of Ken Peplowski and Eddie Daniels and it charms the ear throughout.  While it would be a lie to say that the album is filled with surprises, a few pop up along the way; the inclusion of a Beatles classic ("Yesterday") amidst the older fare is one and the clarinet supplanting the drums on the "Sing, Sing, Sing" solo break is another. Elsewhere, things are often predictable but pleasing. A rollicking "Woodchopper's Ball" makes for a good time, as does the oft-covered, album-ending "When The Saints Go Marching In." The only misstep here is "Saint James Infirmary." Bennett's vocals don't measure up and the song feels a tad stiff, but that's simply the Achilles heel on an otherwise healthy-and-strong body of material.  Bennett is the undisputed star of his own show, but his band mates deserve a bit of praise for their work; they're attuned to his attitudes about this music and they do an excellent job in helping him shape these performances. Guitarist Reg Schwager proves to be a great front line partner, moving in tandem with Bennett on some fast-and-tricky passages, and bassist Paul Keller and drummer Pete Siers are sensitive to all of the nuances that live within this music. Pianist Tad Weed, more than any side man here, establishes himself as a player to watch and a force to be reckoned with. The depth and breadth of his work is astounding and Bennett's clarinet playing rests on his pianistic shoulders. The sixth man arranger Shelly Berger also deserves a nod, as his pen defines the overall shape of this music. Together, this crew makes wonderful music that recalls the past but lives in the present. ~ Dan Bilaswsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dont-be-that-way-dave-bennett-mack-avenue-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Dave Bennett: clarinet, vocals; Tad Weed: piano; Paul Keller: bass; Pete Siers: drums; Reg Schwager: acoustic guitar, electric guitar; Shelly Berger: arrangements.

Don't Be That Way

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Madeleine Peyroux - Anthem

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:27
Size: 125,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:04)  1. On My Own
(4:58)  2. Down On Me
(4:34)  3. Party Tyme
(5:24)  4. Anthem
(3:57)  5. All My Heroes
(4:15)  6. On A Sunday Afternoon
(4:56)  7. The Brand New Deal
(5:19)  8. Lullaby
(3:59)  9. Honey Party
(4:13) 10. The Ghosts Of Tomorrow
(3:14) 11. We Might As Well Dance
(4:29) 12. Liberté

Having already transitioned from traditional acoustic jazz and blues to her own eclectic folk and pop-leaning originals on past albums, Madeleine Peyroux once again embraces the latter on 2018's Anthem. Named after the Leonard Cohen song that she covers with emotive precision here, Anthem finds the former busker turned chanteuse working with longtime producer/instrumentalist Larry Klein and a bevy of highly regarded performers, including guitarist Dean Parks, organist Patrick Warren, drummer Brian MacLeod, and others. Also joining in at various times are saxophonist Chris Cheek, drummer Jay Bellerose, and vocalist Luciana Souza, who does not sing but instead adds subtle percussion accents. Although capable of tackling standards and traditional songs with a sophisticated lyricism, Peyroux is, at her core, a bohemian storyteller, a folksinger in the vein of Rickie Lee Jones and the aforementioned Cohen. While some listeners may prefer her more acoustic, jazz-oriented albums, many of her songs on Anthem achieve a similar level of nuance and sophistication, while also revealing her own literate point of view. This is especially true on the Harry Nilsson-esque "All My Heroes," in which she ruminates on the imperfection of her idols. She sings "All my heroes were failures in their eyes/Losers, drunkards, fallen saints, and suicides." Similarly engaging is "The Brand New Deal," in which she croons with wry cynicism about modern capitalist culture against a breezy, Steely Dan-sounding fusion groove. 

There's also a knowingly cheeky even kitschy quality to some of the tracks, as on the twangy, baritone guitar-led Latin lounge number "Honey Party." She also takes a similarly cheeky approach on the buoyant "On a Sunday Afternoon," in which she expounds upon the medicinal freedoms of the weekend, singing "Oh yeah, it's a Sunday afternoon/Got Cap'n Crunch, and reefer, and old cartoons." There are also several dusky, literate moments including the languidly hopeful "We Might as Well Dance" that, as with much of Anthem, seem to speak to Peyroux's particularly Zen view of the world. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/anthem-mw0003185505

Anthem

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