Michael Kanan Trio - Convergence

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1999
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 56:39
Size: 92,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:27)  1. Crosscurrent
(7:41)  2. A Family Song
(5:02)  3. Victory Ball
(7:55)  4. Ghost of a Chance
(6:03)  5. Leave Me
(4:39)  6. Subconscious-Lee
(6:38)  7. Stardust
(7:33)  8. Ablution
(5:38)  9. You Do Something to Me

Michael Kanan hails from Boston, Massachusetts where he first began to play the piano at age 7. He started improvising at the keyboard early on, and by age 10 he was listening to jazz. His first instructor was pianist Harvey Diamond, a student of jazz innovator Lennie Tristano. During his years at Boston College, Michael had the opportunity to perform with several jazz greats including Tal Farlow, Lee Konitz, Al Cohn, and Alan Dawson. After graduating college and doing some freelance work around Boston, he moved to New York in 1991 to study with another Tristano student, the pianist Sal Mosca. He established himself in New York, playing and recording with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, and Jorge Rossy, among others. He also developed a growing reputation as a vocal accompanist. In 1996, he joined the band of legendary singer Jimmy Scott, touring the US, Europe, and Japan and recording 4 CDs. In 2001, Michael became the accompanist and arranger for one of today's most celebrated vocalists, Jane Monheit. With Ms. Monheit's group, he has toured all over the world, recorded several CDs and DVDs, and made many TV appearances, including The David Letterman Show and The Conan O'Brien Show. 

When not on the road with the Monheit band, Michael performs and records with his own groups. He has made two trio recordings for Barcelona's Fresh Sound New Talent label: "Convergence" and "The Gentleman Is A Dope", both featuring bassist Ben Street and drummer Tim Pleasant. He has also recorded a duet with his longtime collaborator, alto saxophonist Nat Su, entitled "Dreams And Reflections". He can be heard around New York with his trio featuring guitarist Greg Ruggiero and bassist Neal Miner. Today, Michael lives in Brooklyn, and is a student of classical piano teacher Sophia Rosoff. http://www.michaelkanan.com/bio.htm

Personnel:  Michael Kanan, piano; Ben Street, bass; Tim Pleasant, drums

Convergence

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Marlene VerPlanck - Ballads...Mostly

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:54
Size: 150,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:46)  1. I Wish I Knew
(3:48)  2. Witchcraft
(5:03)  3. My Dream Is Yours
(5:50)  4. Love Dance
(4:59)  5. I Only Have Eyes for You
(4:36)  6. It Amazes Me
(2:54)  7. Baby Dream Your Dream
(4:35)  8. There Will Never Be Another You
(3:24)  9. The Rules of the Road
(4:29) 10. I'm Gonna Laugh You Right out of My Life
(5:45) 11. I Walk a Little Faster
(3:33) 12. Listen to the Piano Man
(4:33) 13. Why Try to Change Me Now
(3:13) 14. You Fascinate Me So
(4:20) 15. Why Was I Thinking of Springtime

As the title says, this 2013 collection finds Marlene VerPlanck singing Ballads...Mostly, which isn't especially a surprise this singer. Then again, surprise isn't the name of the game here, at least in terms of approach. She's relying on eight arrangment sby her late husband J. Billy VerPlanck, she sings nearly as many songs by Cy Coleman, and she's working with a familiar cast of supporting musicians including drummer Ron Vincent, bassist Boots Maleson, bassist Jay Leonhart, pianist Tedd Firth, trumpter Claudio Roditi, pianist Mike Renzi and saxophonist Houston Person. Comfort doesn't necessarily mean complacent, however, as all involved do take their time to deliver precise, yet robust, versions of late-night supperclub vocal jazz. It's a warm bath of a record, one that soothes and relaxes. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/ballads-mostly-mw0002545542

Ballads...Mostly

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Michael Cochrane - Song Of Change

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:26
Size: 151,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:02)  1. S.c.c.
(6:52)  2. Once I Loved
(6:48)  3. Prelude To A Kiss
(6:51)  4. On Green Dolphin Stret
(5:09)  5. No Gain No Pain
(8:02)  6. Surrey With The Fringe On Top
(6:11)  7. Cloud 9
(7:10)  8. Autumn Leaves
(6:58)  9. Song Of Change
(5:18) 10. Bemsha Swing

An excellent straight-ahead hard bop pianist, Michael Cochrane performs four of his originals and six standards, including swinging versions of "On Green Dolphin Street," "The Surrey With the Fringe on Top," and "Autumn Leaves" on this trio set. 

Assisted by bassist Marcus McLaurine and drummer Alan Nelson, Cochrane adds his own musical personality to the hard bop tradition, creating music that should please straight-ahead jazz fans. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/song-of-change-mw0000621572

Song Of Change

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John Wright - The Last Amen

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:17
Size: 90,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:39)  1. Les I Can't
(5:57)  2. Be My Love
(2:50)  3. The Last Amen
(4:24)  4. Stella By Starlight
(5:28)  5. But Beautiful
(4:07)  6. 'Deed I Do ( Do I Love You )
(4:18)  7. More Than You Know
(8:30)  8. Sheba

Maybe the most obscure album in that excellent 60s run that Chicago pianist John Wright cut for Prestige Records and the last one too! Features Eugene Taylor on bass and Walter McCants on drums on titles that include "Sheba", "Les I Can't", "The Last Amen", and "Stella By Starlight".

Personnel:  John Wright - piano; Gene Taylor - bass; Walter McCants - drums

The Last Amen

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Hollyridge Strings - The Beach Boys Songbook Vol. 2

Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 27:24
Size: 64,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:54)  1. Good Vibrations
(2:09)  2. Caroline, No
(2:19)  3. Sloop John B
(2:16)  4. Dance, Dance, Dance
(2:03)  5. California Girls
(1:57)  6. Little Deuce Coupe
(2:44)  7. God Only Knows
(2:33)  8. Wouldn't It Be Nice
(2:25)  9. Surfer Girl
(2:25) 10. Help Me, Rhonda
(2:33) 11. Be True To Your School

The Hollyridge Strings was a catchall name for the group of largely interchangeable studio musicians who recorded a series of easy listening instrumental albums for Capitol Records at the peak of the British Invasion era. The project was masterminded by music industry veteran Stu Phillips, a composer and producer who previously headlined his own series of Capitol easy listening records including Organ and Strings in Stereo before leaving the label in 1960 to become head of A&R for Colpix Records, where he produced a series of pop smashes including the Marcels' "Blue Moon," Shelley Fabares' "Johnny Angel," Paul Petersen's "My Dad," and James Darren's "Goodbye, Cruel World." In 1964 he returned to Capitol, where his familiarity and dexterity with the rock idiom made him the logical choice to cash in on Beatlemania with a record targeted at a more mature audience; the first Hollyridge Strings record, The Beatles Song Book, was a Top Ten hit, and resulted in similarly syrupy collections of hits by Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys, the Four Seasons, and Simon & Garfunkel. At one point in time, no fewer than three different Hollyridge Strings LPs hovered in the Billboard Top 20, and their success spurred copycat projects from labels including Vee-Jay (the Castaway Strings), Liberty (the Sunset Strings), and MGM (the Fantabulous Strings). During his Capitol stint Phillips also headlined his own Feels Like Lovin', a minor classic of '60s soft pop that added vocals to the signature Hollyridge Strings sound. ~ Jason Ankeny https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/the-hollyridge-strings-play-the-beach-boys-songbook-vol-2/715822884

The Beach Boys Songbook Vol. 2

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