Thursday, December 13, 2018

Wes Montgomery - Willow Weep For Me

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:54
Size: 99,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:45)  1. Willow Weep For Me
(5:06)  2. Impressions
(2:47)  3. Portrait Of Jenny
(5:26)  4. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
(5:29)  5. Oh, You Crazy Moon
(9:33)  6. Four On Six - Live
(6:45)  7. Misty

Shortly after Wes Montgomery's shockingly early death, Verve rummaged around in the vaults and came up with some additional tapes from the live Smokin' at the Half Note sessions with the Kind of Blue rhythm section, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb. And then after-the-fact producer Esmond Edwards did a controversial thing he commissioned Claus Ogerman, the arranger on Tequila, to overdub wind and brass arrangements on four tracks: the title tune, "Portrait of Jennie," "Oh! You Crazy Moon," and "Misty." The critics promptly pounced on Verve, NARAS responded by giving the album a Grammy, and the whole issue became moot when subsequent reissues of the four tracks erased the new backing charts. Yet on the whole, Ogerman did a good job; his arrangements are subtle and, in the case of the title track, swinging, with the flutes adding effective responses within Montgomery's statements of the theme. "Impressions," oddly enough, was left alone perhaps due to its lightning tempo and this classic solo has since been reissued many times as the prime example of Montgomery in his Verve period. "Surrey with the Fringe on Top" and an alternate take of "Four on Six" (with a bad edit cutting off Kelly's solo in mid-flight) are also free of orchestrations. 

In any case, what you will hear, bathed in winds or not, is prime, mature Wes Montgomery stretching out in full, with unbelievable confidence in his ear and technique at all times, experimenting now and then with mild electronic effects devices. The sound is oddly dim and shallow on the LP, which is surprising since the Smokln' album sounded so good. ~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/album/willow-weep-for-me-mw0000215764

Personnel:  Wes Montgomery – guitar; Wynton Kelly – piano;  Paul Chambers – bass;  Jimmy Cobb – drums

Willow Weep For Me

Burak Bedikyan - Leap of Faith

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:09
Size: 161,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:38)  1. Astral Traveller
(6:06)  2. Prelude No. 1 Birth Of Innocense
(5:53)  3. Hommage A Bud Et Francis
(7:33)  4. Ashes To Ashes
(9:17)  5. Leap Of Faith
(9:34)  6. Hydrogen Atom
(5:57)  7. Prelude No. 2 Lonely Planet
(7:37)  8. The Unspoken
(4:57)  9. Der Zor (Deir Ez-Zor)
(6:33) 10. Gravity

One of Turkey’s leading pianists Burak Bedikyan has been rapidly establishing himself as a star player on the international jazz scene since the release of his first SteepleChase Lookout album “Circle Of Life” SCCD 33109 (2013). For his second album here Bedikyan further showcases an exciting process of on-going development as a performer and composer with unique musical background.

“This is an interesting overture for the Turkish newcomer, but it sounds like there’s much more in reserve.” ~ John Fordham 

“Burak Bedikyan takes charge of the finest quartet recording for 2013, Circle Of Life… Bedikyan is a name to remember and an artist whose musical stock is an arrow pointing straight up!” ~ Brent Black

Personnel:  Piano – Burak Bedikyan; Bass – Ron McClure; Drums – Billy Drummond; Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Chris Cheek

Leap of Faith

Carol Sudhalter - Shades Of Carol

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:43
Size: 146,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:40)  1. Firm Roots
(5:38)  2. A Weaver Of Dreams
(6:01)  3. Dry
(3:24)  4. Fast
(8:53)  5. Soultrane
(2:14)  6. Youth
(5:08)  7. Lotus Blossom
(4:22)  8. Lullaby Of The Leaves
(3:45)  9. In Walked Bud
(4:29) 10. On A Slow Boat To China
(6:22) 11. It's Time
(6:40) 12. On A Misty Night

This beautifully orchestrated set showcases Carol Sudhalter, who plays saxophones and flute, in a compilation of four sessions with different musical groupings. It gets off to a jumping, upbeat start with Cedar Walton's "Firm Roots, immediately showing off her roots firmly in happy, mainstream swing, Andrea Torozzi's piano providing exhilarating company for the warm tenor sax. What follows is a rarely heard beauty, Victor Young's "A Weaver of Dreams, on which Vittorio Sicbaldi's drums provide just the right amount of light seasoning, accentuating Sudhalter's own very appealing flight of fancy. On her own "Dry, Sudhalter plays a gentle, samba-like melody on flute which wafts as lightly as an ocean breeze on a warm summer day. Of a pair of vocals with Martha J, the too-rarely-heard "Lotus Blossom (Strayhorn/Schore), a fine late-night lament, is especially welcome. Three tunes are performed by the Astoria Big Band, which Sudhalter founded in 1986. For this listener they're the highlight of the collection. This trifecta is made up of the old perennial "Lullaby of the Leaves, Monk's "In Walked Bud, and Frank Loesser's "On A Slow Boat to China. Sudhalter's flute is especially expressive on the Monk tune, while the orchestra and the fullbodied warmth of her baritone sax lends a depth to Loesser's pop tune, which is nothing less than transformational. There's a spirited energy in the work here, which audiences have long enjoyed in this adopted New Yorker's performances. The tones and colors on Shades of Carol prove to be varied and inviting. ~ Andrew Velez https://www.allaboutjazz.com/shades-of-carol-carol-sudhalter-alfamusic-review-by-andrew-velez.php

Personnel: Tracks 1,3,5,12: Carol Sudhalter: tenor saxophone, flute; Andrea Tarozzi: piano; Guido Giacomini: bass; Vittorio Sicbaldi: drums; Olivier Berney: trumpet; Track 4: Martha J.: vocals; Tore Spano: acoustic piano; Carol Sudhalter: flute; Track 7, Martha J.: vocals; Tore Spano: acoustic piano; Lucio Falco: double bass; Tracks 2,6,9,11: Carol Sudhalter: tenor saxophone, flute; Jack Davis: trombone (9,11); Bill Gerhardt: piano; Dve Ruffels: bass; Tootsie Bean: drums; Myrna Lake: vocals (9); Tracks 8,10: Carol Sudhalter: baritone saxophone and flute with Astoria Big Band; L. Presgrave: piano; W. Lin: bass; B. Martone: bass; T. Bean: drums; R. Stone: guitar; G. Petropoulos, L. Moses, S. Gluzband, A. Bavota, G. Gonzalez: trumpets; J. Davis, N. Mayland, W. Frazier: trombones; L. Caputo, S. Bielski: saxophones.

Shades Of Carol

Piccadilly Dance Orchestra - I Won't Dance

Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:43
Size: 125,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:54)  1. I Won't Dance (From "Roberta")
(2:47)  2. Manhattan (From "The Garrick Gaieties")
(3:02)  3. No Strings (From "Top Hat")
(2:28)  4. They All Laughed (From "Shall We Dance")
(2:24)  5. Experiment (From "Nymph Errant")
(4:08)  6. How Could We Be Wrong? (From "Nymph Errant")
(2:45)  7. Puttin' On the Ritz (From "Puttin' On the Ritz")
(2:55)  8. Love Walked In (From "Goldwyn Follies")
(2:48)  9. Dearly Beloved (From "You Were Never Lovelier")
(2:43) 10. Do, Do, Do (From "Oh, Kay!")
(3:33) 11. A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody (From "The Ziegfield Follies")
(2:42) 12. Pick Yourself Up (From "Swing Time")
(2:11) 13. Slap That Bass (From "Shall We Dance")
(2:46) 14. My Heart Belongs to Daddy (From "Leave It to Me")
(2:07) 15. Slumming On Park Avenue (From "On the Avenue")
(3:09) 16. Soft Lights and Sweet Music (From "Face the Music")
(3:31) 17. They Can't Take That Away from Me (From "Shall We Dance")
(2:42) 18. Rosalie (From "Rosalie")

Michael Law's Piccadilly Dance Orchestra owned and managed by Michael and Alan Bennett Law, is world famous for providing superb entertainment to a very high standard and much sought-after for concert and cabaret performances as well as for private parties and corporate events. From the Charleston of the 1920s Gatsby era through the beautiful classic songs of the 1930s, to swing and jazz hits, Michael Law's Piccadilly Dance Orchestra performs the greatest dance music and the best tunes of the Jazz Age. Elegant, musically immaculate and infused with toe-tapping rhythm, the PDO’s recordings have recently been chosen for the soundtracks of CSI, Gotham as well as an award-winning documentary about Stanley Kubrick…and two of the PDO’s recordings (Happy Feet and Dance Little Lady) have been heard by more than two and a half million people on YouTube. The PDO enjoyed residencies at London's Ritz and Savoy Hotels and have recorded six CDs. Their sensational Café de Paris events have set a new standard for recreations of 1920s/30s high society entertainment. At The Savoy, The PDO were the last to perform on the legendary stage where so many great bands of the past had performed, including Carroll Gibbons and the Savoy Hotel Orpheans, Geraldo, Fred Elizalde and Debroy Somers. Acclaimed worldwide for their spirited recreations of the music of the British Dance Bands, Michael and the PDO were especially chosen for BBC 4's highly successful Len Goodman's Dancing Feet and a sequel, Len Goodman's Dance Band Days - and following their concert at John Dankworth and Cleo Laine's Wavendon theatre: "this was probably the most entertaining evening I can remember...the orchestra is really superb". http://www.pdo.org.uk/about-us

Personnel:
The Piccadilly Dance Orchestra Conducted by: Michael Law
With soloists: Julia Shore, Michael Law
Special Guest Vocalists: Danielle Carson, Melanie E. Marshall

I Won't Dance

Katharine McPhee - Live On Soundstage

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:51
Size: 129,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:14)  1. Blame It On My Youth - You Make Me Feel So Young
(4:49)  2. I'll Be Seeing You - Some Other Time
(5:14)  3. Night And Day
(4:00)  4. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(3:04)  5. Sooner Or Later
(5:36)  6. It Never Entered My Mind
(3:38)  7. Everything Must Change
(3:51)  8. The Last Time
(4:23)  9. I've Grown Accustomed To His Face
(3:55) 10. Who Can I Turn To
(3:40) 11. All The Way
(4:34) 12. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
(4:46) 13. That's Life

After her unforgettable rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” on "American Idol" in 2006, Katharine McPhee catapulted to instant stardom. Further propelling her success was the hit single “Over It” from her 2007 chart-topping debut album. McPhee’s talents also extended to acting, which she put to good use in two popular television series, "Smash" and "Scorpion," and she is no stranger to PBS specials, having guested on "Foster and Friends" and "Chris Botti in Boston." In this jazz-filled installment of "Soundstage," McPhee gets the spotlight to herself (with a little help from her friends David Foster, Eric Benet, and Frederic Yonnet) performing selections from her fifth studio album, "I Fall In Love Too Easily." Audiences across America will fall in love very easily with this "Soundstage" performance. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Live-Soundstage-Blu-ray-Katharine-Mcphee/dp/B07HSX3CYV

Live On Soundstage