Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton, Mark Whitfield - Fingerpainting: The Music of Herbie Hancock

Styles: Trumpet And Guitar Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:35
Size: 153,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:56)  1. Fingerpainting
(4:28)  2. Driftin'
(5:03)  3. Chameleon
(4:43)  4. Tell Me a Bedtime Story
(3:35)  5. The Eye of the Hurricane
(5:33)  6. The Kiss
(6:33)  7. Speak Like a Child
(4:42)  8. The Sorcerer
(3:53)  9. Dolphin Dance
(4:08) 10. Chan's Song
(4:00) 11. One Finger Snap
(3:54) 12. Sly
(5:56) 13. Oliloqui Valley
(4:03) 14. Jane's Theme

This is a rather unusual tribute to Herbie Hancock on a couple different levels. There is no piano on the date, so obviously no one is heard trying to sound like Hancock; the intimate all-star trio (bassist Christian McBride, trumpeter Nicholas Payton and guitarist Mark Whitfield) avoids such typical Hancock hits as "Watermelon Man" and "Maiden Voyage," and several of the songs are real obscurities. The 14 Hancock compositions date from 1962-79, with one tune from 1985, so they do not cover his later output. Among the lesser-known tunes are the title track (first played by V.S.O.P.), "Sly" (from the Headhunters LP), and two melodies taken from the 1965 soundtrack of Blow-Up. Several of the songs (most notably "Driftin'") deserve to be revived more widely. Payton, whose versatility has in the past allowed him to emulate both Louis Armstrong and Freddie Hubbard with equal skill, here generally plays like himself, a Young Lion with a warm tone and an inventive style. Whitfield holds the group together, whether playing straight-ahead or adding a bit of funk to "Chameleon" and "Sly." McBride shows throughout why he is rightfully considered a young giant. Due to the many unfamiliar themes and offbeat instrumentation (which includes a duet apiece featuring each of the three possible combinations), this is a CD that takes a few listens to fully appreciate, but it is worth the effort. An underrated gem. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/fingerpainting-the-music-of-herbie-hancock-mw0000027443

Personnel:  Acoustic Guitar – Mark Whitfield (tracks: 7, 14); Bass – Christian McBride (tracks: 1 to 5, 7 to 14); Electric Guitar – Mark Whitfield (tracks: 1 to 6, 8, 10 to 13); Flugelhorn – Nicholas Payton (tracks: 7, 10, 14); Trumpet – Nicholas Payton (tracks: 1 to 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 to 13)

Fingerpainting: The Music of Herbie Hancock

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Typhanie Monique and Neal Alger - In This Room

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:22
Size: 113,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:01)  1. Caravan
(5:11)  2. Never Can Say Goodbye
(4:11)  3. Soul Tread
(5:03)  4. Nothingness
(4:37)  5. This Feeling
(5:20)  6. Beautiful Love
(3:48)  7. If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
(6:35)  8. Black Coffee
(4:53)  9. Smile
(4:38) 10. Wonderful

An estimable follow-up to 2005’s Intrinsic, this second pairing of Chicago-based singer Typhanie Monique and guitarist Neal Alger delivers, like its predecessor, both the expected and the unexpected. Expected, and delivered: solid soul-jazz vocals from Monique that suggest both Sarah Vaughan and Minnie Riperton, top-drawer acoustic and electric licks from the dazzlingly imaginative Alger, and achingly heartfelt readings of such wide-ranging ballads as Victor Young’s “Beautiful Love,” Sting’s “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free” and Annie Lennox’s “Wonderful,” coaxed along at a soulful mid-tempo. Unexpected, but utterly engaging: an electrified, scat-lined “Caravan” that soars into outer space, a supple bossa treatment of “Never Can Say Goodbye” that rescues the Gloria Gaynor anthem from its disco trappings while recalling the tender original from the Jackson Five, and a winking “Black Coffee” that, for the first time in my experience, toys with the narrator’s over-caffeinated state. Rounding out this cunning assemblage are three originals. Two-the yearning, angular “Soul Tread” (sort of a more youthful variation on “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most”) and the emotionally ponderous “This Feeling”-are terrific. The third, “Smile” (not to be confused with the Charlie Chaplin chestnut, and the only one of the three written by Monique without Alger), with its arresting swings between bouncy ebullience and hungry longing, is arguably even better. ~ Christopher Loudon https://jazztimes.com/reviews/vox/typhanie-monique-neal-alger-in-this-room/

In This Room

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Carol Sudhalter - The Octave Tunes

Styles: Flute And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:38
Size: 158,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:04)  1. Flamingo
(4:23)  2. Pancake Blues
(6:08)  3. You Go To My Head
(6:08)  4. Alice In Wonderland
(6:31)  5. Nature Boy
(4:46)  6. Quisiera Ser
(5:43)  7. Daydream
(1:57)  8. Cheeseburger Blue
(4:48)  9. Somewhere Over The Rainbow
(4:38) 10. It' Only A Paper Moon
(6:29) 11. Crazy He Calls Me
(4:02) 12. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
(7:55) 13. The Christmas Song

The title of this album, according to leader/woodwind specialist Carol Sudhalter, refers to the fact that each of its thirteen tunes begins on the interval of an octave. Ten of The Octave Tunes' songs are standards, including a pair of holiday favorites, "Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" and "The Christmas Song." Of the three originals, two were written by Sudhalter's guests, organist Vito Di Modugno ("Pancake Blues") and precocious teen-age pianist Carlo Barile ("Cheeseburger Blue"), who accompanies Sudhalter on four charming duets, three showcasing her dancing flute, the other ("Over the Rainbow") her gravelly baritone sax. Sudhalter raises the baritone again on "Cheeseburger Blue," plays tenor on "Pancake Blues," "Crazy He Calls Me" and "The Christmas Song," and sits out on two numbers "You Go to My Head" (vocal by Marti Mabin} and Duke Ellington's "Daydream" (solo organ by Modugno). Mabin is the vocalist on "Crazy He Calls Me" and "The Christmas Song," Elena Camerin on the saucy samba "Quisiera Ser" (color added by trumpeter Charlie Franklin and percussionist Bobby Viteri). Sudhalter's flute is front and center again on "Nature Boy," "Quisiera Ser" and "It's Only a Paper Moon." Everything is well-played, and the album atones in variety for what it may lack in resourcefulness. Sudhalter is proficient on every axe, and the supporting cast is admirable, especially Barile and Modugno, who are among several Italians in the crew (the album was released on Rome's Alfa Music label). Those who haven't heard Sudhalter are sure to be pleasantly surprised, and may be inspired to seek out her splendid big-band album, Last Train to Astoria (Self Produced, 2002). ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-octave-tunes-carol-sudhalter-alfamusic-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Carol Sudhalter: leader, flute (1, 4-6, 10, 12), tenor sax (2, 11, 13), baritone sax (3, 8, 9); Charlie Franklin: trumpet (6); Carlo Barile: piano (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 12); Joe Vincent Tranchina: piano (5, 10); Antonio Cervellino: bass (1, 3-6, 8, 10); Roberto Pistolesi: drums (3, 8); Kaori Yamada: drums (2, 10, 11); Marti Mabin: vocals (3, 11, 13); Elena Camerin: vocals (6); Vito Di Modugno: Hammond organ (2, 7, 11, 13).

The Octave Tunes

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48th St. Collective - Music Links

Styles: Vocal, Post Bop 
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:12
Size: 69,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:05)  1. Sure Know Something
(3:18)  2. Porcelain
(3:06)  3. Say Say Say - Acoustic Mix
(3:43)  4. Love is Love
(2:42)  5. Shine on You Crazy Diamond
(2:45)  6. Cry to Me
(3:56)  7. Wild Things
(4:29)  8. Torn
(3:03)  9. With or Without You - Album Mix

Music Links

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Lisa Hilton - Oasis

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:00
Size: 110,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:36)  1. Twists of Fate
(4:54)  2. Adventure Lands
(4:59)  3. Oasis
(4:06)  4. Watercolor World
(2:48)  5. Fascinating Rhythm
(4:08)  6. Vapors & Shadows
(3:11)  7. Just for Fun
(4:43)  8. Sunshine States
(4:21)  9. Lazy Daisy
(4:31) 10. Sunday Morning
(6:38) 11. Warm Summer Night

“‘Oasis’ is freedom and lyrical art. It overflows with Hilton’s somersaulting narrative, lyricism in every note, turning and churning in on itself  expressed with thought, clarity, and the fusion of movement and texture. Hilton slips in a whirlwind of feeling in “Watercolor World,” as a painter would to her canvas  in splashes and spurts, behind your back. The composition unravels in ever-shifting threads, which she seems to brush and stroke back into a semblance of orderly life. Her aerial lifts bank up against contrasting, darker chords for that subtle textural context she’s known for.”~ Festival Peak

“Because of her serene manner, glorious stylings and superb leadership skills, this award winner has gained the respect of an array of living legends, and she has worked alongside MANY. It all translates into extraordinary music that is compared to jazz and classical icons. Lisa Hilton is RARE.” ~  Hybrid Jazz

“Reliably exceptional  that is how I would describe Lisa Hilton. … Her composing and performance could be described as existing between impressionism and expressionism, but the one thing all her performances have is a heartbeat. Swinging-ly grounded in the beat she establishes is where Hilton’s charm shines the brightest.” ~ C. Michael Bailey/All About Jazz https://lisahiltonmusic.com/oasis/

Personnel:  Lisa Hilton - piano, Lucques Curtis - bass, Mark Whitfield Jr. - drums

Oasis

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