Ernie Wilkins - Top Brass and Trumpets All Out

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:36
Size: 165,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:25)  1. 58 Market St.
(5:21)  2. Trick or Treat
(4:42)  3. Speeway
(5:39)  4. Dot's What
(3:21)  5. Top Brass
(2:17)  6. Willow Weep for Me
(2:42)  7. Imagination
(1:51)  8. It Might as Well Be Spring
(2:37)  9. The Nearness of You
(4:48) 10. Taking a Chance on Love
(8:28) 11. Five Cats Swingin'
(5:06) 12. Blues in 6/4
(3:19) 13. Trumpets All Out
(5:27) 14. She's Just My Size
(1:51) 15. Love Is Here To Stay
(1:49) 16. Time On My Hands
(1:51) 17. When Your Lover Has Gone
(2:00) 18. All Of Me
(3:53) 19. Low Life

Hard-swingin tracks from Ernie Wilkins one of the most soulful arrangers of his time, working here in a wonderful all-star session from the 50s! The album's definitely got the "top brass" promised in the title a lineup that features Donald Byrd, Ray Copeland, Idrees Sulieman, and Joe Wilder on trumpets all working at a level that allows plenty of space for well-blown solos, but tied up in tighter ensemble formation overall  all with that Wilkins sense of swing that really set Ernie apart at the time. Rhythm is from a trip that includes Hank Jones on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Kelly Clarke on drums and titles include "58 Market Street", "Trick Or Treat", "Speedway", "Dot's What", "Top Brass", "Imagination", and "Willow Weep For Me". Also features the album Trumpets All Out an all-trumpet affair, one that features 5 different players on the instrument Art Farmer, Emmet Berry, Charlie Shavers, Ernie Royal, and Harold Baker supported by spare rhythm from the trio of Don Abney on piano, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Bobby Donaldson on drums. 

There's a definite swing-based approach here different than usual for some of Farmer's outings of the time but the differences between the players are nicely pronounced, and the amazing thing about the album is how it manages to pack so much solo energy in such a relatively small space, in a way that still lets you hear the different voices clearly. Titles include "She's Just My Size", "Five Cats Swingin", "Blues In 6/4", "Trumpets All Out", and "Low Life".  © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/540512

Personnel:  Art Farmer, Emmett Berry, Charlie Shavers, Ernie Royal, Shorty Baker, Donald Byrd, Ray Copeland, Idrees Sulieman, Joe Wilder (trumpete),  Hank Jones, Don Abney (piano),  Wendell Marshall (bass),  Kenny Clarke, Bobby Donaldson (drums)

Top Brass and Trumpets All Out

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Diane Schuur - Deedles

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1984
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:37
Size: 95,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:47)  1. The Very Thought Of You
(5:20)  2. New York State Of Mind
(3:54)  3. Teach me Tonight
(2:35)  4. I'm Beginning To See The Light
(4:20)  5. I'll Close My Eyes
(4:13)  6. Reverend Lee
(3:22)  7. I'm Just Foolin' Myself
(4:59)  8. Rock Me On The Water
(4:41)  9. Can't Stop A Woman In Love
(3:20) 10. Amazing Grace

On her 1984 debut album, vocalist/pianist Diane “Deedles” Schuur triumphs from the start (a fluid, assured vocal delivery on the standard “The Very Thought of You”) to the end (a duo version of “Amazing Grace” with her on piano and coproducer Dave Grusin on keyboards). Deedles is both traditional, with a 20-piece string section, and contemporary-sounding, with electric bass throughout. Schuur’s career-long penchant for tackling the contemporary songbook is established here with a pair of numbers from the '70s: Billy Joel’s “New York State of Mind” (one of two tracks to feature her mentor, tenor saxophonist Stan Getz) and Jackson Browne’s “Rock Me on the Water.” It’s definitely an album of its time, with Yamaha DX-7 synthesizer and occasional Simmons electronic drums. But her effortless scat interpolating of the circus favorite “Entrance of the Gladiators” into Ellington’s “I’m Beginning to See the Light” is evergreen. ~ Editors' Note https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/deedles/29085

Personnel: Vocals – Diane Schuur; Drums – Moyes Lucas (tracks: 1 to 9); Electric Bass – Dan Dean (tracks: 1 to 9); Electric Guitar – Howard Roberts (tracks: 1 to 9); Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Dave Grusin (tracks: 5, 6, 10);  Harp – Gloria Agostini;  Percussion – Dave Grusin (tracks: 2, 3, 6,);   Piano [Acoustic Piano] – Dave Grusin;  Strings – Barry Finclair, Charles Libove, Charles McCracken, Elena Barere, Gerald Tarack, Harry Lookofsky, Jan Mullen, Jean Ingraham, John Pintavalle, Julien C. Barber, LaMar Alsop, Lewis Eley, Regis Iandiorio, Richard Locker, Richard Sortomme, Sue Pray, Theodore Israel;  Strings, Concertmaster – David Nadien;  Synthesizer [OBX-a] – Dave Grusin (tracks: 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 10);  Synthesizer [Yamaha DX-7] – Don Grusin (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 9)

Deedles

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Les McCann - Another Beginning

Styles: Piano, Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:58
Size: 101,2 MB
Art: Front

( 4:00)  1. Maybe You'll Come Back
( 3:18)  2. The Song Of Love
(10:30)  3. When It's Over
( 3:37)  4. Somebody's Been Lying 'Bout Me
( 5:24)  5. Go On And Cry
( 5:23)  6. My Soul Lies Deep
( 3:43)  7. The Morning Song
( 6:59)  8. Someday We'll Meet Again

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/au/album/another-beginning/204677906

Personnel:  Les McCann- (Vocals, Piano, Electric Piano, Clarinet, Synthesizer);  Jon Faddis, Joe Wilder- (Trumpet);  Herbie Hancock- (Piano);  Chuck Rainey- (Electric Bass);  Cissy Houston- (Background Vocals).

Another Beginning

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Greg Osby - Symbols of Light (A Solution)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:23
Size: 122,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:22)  1. 3 for Civility
(5:42)  2. Repay in Kind
(6:57)  3. 'M'
(4:14)  4. The Keep
(3:15)  5. Golden Sunset
(5:03)  6. This Is Bliss
(6:29)  7. One Room
(4:39)  8. Northbound
(3:32)  9. Wild Is the Wind
(3:34) 10. Social Order
(4:30) 11. Minstrale Again (The Barefoot Tap Dance)

Both Ted Nash and Tom Harrell have explored the "double quartet" concept. Now we can add to the list Greg Osby, whose music sounds nothing at all like theirs. Supplementing his working quartet (Jason Moran, Scott Colley, Marlon Browden) with a string quartet, Osby heightens the dark, austere quality of his harmonies. This results in some of the most moving music of Osby’s career. On the whole, it’s more striking and focused than last year’s Invisible Hand. It also features some of Jason Moran’s best playing on record. Wisely, Osby doesn’t run the strings concept into the ground: Andrew Hill’s "Golden Sunset" is a sax/piano duo, as is the closing "Minstrale Again (The Barefoot Tapdance)." Strings appear only at the beginning of "One Room." And "Wild Is the Wind," the old Johnny Mathis hit, is performed without strings or drums. The sound of the album never gets old. Osby’s originals are strong, particularly "Northbound," which features his most inspired horn playing on the date. Other highlights include Moran’s "Repay In Kind" and Masabumi Kikuchi’s "M." ~ David Adler https://www.allaboutjazz.com/symbols-of-light-a-solution-greg-osby-blue-note-records-review-by-david-adler.php

Personnel:  Greg Osby - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone;  Jason Moran - piano;  Scott Colley - bass;  Marlon Browden - drums, percussion;  Christian Howes - violin;  Marlene Rice - violin;  Judith Insell - viola;  Nioka Workman - cello

Symbols of Light (A Solution)

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Marcin Wasilewski Trio - Live

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:18
Size: 149,2 MB
Art: Front

(12:28)  1. Spark Of Life / Sudovian Dance
(10:43)  2. Message In A Bottle
( 9:14)  3. Three Reflections
(13:32)  4. Night Train To You
( 7:42)  5. Austin
(10:36)  6. Actual Proof

It is timely, albeit in a melancholy way, that one-time Tomasz Stanko protégé Marcin Wasilewski and his trio would offer a retrospective live performance that closely coincides with the passing of the legendary Polish trumpeter. The pianist, still just in his early forties, first recorded with Stanko's octet while he was a teenager and quickly went on to release his first Simple Acoustic Trio album, Komeda (Not Two, 1995), at just twenty. From the outset bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz and drummer Michal Miskiewicz have been equally integral in shaping a distinctive sound that has straddled lines between minimalism, free playing and perpetual inquisitiveness. Live is the first planned release of the trio in performance though an earlier album, 20th Getxo International Jazz Festival (Hilargi Records, 1996), was apparently documented by the venue itself. Initially, it is a bit of a disappointment to learn that five of the six tunes on Live were taken from Spark of Life (ECM, 2014), given the wealth of exceptional material on the group's previous ECM albums, Trio (2005), January (2008) and Faithful (2011). 

That said, Spark of Life was a quartet album with tenor saxophonist Joakim Milder appearing on many of the tracks and so what we have here is a fresh perspective enhanced by the energy of a live performance. Take "Spark Of Life / Sudovian Dance"as a medley employing that familiar slow build up through the first half of its twelve-plus minute run. Wasilewski then takes the second half to new heights with his charged solo. Sting's "Message in a Bottle" is a longer, freer, looser interpretation giving Miskiewicz an opportunity to expand on his excellent drum solo of the previous version. The source outlier on Live is "Night Train To You," from Faithful. The Wasilewski composition stays true to its amalgam of groove and lyricism but here with the palpable dynamism of a well-oiled machine pushing its limits. "Austin"recorded in trio format originally is the only ballad on the album and in most respects, an accurate version of the beautiful original. Herbie Hancock's "Actual Proof" closes the album in an intense, spirited route that leaves the a five-thousand audience members at the Middleheim Jazz Festival ecstatic. The Marcin Wasilewski Trio of recent years has moved beyond their austere roots to a tranquility and airiness that often gives way to a show of force. Over time they have patiently and subtlety created a new identity where their low-key approach is often a stage-setter for their power trio alter ego. In this Live environment, partially fueled by an enthusiastic audience, the trio surpasses even their best studio material. ~ Karl Ackermann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-marcin-wasilewski-ecm-records-review-by-karl-ackermann.php

Personnel: Marcin Wasilewski: piano;  Slawomir Kurkiewicz: double bass;  Michal Miskiewicz: drums.

Live

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