Ernie Watts - Analog Man

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:25
Size: 162,2 MB
Art: Front

(11:15)  1. Analog Man
(10:33)  2. Elements
( 6:45)  3. Paseando
( 6:59)  4. Clinton Parkview
( 5:37)  5. Company
(10:05)  6. Joshua
( 9:44)  7. A Lilac Grows
( 6:26)  8. Gee Baby
( 2:58)  9. Morning Prayer

The opening two-note piano riff, the crisp rim shots from the drums and the walking bass line on the opening number and title track get Analog Man off to the most swinging of starts. Saxophonist Ernie Watts introduces the melody and proceeds to craft a solo so full of invention, strength and lyricism that when he lays out to allow pianist Christof Saenger his turn the surprise is that only three minutes have passed.Watts' playing on "Analog Man is fluid and elegant and he raises the bar high for the musicians in his quartet. First pianist Saenger and then bassist Rudi Engel prove that they are up to the challenge of playing with one of jazz's premier saxophonists."Elements opens with drummer Heinrich Koebberling and Watts engaging in a highly charged duet, or rather duel, as the two seem to stoke each other's fire, recalling saxophonist John Coltrane and drummer Rashied Ali's sparring of forty years ago. Saenger maintains the tempo with a brief but lightning solo before the tune turns a corner and emerges into a short free-form, quasi-psychedelic passage with bowed bass, bird-like squawks from the saxophone and splashes of high register piano. Watts then steers the quartet into slightly more conventional territory but the tension never dips on the album's most ambitious track. Saenger's beautiful "Paseando sees Watts switch to soprano , and his gently soaring, snaking solo evokes the magic of Wayne Shorter, one of his primary influences. Saenger responds with a solo full of blues, space and teasing runs. 

There are three non-originals on Analog Man: French bassist Francois Moutin's "Clinton Parkview, Victor Feldman's classic "Joshua and, sandwiched between the two, Rickie Lee Jones' tender ballad, "Company. On "Joshua Watts plays some of his most inspired lines, a breathless, exciting and full-blooded tenor assault which sets the tone for his excellent quartet to follow. It is the Watts originals, however, which stand out. "A Lilac Grows shows that the saxophonist can pen a ballad as well as anybody, and the soulful, uplifting melody and elegant playing again recall Blue Note-era Shorter. The quartet turns to the blues on "Gee Baby, which bounces and shuffles along propelled by Engel's bass line. Watts serves up a typically robust, colorful solo before drums and piano enter and swing the tune all the way home. "Morning Prayer succeeds in capturing the essence of the sacred, that indefinable beauty particular to so much devotional music; Patricia Watts on Burmese temple bells sets off her husband's heartfelt unaccompanied improvisations. Analog Man is Watts' third quartet album on his own Flying Dolphin Records label and perhaps his strongest to date. Watts' writing and playing is better than ever. At least two tracks, the title track and "A Lilac Grows bear the hallmarks of instant classics, compositions which will inspire current and future generations of musicians, and there can surely be no higher compliment than that. ~ Ian Patterson https://www.allaboutjazz.com/analog-man-ernie-watts-flying-dolphin-records-review-by-ian-patterson.php

Personnel: Ernie Watts: saxophones; Christof Saenger: piano; Rudi Engel: bass; Heinrich Koebberling: drums; Patricia Watts: Burmese temple bells (9).

Analog Man

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Bill Frisell, Fred Hersch - Songs We Know

Styles: Guitar And Piano Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:51
Size: 131,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:05)  1. It Might as Well Be Spring
(4:44)  2. There Is No Greater Love
(6:03)  3. Someday My Prince Will Come
(3:44)  4. Softly as in a Morning Rise
(5:27)  5. Blue Monk
(5:53)  6. My One and Only Love
(5:29)  7. My Little Suede Shoes
(6:19)  8. Yesterdays
(5:07)  9. I Got Rhythm
(6:31) 10. Wave
(4:22) 11. What Is This Thing Called Love

Pairing two such superior soloists as guitarist Bill Frisell and pianist Fred Hersch seems a most unlikely match. Despite having gigged together a couple times in the 1980s, the only thing the two seem to have in common is they both record for Nonesuch Records. As it turns out, it was Fred Hersch's idea to finally get the two together in the studio - and it couldn't have been a more inspired combination. The brilliant, eclectic Frisell is perhaps the most original guitarist of the last two or three decades and he's hardly ever combined his unique sound arsenal with a pianist. Hersch, on the other hand, has carved out a substantial body of work illustrating his sensitivity as a soloist and finesse as a superior accompanist (particularly for singers), yet he's almost never heard with a guitarist. The result is the marvelous new Songs We Know, a fine song cycle of contemporary jazz standards, played with a laid-back ease that only two such sharp and original stylists can bring to such well-known music. Frisell and Hersch concur that the session could have gone many different ways, but it was their mutual love for the standards, with their open palette of simplicity, history and potential for new interpretation that lead to the inspired sounds heard on Songs We Know. Both leaders have logged many miles playing these and other standards too: Frisell, as part of Paul Motian's trio with tenor giant Joe Lovano, and Hersch, through his recent Plays Monk and Plays Rogers & Hammerstein discs and, even more substantially, on his jazz-the-classics Angel recordings. But, together, Frisell and Hersch - like Bill Evans and Jim Hall did together before them bring to bear a fresh chemistry that is too rarely applied to such oft-played material. Hersch remains a melodic, sensitive even erudite explorer. And Frisell maintains his sense of humor and displays his ever-inspired internal logic. Together, they explore and experiment with the contours of each other's sound and style and arrive some place that neither might have approached on their own before. The eleven Songs We Know have many highlights. Chief among the pleasures to be heard here include the playful and unusually funky "There Is No Greater Love," where Frisell's textbook witticisms engage with Hersch's perky, almost abstract commentary. 

Likewise, Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave" is creative music at its most expressive: where Hersch's piano provides the soft undercurrent while Frisell's sprite, melodic tones carry the tide in, conveying the hypnotic beauty of the sea that Jobim intended. The two engage most spectacularly, and so nearly at odds, on "What is This Thing Called Love," where the metallic Frisell frolics in the warm cushions Hersch's block chords provide. Then, the pair commiserates romantically (a Hersch specialty) on the lullaby-like (a Frisell specialty) "Someday My Prince Will Come." For real fireworks, listen to how quickly the two depart from the corniness of "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise" to explore a Monk-like tango of arched, deconstructed sonorities. Then, hear how their dissimilarities are unified on the dance-like "My Little Suede Shoes," where Frisell lays down a jig style head while Hersch's interacts brilliantly with lovely tango cadences. Songs We Know is a success - and, more notably, a singularly pleasurable listening experience because it's about more than songs. It's about sounds. 

Separately, these two stylists have crafted much music that is about the creation and interaction of sounds. Together, they have achieved something special, or what Boston Globe jazz critic Bob Blumenthal calls in his excellent liner notes, "an example of how texture works to shape a performance as directly as melodic or rhythmic invention." Recorded in San Francisco last year, Songs We Know pins down the provocative sensitivity both Fred Hersch and Bill Frisell bring to creative music. But more importantly, it captures the wondrous result of two great minds spontaneously being expressed as one strong voice. It is a collection that calls out for more, hopefully an added set of the pair's originals. Until then, Songs We Know are songs creative music listeners will want to hear. ~ Douglas Payne https://www.allaboutjazz.com/songs-we-know-fred-hersch-nonesuch-records-review-by-douglas-payne.php?width=1920

Personnel:  Fred Hersch - piano; Bill Frisell - guitar

Songs We Know

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Lester Young - Lester Young Exercise In Swing

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Swing
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:08
Size: 147,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:07)  1. I've Found A New Baby (I Found A New Baby)
(4:50)  2. The Man I Love
(4:04)  3. Peg O' My Heart
(4:11)  4. Mean To Me
(3:54)  5. Back To The Land
(4:05)  6. I Cover The Waterfront
(3:08)  7. It's Only A Paper Moon
(4:28)  8. Lester Leaps Again
(3:11)  9. Afternoon On A Basie Ite
(2:56) 10. Three Little Words
(3:08) 11. Sometimes I'm Happy
(4:46) 12. After Theatre Jump
(4:11) 13. Six Cats And A Prince
(3:54) 14. Destnation K.C.
(5:07) 15. Body And Soul
(2:59) 16. Exercise In Swing

While Giants of Jazz might not be considered a very prestigious or comprehensive label, there's no denying that some of their reissue compilations serve jazz lovers as mini-surveys illuminating great moments in swing and bop. One of the best entries in the entire Giants of Jazz catalog is probably the magnificent Bud Freeman's 1928-1939. Similarly wonderful and highly recommended for those who are forever in love with the spirit and sounds of Lester Young, Exercise in Swing is a sublime if chronologically obfuscated sampler of Prez's best recorded performances dating from a slice of time running between the summer of 1942 and the spring of 1946. The album opens with most of the master takes from a trio session produced by Norman Granz in either March or April of 1946; here Prez collaborated with pianist Nat King Cole and drummer Buddy Rich. Without any exaggeration whatsoever let it be said that these tracks (one through six) constitute some of Lester Young's most inspired work and indeed some of the best intimate small group swing ever played in a recording studio. After the famous January 1946 Aladdin recording of "It's Only a Paper Moon" the rest of this compilation dwells mainly upon Young's adventures as a Keynote recording artist. "Sometimes I'm Happy" and "Afternoon of a Basie-ite" come from Prez's first-ever recording date as a leader (not counting a relatively obscure series of sessions co-led with his brother Lee Young). Four other vintage Keynote selections feature the Kansas City Seven, which was essentially a scaled down Count Basie band with Basie billed as "Prince Charming." 

"Three Little Words" was performed by the Kansas City Six, a Commodore jam band that included trumpeter Bill Coleman, trombonist Dicky Wells and pianist Joe Bushkin. This outstanding Lester Young sampler closes with a marvelous 1942 rendering of "Body and Soul" (another daydream for trio involving Cole and bassist Red Callender) and the stimulating "Exercise in Swing," an aerobic romp recorded for the Savoy label on April 18, 1944. Without piling on superlatives let's just say this is a knockout Lester Young disc that you probably need more than you even realize at this moment; ideally it would incite you to obtain this man's complete Keynote, Aladdin, Commodore, Savoy and Verve recordings. ~ arwulf arwulf https://www.allmusic.com/album/exercise-in-swing-mw0000603215

Lester Young Exercise In Swing

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Tim Allhoff - Lovebox Sessions

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:26
Size: 105,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:39)  1. Regen
(2:51)  2. Feivel
(6:39)  3. Rabbit in Your Headlights
(4:08)  4. Sarabande
(2:56)  5. October Song
(3:26)  6. Satoru Nakata's Dream
(5:44)  7. Improvisation on Ravel's Piano Trio (Mvt. III)
(2:27)  8. End of Story
(3:54)  9. O Que Sera
(3:28) 10. Beyond the Clouds
(7:09) 11. Julia

Three highly acclaimed trio albums have been given time by ECHO award winner Tim Allhoff, and his first solo album is now being released with »Lovebox Sessions«. Honest, informal and charming makes the celebrated pianist a very personal statement that lives above all from the reduction. It sounds like handmade songs and a living room atmosphere and looks amazingly authentic and »new«. An old, creaking piano, the warm rustling of vintage keyboards, a dusty dulcimer, an aged harmonium. The Augsburger "Lovebox-Studios" last winter served for three weeks as a musical playground for Allhoff and the producer Michael Kamm. Translate By Google https://www.amazon.de/Lovebox-Sessions-Tim-Allhoff/dp/B015GH036M

Personnel:  Piano, Synth, Melodica, Glockenspiel – Tim Allhoff; Bass – Michael Kamm; Drums – Jakob Mader; Guitar – Martin Schmid

Lovebox Sessions

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Nicki Parrott - From New York To Paris

Styles: Vocal, Post Bop
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:01
Size: 136,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:51)  1. I Love Paris
(4:27)  2. There's A Boat Leaving Soon For New York
(5:30)  3. I Will Wait For You
(4:32)  4. On Broadway
(4:03)  5. The Brooklyn Bridge
(4:29)  6. If You Go Away
(4:15)  7. Under Paris Skies
(4:28)  8. I'll Take Manhattan
(5:09)  9. Broadway
(4:13) 10. April In Paris
(4:28) 11. Do You Miss New York
(1:29) 12. Slaughter On Tenth Avenue
(3:59) 13. If You Love Me
(4:01) 14. La Mer

Jazz bass and vocal star Nicki Parrott performs her magic on fourteen city-themed tunes. Multifaceted jazz bassist and singer, Nicki Parrott, showcases the warm phrasing of her unique vocals while swinging the music to perfection. New York and Paris are two cities for which vocalist/bassist NICKI PARROTT has deep affection. About six years ago she recorded an album titled The Last Time I Saw Paris that contained a variety of songs related to France, either by subject or by composer. On her latest album, From New York to Paris (Arbors 19466), she splits her attention between songs related to France or to New York City. To assist her in her explorations she has enlisted Harry Allen on tenor sax, Gil Goldstein on accordion, John di Martino on piano and Alvin Atkinson on drums. 

The group has a ripping good time addressing the 14 songs on the program. Parrott has developed into one of the elite singers on the jazz scene, and her bass playing is on the same level. Her cohorts are equally adept. Whether attending to songs about New York like ''On Broadway,'' ''Manhattan,'' with some new lyrics by Parrott and Brian Wittman, ''Broadway'' or ''Do You Miss New York,'' or looking for inspiration across the Atlantic on tunes such as ''I Love Paris,'' ''Under Paris Skies,'' ''April in Paris'' or ''La Mer,'' they find spot on ways to present them. 

An added bonus is the set of liner notes by Roger Crane that add some intelligent commentary to accompany the music. Parrott has given us another winner! https://www.amazon.com/New-York-Paris-Nicki-Parrott/dp/B07NHPMMW1
 

''Nicki brings clear articulation, beautiful tone, a sense of rhythmic assuredness and a touch of allure to inventive arrangements.'' ~ Jazz Times

''She has that special gift you cannot buy in a music store.'' ~Les Paul

''Nicki Parrott could make anyone love jazz.'' ~ Cabaret Scene

From New York To Paris

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Freddie Hubbard - Jazz Moods - Hot

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1970
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:03
Size: 165,8 MB
Art: Front

(12:09)  1. Red Clay
( 7:01)  2. Take It To The Ozone
(11:03)  3. First Light
(10:42)  4. The Intrepid Fox
( 7:34)  5. Sky Dive
( 6:04)  6. Theme From Kareem
(17:26)  7. Straight Life

Jazz Moods: Hot collects various tracks from trumpeter Freddie Hubbard's '70s CTI label recordings. These are stellar, funky, and forward-thinking cuts that, while highly regarded, are often overlooked in favor of Hubbard's '60s Blue Note recordings. While fans of '70s fusion will want to pick up the complete albums, this works as a solid introduction to the second half of Hubbard's career. Included are all the title songs from the albums, including 1970's "Red Clay" and 1972's "First Light" as well as such standout album tracks as "Theme From Kareem" off 1978's Super Blue. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/jazz-moods-hot-mw0000475807

Jazz Moods - Hot

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Anita Harris Quartet - Moments in Time

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:34
Size: 153,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:59)  1. Sunday
(3:35)  2. You've Changed
(4:12)  3. Like Someone in Love
(5:42)  4. Laura
(4:01)  5. I Can't Give You Anything but Love
(5:12)  6. More Than You Know
(4:03)  7. At Long Last Love
(3:31)  8. Solitude
(5:47)  9. I Dedicate This to You
(3:43) 10. Prelude to a Kiss
(4:48) 11. I'm Old Fashioned
(3:52) 12. You Took Advantage of Me
(5:31) 13. I Remember Clifford
(4:16) 14. Lover Come Back to Me
(4:13) 15. My Romance

Anita Harris made her debut before a jazz audience in 1993, at the 13th Merimbula Jazz Festival, accompanied as she is here by Kim Harris on piano, Evan Harris on electric bass and Alan Richards on drums. Her debut CD, Moments in Time, originally recorded in 1998, is now re-released under the Newmarket Music label, following upon the success of her 2005 release, The Wee Small Hours. http://newmarketmusic.com/album/Anita-Harris-%252d-Moments-In-Time.html

Moments in Time

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Yusef Lateef - Prayer To The East

Styles: Saxophone, Flute and Tambourine Jazz 
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:46
Size: 103,5 MB
Art: Front

( 9:54)  1. A Night In Tunisia
(13:09)  2. Endura
( 8:18)  3. Prayer To The East
( 6:45)  4. Love Dance
( 6:37)  5. Lover Man

A half-a-century following its original release, Prayer to the East by Yusef Lateef remains a seemingly blessed moment of creative interaction between American modern jazz and the music of the so-called Arab East, the latter evoked in essences ranging from snippets of traditional musical scales to picture postcards of Tunisian nightlife. The second half of the '50s was a busy period for Lateef, at that time under contract to the Savoy imprint. This album as well as three others were all cut in October of 1957, establishing as much documentation as could ever be needed of a transition from a player in the swing context of bandleaders such as Lucky Millinder and Hot Lips Page to a bold adventurer. Extended improvisations and the introduction of unusual instruments were important parts of this development and these recordings, yet the impression should not be one of austerity. Lateef's use of the flute turned out to be commercial, one of many instances of this particular axe finding more favor among the listening public than it tends to within the ranks of musicians themselves. Lateef and comrades may have been going for deep listening, still it is worth pointing out that an admirer of sides such as Prayer to the East pointed out how much fun him and his buddies used to have listening to this music while playing pool. The lengthy "Night in Tunisia" is nothing but a great moment in small modern jazz combo recordings, allowing Lateef's budding interest to bloom in an intriguing light. Flugelhornist Wilbur Harden was also a collaborator of John Coltrane's in the same period. The brassman dodges imitations of the song's composer, high-note trumpet maestro Dizzy Gillespie, instead hovering in his mid-register, revealing a joke in a turn of phrase as if he was being spied on. The album's title track comes from drummer Oliver Jackson, so tightly affiliated with swinging syncopation that his nickname was "Bops Junior." Later drummers working in Lateef's combos such as Frank Gant and of course Elvin Jones would introduce more polyrhythms, percolating a brew that by the end of the '50s had much less of the aroma of a mainstream cup of jazz. Some listeners may find, however, that a player such as Jackson creates more excitement, more workable dynamics, the tension of a stylistic clash that is inevitably hinted at rather than shouted. "Lover Man" may have been an overdone number in the jazz combo repertory even by 1957; the subsequent years would only redeem this particular performance were it more substantial. A formidable Lateef original and Les Baxter's "Love Dance" are the two concluding numbers, each in the six-minute range without a wasted moment in either case. The leader's improvisations are perfect, full of interesting choices of register, a man in motion who somehow masks his true dimensions. ~ Eugene Chadbourne https://www.allmusic.com/album/prayer-to-the-east-mw0000120364

Personnel:  Yusef Lateef - tenor saxophone, flute, tracks 3 and 4, tambourine; Wilbur Harden - flugelhorn; Hugh Lawson - piano, ocarina; Ernie Farrow - bass; Oliver Jackson - drums, gong

Prayer To The East

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Freddie Roach - Down To Earth

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:46
Size: 89,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:43)  1. De Bug
(5:50)  2. Ahm Miz
(6:30)  3. Lujan
(8:09)  4. Althea Soon
(6:36)  5. More Mileage
(4:55)  6. Lion Down

Freddie Roach differentiated himself from the legions of soul-jazz organists on his debut album, Down to Earth. Many jazz organists played the instrument down and dirty, and while there's funk in Roach's playing, his style is ultimately lighter than many of his peers, with clean, concise solos and chords. His backing trio guitarist Kenny Burrell, tenor saxophonist Percy France, and drummer Clarence Johnston follows his lead, providing supple instrumental support that never loses sight of the groove. Furthermore, Burrell and France both have their chances to shine, contributing some nicely understated solos. Nevertheless, Down to Earth remains Roach's show; he wrote five of the six songs and his organ is at center stage on each number. The legato blues of "De Bug" is a terrific showcase for Roach's elegantly funky style, while the sprightlier "Ahm Miz" proves that he can get gritty if he so chooses. But the signature of Down to Earth is Roach's tasteful bluesy grooves, which prove to be just as entertaining as the hotter styles of his Blue Note peers Jimmy Smith and John Patton. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/down-to-earth-mw0000759652

Personnel:  Freddie Roach - organ; Percy France - tenor saxophone; Kenny Burrell - guitar; Clarence Johnston - drums

Down To Earth

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Cory Weeds - Live At Frankie's Jazz Club

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:15
Size: 149,9 MB
Art: Front

(8:22)  1. Bluesanova
(6:39)  2. Mood Malody
(6:55)  3. Gypsy Blue
(6:10)  4. Consequence
(7:24)  5. Fabienne
(7:28)  6. Formidable
(8:15)  7. Up Tight's Creek
(5:21)  8. Tolypso
(8:38)  9. The Three Minros

Yes, this is saxophonist/master of all livelihoods Cory Weeds' quintet, the year is 2018, and the group is beyond a doubt Live at Frankie's Jazz Club in Vancouver, British Columbia. But close your eyes, open your ears and it's the unapologetic re-creation of a quintessential hard-bop session from the historic Blue Note / Prestige years of the 1950s-60s. Indeed, to underscore the point, the quintet's pianist is the venerable Harold Mabern who actually performed and/or recorded back in the day with such giants as Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, Freddie Hubbard, Tina Brooks and a who's who of celebrated masters from a glorious age that may never return but whose legacy rests secure in the earnest hands of Weeds and his dexterous teammates. The buoyant concert gets under way on an assertive note with Morgan's walking "Bluesanova" (introduced by Michael Glynn's resonant bass) and segues into Mal Waldron's lyrical "Mood Malody" before delving into impressive original compositions by Brooks, McLean, Walter Davis Jr. and Swiss alto overseer George Robert. 

Davis' three-quarter time "Formidable" is one of several highlights with the ensemble in lock-step to undergird perceptive solos by Weeds, Terell Stafford and Glynn. Brooks' freewheeling "Up Tight's Creek," which follows, offers more of the same with Stafford's nimble trumpet brightening the landscape, Weeds in blue-chip form and Glynn adding another thoughtful statement. McLean, whose high-speed "Consequence" is heard earlier in the program, caps the evening with his sunny Caribbean-flavored "Tolypso" and "The Three Minors," whose irrepressible tempo and boppish licks epitomize the time in which it was written. Weeds, Stafford and Mabern are in superior form again, as is drummer Julian MacDonough who adds another driving solo on "Consequence." Robert (Weeds' longtime mentor who died far too soon, in 2016) wrote the handsome ballad "Fabienne," on which Weeds is featured, Brooks the smooth, Latin-leaning "Gypsy Blue," wherein Stafford, Weeds and Mabern are at their self-controlled and lyrical best. 

While tipping their hats to the past, Weeds and his able colleagues prove conclusively that music of this caliber is essentially timeless. A superior concert in every respect, one that should especially gladden the hearts of those who call to mind with fondness the short-lived but incomparable era of hard-bop jazz. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-frankies-jazz-club-cory-weeds-cellar-live-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Cory Weed: alto saxophone; Terell Stafford: trumpet; Harold Mabern: piano; Michael Glynn: bass; Julian Macdonough: drums.

Live At Frankie's Jazz Club

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Don Elliott - Double Trumpet Doings

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:34
Size: 94,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:06)  1. Mine
(5:03)  2. Vampire Till Ready
(4:59)  3. Your Own Iron
(4:55)  4. Easy To Remember
(3:19)  5. The Bull Speaks
(5:07)  6. Dominick Seventh
(4:40)  7. Gargantuan Chant
(5:06)  8. When Your Lover Has Gone
(2:14)  9. Henry's Mambo
(2:00) 10. Theme And Inner Tube

Originally issued under the slightly more esoteric title “New Counterpoint for Six Valves” this is a disc dominated mainly by the frequent dialogues between its two principle soloists. Elliott and Dedrick make a disparate pair and their contrasting sounds are prime reason for the program’s more interesting outcomes. Elliott was a follower of bebop and renowned more for his talents as a vibraphonist than as a brassman. A collaborator at various times with the likes of George Shearing, Benny Goodman and Buddy Rich his artistic enterprises also moved beyond the realms of jazz into Broadway musicals and novelty tunes. Dedrick was more the product of a swing upbringing and his tone is shaped by a mellower, less overtly complicated approach. In spite of Elliott’s positioning as leader of the session it is Hyman who crafts all arrangements for the tunes and pens the creatively titled original compositions that dominate the disc. In fact it’s these originals that often prove more intriguing harmonically and melodically than the three time-worn standards that round out the group’s songbook. The pianist makes excellent use of the two-trumpet front line and also writes a variety of interesting passages for Lowe’s guitar strings. To aid listeners in distinguishing between the two trumpeters Dedrick affixes a mute to the bell of his horn on the majority of his solos. With mute in place his already sonorous sound takes on an even more euphonious dimensions. Expectedly the rhythm team of Safranski and Lamond usually play the wallflowers in the sextet only stepping up to take a crack at solos on rare occasions such as Safranski’s brief break on “Dominick Seventh.” Hyman however doesn’t relegate himself to the backdrop and submits comely statements on several of the numbers including an attractive solo on “Easy to Remember.” In the final analysis this disc is far from essential and sometimes strays into the schmaltzy side as on the Herb Alpert-tinged “The Bull Speaks.” But it does offer an intriguing diversion and listeners looking for a session where the focus is planted firmly on trumpet will probably be pleased by what they find here. ~ Derek Taylor https://www.allaboutjazz.com/double-trumpet-doings-don-elliott-jazzland-recordings-review-by-derek-taylor.php

Personnel: Don Elliott- trumpet; Rusty Dedrick- trumpet; Mundell Lowe- electric guitar; Dick Hyman- piano; Eddie Safranski- double bass; Don Lamond- drums.

Double Trumpet Doings

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Donny McCaslin - Blow.

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:10
Size: 127,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:29)  1. What About The Body
(4:53)  2. Club Kidd
(9:13)  3. Break the Bond
(4:30)  4. New Kindness
(4:02)  5. Exactlyfourminutesofimprovisedmusic
(6:18)  6. Tiny Kingdom
(4:22)  7. Great Destroyer
(5:52)  8. The Opener
(5:40)  9. Beast
(1:12) 10. Tempest
(4:33) 11. Eye of the Beholder

At first listen, Blow sounds more like a rock album than a jazz one. The catchy "What About The Body" could arguably be mistaken for one of King Crimson's more vituperative numbers featuring Adrian Belew. Ryan Dahle's emotionally-charged vocals are equally at the forefront of the explosive "Club Kidd." But the selection also includes three instrumental tracks too, such as the grungy, anthemic "Break The Bond," the polyrhythmic "Beast," and "Exactlyfourminutesofimprovisedmusic" (which speaks for itself) all underpinned by Tim Lefebvre's pulsating bass lines. This is way different from McCaslin's previous albums Beyond Now ( Motéma Music, 2016), which exuded a ruminative quality, or its impressive predecessor Fast Future (Greenleaf, 2015). Then of course there was the 2016 paradigm shift that was David Bowie's Blackstar, which almost overnight transformed McCaslin from an imaginative and well-respected New York jazz saxophonist and composer into an internationally renowned musician, partly due to its principal's death two days after its release but also because his contribution helped make Bowie's swan song one of his best and certainly most poignant albums. The darkly melodramatic "Tiny Kingdom" offers semblances of Jim Morrison or even Bowie, whilst the airy pop-ish vocal harmonies on "Great Destroyer" channel R.E.M. or even, at a pinch, the Beach Boys. On "The Opener," featuring Mark Kozelek's (from Sun Kil Moon) spoken vocals, the hypnotic music and narrative are complemented by Kozelek's engaging voice. The closer, "Eye Of The Beholder" features sultry vocals by fellow Bowie collaborator Gail Ann Dorsey and is unequivocally beautiful; arguably, the album's masterstroke. ~ Roger Fabey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blow-donny-mccaslin-motema-music-review-by-roger-farbey.php

Personnel: Donny McCaslin: tenor saxophone; Ryan Dahle, Jeff Taylor, Gail Ann Dorsey: vocals; Jason Lindner: synths, piano; Tim Lefebvre: electric bass; Mark Guiliana, Zach Danziger: drums, programming.

Blow.

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Keith Brown - Sweet & Lovely

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:29
Size: 148,6 MB
Art: Front

(1:07)  1. Meudon-by Night
(6:01)  2. The Very Thought of You
(5:03)  3. Golden Lady
(5:01)  4. All of You
(7:18)  5. Lady In Jazz
(5:48)  6. Sweet & Lovely
(4:54)  7. What Is This Thing Called Love
(4:50)  8. J Roll
(5:39)  9. Sophisticated Lady
(4:13) 10. Just Friends
(6:56) 11. Stablemates
(7:34) 12. You Don't Known What Love Is

Keith L. Brown is a pianist, composer, bassist and educator. This son of three-time Grammy nominated jazz pianist/composer Donald Brown was born in Memphis, TN and raised in Knoxville, TN. Keith earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 2009 and completed his Masters of Music Degree in May 2011. In 2010, Keith was invited to Meudon, France to record his debut jazz CD entitled “Sweet and Lovely” on the Space Time Records label. CD personnel included Essiet Essiet, Marcus Gilmore, Stephane Belmondo, and Baptiste Herbin. His CD was released world-wide on April 15th, 2011 to rave reviews. Keith’s piano virtuosity has placed him in demand on the international jazz scene. Keith L. Brown began playing piano and bass at an early age. Born into a musical family, both Keith's parents played music and many of his aunts and uncles are exceptionally musically talented as well. His father Donald is a world renowned jazz pianist having performed with many greats and his mother Dorothy is a pianist also and plays various woodwind instruments. Keith first learned to play songs of R&B artists like Stevie Wonder by ear and then started classical piano lessons at 8yrs old. 

Donald Brown nurtured Keith’s musical ambitions by teaching him how to play his original compositions and jazz standards. Keith was also influenced by artists such as Phineas Newborn Jr., James Williams, and Mulgrew Miller. Keith and his brothers, Kenneth (drums) and Donald Brown Jr., were deep into hip-hop and rap music growing up. Keith began to study jazz seriously after he graduated high school. By age 18, Keith was playing piano and bass around Knoxville in a variety of jazz, r&b, funk, and country bands. Since he began playing jazz, at the age of 18, Keith has been fortunate to perform and record with some amazing musicians. Keith has shared the stage with great jazz artist such as Mike Clark, Jeff Coffin, Essiet Essiet, Bill Mobley and his String Orchestra, Billy Pierce, Greg Tardy, Terreon Gully, Warren Wolf, Benny Golson, and Russell Gunn. Keith has also toured with such greats as Bobby Watson, Ray Drummond, and Marvin “Smitty” Smith. In addition, he has also performed with some of the great young musicians of today such as Kenneth Whalum III, Marcus Gilmore, French saxophonist Baptist Herbin and many others. Keith continues to draw inspiration from his roots in R&B, Funk, Classic, Jazz and Hip-Hop and constantly explores new ways of integrating these influences. “I always try to write and perform in a way that is intellectual but that has a strong sense of melody or groove that can touch those who are open enough to listen.” Keith recently completed a new recording project released on August 29, 2015 on the Space Time Record Label. The album features mostly original compositions by Keith and features saxophonist Greg Tardy on tenor, Kenneth Whalum III on tenor and soprano saxophones, Clint Mullican on bass, Jamel Mitchell on tenor saxophone, Mike Seal on guitar, and Grammy Award Winning drummer Terreon “Tank” Gully who also serves as the producer. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/keithbrown

Personnel:  Keith Brown - piano; Essiet Essiet - bass; Marcus Gilmore - drums; Stephane Belmondo - trumpet, flugelhorn; Baptiste Herbin - alto, soprano sax

Sweet & Lovely

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Larry Coryell - The Power Trio: Live in Chicago

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:31
Size: 149,8 MB
Art: Front

( 0:07)  1. Spoken Intro to Autumn leaves
( 9:58)  2. Autumn Leaves
( 8:07)  3. Black Orpheus
( 4:39)  4. Love Is Here to Stay
(11:03)  5. Star Eyes
( 4:54)  6. Something
( 7:10)  7. Bumpin' on Sunset
( 8:08)  8. Good Citizen Swallow
(10:21)  9. Bag's Groove

After two recent electric fusion project records with drummer Steve Smith ( Cause and Effect and Count's Jam Band Reunion ), veteran fusion guitarist and composer Larry Coryell returns with Power Trio: Live in Chicago. In this live set captured at the Jazz Showcase, this trio swings through mellow moods with traditional jazz sonic textures, in contrast to the classic fusion that won Coryell fame in the early '70s. The sparse instrumentation, consisting of Larry Gray on upright and electric bass and Paul Wertico on drums, leaves plenty of room for Coryell's guitar to shine. His playing shifts immaculately from bright comping to nimble clean runs or plucked arpeggios, and the rhythm section backs him with subtle confidence. The songs on Live in Chicago range from snappy electric jazz like "Autumn Leaves" through slow dirges like "Black Orpheus" and "Bumpin' on Sunset," to acoustic ballads like "Love is Here to Stay," and Coryell's guitar stirs with beauty in the solo piece "Something." He displays mastery of all these varied styles, but the melodies can't match the catchy heads from his fusion work, like "Scotland I." Coryell and his band perform a solid set of traditional electric and acoustic jazz on Live in Chicago , and the recording captures the crisp feel of live performance, but the music doesn't have the same memorable spark as Coryell's classic or recent fusion. ~ Scott Andrews https://www.allaboutjazz.com/power-trio-live-in-chicago-larry-coryell-review-by-scott-andrews.php

Personnel: Larry Coryell: guitars, Larry Gray: basses, Paul Wertico: drums.

The Power Trio:  Live in Chicago

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Claudia Acuña - Turning Pages

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:55
Size: 87,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:17)  1. Aguita de Corazon
(3:19)  2. Hey
(4:52)  3. But Beautiful
(4:11)  4. Los Tres Deseos de Siempre
(3:56)  5. Futuro
(5:07)  6. Bird Alone
(5:29)  7. Silencio
(3:12)  8. Home
(3:29)  9. Tu Sonrisa

There's no sense in calling Claudia Acuña’s Turning Pages a comeback. Just in the past two years she’s collaborated with heavyweights such as Henry Threadgill, Susie Ibarra, Elio Villafranca and Billy Childs (singing on the title track of his 2017 album Rebirth, a tune based on her composition). But this is the Chilean vocalist’s first album in a decade after releasing five widely heralded CDs in the aughts, projects that documented her central position in the wave of Latin American artists who brought so much creative energy to the New York scene around the turn of the century. Turning Pages isn’t so much a comeback as a reintroduction to an artist who is stepping forward as a songwriter too. Working closely with Colombian-born string wizard, arranger, and producer Juancho Herrera (whose credits include collaborations with Lila Downs, Sofia Rei, and Marta Gomez), she co-composed five of the album’s nine tunes, including the graceful nuevo cancion-style “Aguita de Corazón” and the celebratory anthem “Hey,” both written with pianist Ray Angry. The other three co-writes are with Herrera, most memorably “Futuro,” a love song to her son. https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/claudia-acuna-turning-pages-defin/

Turning Pages

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Archie Shepp - The Cry Of My People

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:56
Size: 99,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:39)  1. Rest Enough (Song To Mother)
(6:29)  2. A Prayer
(2:56)  3. All God's Children Got A Home In The Universe
(5:28)  4. The Lady
(5:43)  5. The Cry Of My People
(0:35)  6. African Drum Suite, Pt. 1
(7:32)  7. African Drum Suite, Pt. 2
(9:30)  8. Come Sunday

Archie Shepp is an artist whose work, while not always successful, nevertheless remains compelling and worth a listen. The Cry of My People is not his best effort, but one can respect his maverick approach to jazz scholarship that resists classification and challenges the notion of what can be defined as jazz. This album comes from a period in the early seventies where Shepp was absorbing all manner of black music from gospel to blues to Ellington into his compositions. The result is an recording that is consistently interesting, although a bit schizophrenic. Employing a very large ensemble that includes a choir and string section along with an expanded jazz group, Shepp stubbornly refuses to mix his influences, yet he obviously views them all as part of a vast continuum of musical expression. Listeners may be bewildered by the opening “Rest Enough,” a straightforward gospel tune, and equally puzzled by the segue into “A Prayer,” a brooding instrumental composed by Cal Massey, who arranged the album and died shortly after completing his work. After another gospel tune comes “The Lady,” a bleak tune with a suitably resigned vocal by Joe Lee Wilson. The first half of the record veers from the exuberance of the gospel music to the haunting beauty of a more mainstream jazz sound, yet Shepp remains the guiding force with his stinging, restless attack on both tenor and soprano sax, a dizzying squall of powerful notes. Further resisting categorization, the second side embraces the dissonant chanting and ominous drone of African music on the title track and the “African Drum Suite.” Although challenging, this side teeters between being repetitive and jarring, yet it's redeemed at the end by a lovely treatment of Ellington’s “Come Sunday,” featuring a great vocal by Wilson and fiery, passionate soloing by Shepp, showing why he was so highly regarded by artists such as Coltrane. Those who peg Shepp as a member of the avant-garde may be surprised by how accessible The Cry of My People is, regardless of whether or not they can embrace the adventurous nature or social consciousness of his work. Clearly his approach isn’t for everyone. Shepp fans, of course, will be delighted to see this one back in print. ~ David Rickert https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-cry-of-my-people-archie-shepp-impulse-review-by-david-rickert.php

Personnel: Archie Shepp - tenor and soprano saxophone; Harold Mabern, Dave Burrell - piano; Charles McGhee - trumpet; Charles Greenlee, Charles Stephens - trombone;  Cornell Dupree - guitar;  Ron Carter - electric bass; Jimmy Garrison - bass; Bernard Purdie - drums;  Beaver Harris - drums;  Nene DeFense, Terry Quaye - congas, percussion, tambourine; Guilherme Franco - berimbau, Brazilian percussion;  Peggie Blue, Joe Lee Wilson - lead vocals; Andre Franklin, Mildred Lane, Mary Stephens, Barbara White, Judith White - backing vocals; John Blake, Gayle Dixon, Leroy Jenkins, Lois Siessinger, Noel DeCosta, Jerry Little - violin;  Patricia Dixon, Esther Mellon - cello

The Cry Of My People

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Anita Harris - My Heart Belongs to Jazz

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:43
Size: 133,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:13)  1. My Heart Belongs to Daddy
(3:01)  2. There's a Lull in My Life
(3:04)  3. They All Laughed
(4:56)  4. Over the Rainbow
(3:58)  5. Just in Time
(3:48)  6. Small Fry
(3:57)  7. The More I See You
(4:46)  8. Star Dust
(2:39)  9. I Got Rhythm
(4:57) 10. Tea for Two
(4:31) 11. Dream Dancing
(2:16) 12. You Must Believe in Spring
(3:17) 13. Just You Just Me
(2:27) 14. Glad to Be Unhappy
(2:38) 15. Jeepers Creepers
(3:07) 16. Lovers After All

"Anita sang...accompanied by her father, Kim, on piano, so hauntingly that listeners were moved to tears. Kim is the perfect piano accompanist. He has a gift of sympathetic rapport with the singer's dynamics that make accompanying such a challenging and satisfying art." Neville Turner, Jazzline http://newmarketmusic.com/album/Anita-Harris-%252d-My-Heart-Belongs-To-Jazz.html

My Heart Belongs to Jazz

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Bobby Watson - Appointment In Milano

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:12
Size: 100,4 MB
Art: Front

(10:00)  1. Appointment In Milano
( 8:01)  2. Ballando (dancing)
( 3:31)  3. If Bird Could See Me Now
( 6:26)  4. Watson's Blues
( 8:03)  5. (i'm) Always Missing You
( 7:10)  6. Funcalypso

During 1983-86 altoist Bobby Watson recorded fairly regularly for the Italian Red label. On this album he is joined by an obscure but talented Italian rhythm section (pianist Piero Bassini, bassist Attilio Zanchi and drummer Giampiero Prina) called the Open Form Trio. Actually the highpoint of the date is Watson's unaccompanied solo on "If Bird Could See Me Now." Other memorable selections on the well-rounded set include "Watson's Blues," the ballad "Always Missing You" and the spirited "Funcalypso." Bobby Watson (who doubles on this album on soprano) at that point in time was combining advanced hard bop with some influences from the avant-garde, carving out his own style. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/appointment-in-milano-mw0000088997

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Bobby Watson;  Bass – Attilio Zanchi; Drums – Giampiero Prina ; Piano – Piero Bassini

Appointment In Milano

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Roy Haynes - We Three

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:18
Size: 90,6 MB
Art: Front

( 4:21)  1. Reflection
( 6:23)  2. Sugar Ray
( 8:51)  3. Solitaire
(11:18)  4. After Hours
( 4:21)  5. Sneakin' Around
( 4:01)  6. Our Delight

We Three, recorded in a single session on November 14, 1958, was the first American studio date as a bandleader for the diminutive and legendary jazz drummer Roy Haynes, although with pianist Phineas Newborn on board (along with bassist Paul Chambers), it really is a set dominated by Newborn, whose busy, two-handed technique here works in tandem balance with Haynes' cool refinement. Newborn was all about amazing and dazzling piano runs that on some dates created simply too much flash and clutter to allow pieces to flow and breathe properly, but Haynes has always been about grace and flow throughout his career (if a drummer's style can said to be elegant, Haynes fits the bill), and here he rubs off on Newborn, who exercises just enough restraint to keep him in the proper orbit, resulting in a fine album. Highlights include the easy, pure swing of the opener, a version of Ray Bryant's "Reflection," a wonderful and bluesy rendition of Avery Parrish's "After Hours" (which finds Newborn in perfect balance between explosive ornamentation and smooth functionality), and a jaunty, fun spin through Newborn's own "Sugar Ray," a tribute to boxer Sugar Ray Robinson. This trio had a brief recording career together, but as this solid set shows, they made the best of it. ~ Steve Leggett https://www.allmusic.com/album/we-three-mw0000372505

Personnel: Roy Haynes - drums; Phineas Newborn Jr. - piano; Paul Chambers - bass

We Three

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Freddie Roach - Good Move

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:06
Size: 99,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:02)  1. It Ain't Necessarily So
(5:21)  2. When Malindy Sings
(4:31)  3. Pastel
(6:31)  4. Wine, Wine, Wine
(6:20)  5. On Our Way Up
(4:58)  6. T'Ain't What You Do (It's The Way You Do It)
(4:59)  7. Lots Of Lovely Love
(5:20)  8. I.Q. Blues

Laid-back and loosely swinging, Good Move captures organist Freddie Roach near the peak of his form. Roach never leans too heavily on his instrument, preferring a calmer, tasteful attack, yet he is never boring because he has a strong sense of groove. He keeps things moving on slower numbers like Erroll Garner's "Pastel" and Gershwin's "It Ain't Necessarily So," but the true highlights are on originals like "Wine, Wine, Wine" and "On Our Way Up," where the bluesy structures and fluid rhythms give Roach a chance to stretch out. Throughout the record, he is capably supported by guitarist Eddie Wright and drummer Clarence Johnston, as well as trumpeter Blue Mitchell and tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, who both contribute fine solos. ~ Stephen Tomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/good-move%21-mw0000063281

Personnel: Organ – Freddie Roach; Drums – Clarence Johnston; Guitar – Eddie Wright; Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley; Trumpet – Blue Mitchell

Good Move

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Dave Liebman - Return Of The Tenor - Standards

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:18
Size: 164,7 MB
Art: Front

(10:19)  1. All The Things You Are
( 8:31)  2. Bye Bye Blackbird
( 7:04)  3. Loverman
( 9:56)  4. Secret Love
( 6:23)  5. There Will Never Be Another You
( 7:25)  6. Yesterdays
( 8:21)  7. No Greater Love
( 8:48)  8. Summertime
( 4:27)  9. All Of Me

Throughout much of the '80s and '90s, Dave Liebman focused exclusively on soprano saxophone. On this 1996 date he proclaims the Return of the Tenor, taking up the larger horn once again for an inspired set of well-known standards. (One can read about Liebman's creative reasons for doing so in his self-penned liner notes.) Flanked by the members of his working band pianist Phil Markowitz, guitarist Vic Juris, bassist Tony Marino, and drummer Jamey Haddad Liebman chooses not to rearrange or reharmonize the tunes in any fundamental way. In his own words, this is a "blowing session," but players like these have a way of making a blowing session sound like a lot more. What Liebman is really doing, however, is publicly working out his issues on the tenor saxophone, and using familiar melodies and forms to do so. The varied ensemble formats duo, trio, quartet, quintet help to sustain the listener's interest. ~ David R.Adler https://www.allmusic.com/album/return-of-the-tenor-standards-mw0000183203

Personnel: Dave Liebman - tenor saxophone; Vic Juris - guitar; Phil Markowitz - piano;  Tony Marino - acoustic bass;  Jamey Haddad - drums, percussion

Return Of The Tenor - Standards

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Don Elliott - The Voice Of Marty Bell, The Quartet Of Don Elliot

Styles: Vibraphone And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:59
Size: 88,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:34)  1. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(3:03)  2. I Thought About You
(3:48)  3. Moonlight In Vermont
(3:16)  4. The Girl Next Door
(3:27)  5. According To Moyle
(2:57)  6. S'Posin'
(2:03)  7. This Can't Be Love
(2:58)  8. The Love Of My Life
(4:58)  9. I Found A New Baby
(3:26) 10. You Go To My Head
(3:12) 11. September Song
(2:11) 12. Me And You

An extremely popular player in the '50s, Don Elliott was a fine soloist in the swing mode. He first studied piano and accordion, then played baritone horn and mellophone in his high school band. He switched to trumpet while playing in local dance bands, and as a teen worked with fellow teen Bill Evans. Elliott studied harmony at the Institute of Musical Art in New York in the mid-'40s, then played trumpet in an army band. Following that, he studied arranging and vibes at the University of Miami in 1947. When he returned to New York, Elliott played with George Shearing, Teddy Wilson, and Benny Goodman. He later performed and recorded with Terry Gibbs and Buddy Rich before forming his own band. Elliott took "miscellaneous instrument" honors in Down Beat five straight years in the late '50s. During the '60s and '70s, he did Broadway shows and composed film scores and songs for radio and television commercials. He returned to jazz in 1975, serving as a guest soloist with the New York Jazz Repertory Company at Carnegie Hall. ~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/artist/don-elliott-mn0000150073/biography

Personnel: Vibraphone, Trumpet – Don Elliott, Bass – Vinnie Burke; Bongos – Don Elliott , Drums – Jim Campbell, Piano – Bob Corwin; Vocals – Marty Bell

The Voice Of Marty Bell, The Quartet Of Don Elliot

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Earl Hines - An Evening With Earl Hines Disc 1 And Disc 2

Album: An Evening With Earl Hines Disc 1

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:38
Size: 173,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:46)  1. Perdido
(6:56)  2. Boogie Woogie On The St. Louis Blues
(4:21)  3. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
(7:08)  4. All Of Me
(5:25)  5. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
(4:34)  6. Lil Darlin'
(4:36)  7. James Street Blues
(6:19)  8. Prelude To A Kiss / Prisoner Of Love
(4:22)  9. My Ship
(6:07) 10. La Rosita
(4:56) 11. Here's That Rainy Day / Polka Dots And Moonbeams
(5:25) 12. Lester Leaps In
(4:36) 13. Who'
(2:59) 14. Closing

Album: An Evening With Earl Hines Disc 2

Time: 75:46
Size: 175,2 MB

( 6:52)  1. I Ain't Got Nobody
(10:17)  2. Marie
( 5:04)  3. Dinkler Boogie
( 4:27)  4. I Wish You Love
( 5:42)  5. Second Balcony Jump
( 4:11)  6. Shiny Stockings
(10:43)  7. Showboat Medley
( 6:23)  8. Watermelon Man
( 6:17)  9. Time On My Hands
( 8:14) 10. Memories Of You
( 7:33) 11. Street Of Dreams / It's A Pity To Say Goodnight

This double LP is valuable as documentation of Earl Hines and his band on a typical gig in 1973. Marva Josie has a few vocals and Tiny Grimes contributes some guitar solos but the leader/pianist is easily the main star, romping on such tunes as "Perdido," "Boogie Woogie on the St. Louis Blues" and "Lester Leaps In." 

Swinging (if not essential) music. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/an-evening-with-earl-hines-mw0000027404

Personnel: Piano – Earl Hines; Bass – Hank Young; Drums – Bert Dahlander; Guitar – Tiny Grimes; Lead Vocals – Earl Hines.

An Evening With Earl Hines Disc 1 And Disc 2

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George Cables - You Don't Know Me, Vol. 2

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:24
Size: 144,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:37)  1. Here's One
(5:08)  2. Go Down Moses
(4:42)  3. Going Home
(3:46)  4. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
(7:44)  5. Señorita De Aranjuez
(7:20)  6. Looking for the Light
(5:28)  7. Waltz for Debby
(4:22)  8. Stella by Starlight
(6:20)  9. Morning Song
(5:20) 10. Ana Marie
(7:33) 11. The Way We Were

Equally skilled as a leader or as a sideman, George Cables helped to define modern mainstream jazz piano of the 1980s and '90s. When he was 18 and at Mannes College, he formed the Jazz Samaritans with Steve Grossman and Billy Cobham. Cables gained recognition during his stints with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Sonny Rollins (both in 1969), Joe Henderson (1969-1971), and Freddie Hubbard (1971-1976). He was with Dexter Gordon (1976-1978) during the tenor's successful return to the United States, and became known as Art Pepper's favorite pianist (1979-1982). In addition to his occasional work with Bebop and Beyond (starting in 1984), Cables appeared in a countless number of situations through the years, and has recorded frequently as a leader, most notably for Contemporary (including the 1979 classic Cables Vision), Concord, and SteepleChase. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/george-cables-mn0000634700/biography

Personnel:  George Cables - Piano

You Don't Know Me, Vol. 2

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Katrine Madsen - Live at Montmartre

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:38
Size: 174,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:18)  1. Traveler
(6:03)  2. Magic Night
(5:44)  3. Falling Through Rivers of Rain
(6:32)  4. Song for Bill
(7:10)  5. Autumn Nocturne
(7:05)  6. Through the Night
(7:08)  7. Lighted up by Stars
(8:17)  8. Morning Star
(6:12)  9. She Dance
(4:46) 10. August Roses
(9:18) 11. In a Sentimental Mood

Katrine Madsen is ready to release her 9th album a live album recorded in the summer of 2018 at Copenhagens Jazzhus Montmartre. The album sees Madsen once again join forces with Henrik Gunde Pedersen (Piano), Jesper Bodilsen (Acoustic Bass), Jonas Johansen (Drums), as well as Jacob Christoffersen (Piano) and consists of a series of her own compositions as well as a few standards. Katrine Madsen studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and has worked in Copenhagen on albums with numerous well-known jazz artists from around the globe. In 2002 she founded the Katrine Madsen Sextet. Her previous albums have all been well-received, and her live performances have taken her across Europe. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Katrine-Madsen-Traveler-Jazzhus-Montmartre/dp/B07MDXVY9T

Live at Montmartre

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Sean Jones - Roots

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:41
Size: 169,7 MB
Art: Front

(1:34)  1. Children's Hymn
(7:12)  2. Roots
(6:46)  3. Divine Inspiration
(7:03)  4. God's Gift
(7:05)  5. Come Sunday
(8:03)  6. Lift Every Voice
(1:43)  7. Offering Time
(5:11)  8. Conversations
(5:19)  9. El Soul
(5:03) 10. Puddin' Time
(8:00) 11. What We Have
(5:35) 12. John 3:16
(5:01) 13. I Need Thee

With his inspired quintet, trumpeter Sean Jones goes back to his roots on this album, interpreting original music and the standard repertoire, focusing on gospel. His gorgeous trumpet tone and down-home technique are the centerpiece of the album, as they were on his previous two releases. Jones likes to express himself from a traditional point of view, offering vocal-like phrases that meld seamlessly with one another. With alto saxophonist Tia Fuller providing cohesive harmony, the trumpeter emerges as a powerful melodic force. For much of the album, Jones works with his quintet, which also includes pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Luques Curtis and drummer Obed Calvaire. His quartet interpretations of "Come Sunday and "Lift Every Voice provide warm reflections, while his duet with pianist Eddie Howard on "I Need Thee soaks up centuries of emotional spirit. Earlier, Jones' solo interpretation of "Children's Hymn opens the album with a solemn embrace that runs through the session as a guiding theme and provides comfortable solace. At times, he veers from the prayerful medium and allows spurts of meaningful celebration, as on his original "Offering Time and Evans' "Conversations, which comes loaded with rich, satisfying flugelhorn vibrations. Jones "speaks" through his horn to communicate with his audience, adding a tender touch and plenty of expression. He's open-horned for much of the session and more effective on the brighter trumpet celebrations. At the top of his game, Jones lifts tradition into the arms of all believers through a program that explores jazz's gospel roots. ~ Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/roots-sean-jones-mack-avenue-records-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel: Sean Jones: trumpet, flugelhorn; Tia Fuller: alto saxophone, flute, soprano saxophone; Orrin Evans: piano, electric piano, keyboard; Eddie Howard: organ, piano; Luques Curtis: acoustic bass; Obed Calvaire, Jerome Jennings: drums.

Roots

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Bill O'Connell, The Latin Jazz All-Stars - Imagine

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:27
Size: 137,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. Optimism
(6:43)  2. Stepping Stones
(7:46)  3. Imagine
(6:48)  4. Shaman's Dance
(6:57)  5. Missing Mr. Berrios
(6:23)  6. Jigsaw
(6:38)  7. 25 Years
(5:20)  8. Willow Weep for Me
(7:03)  9. Whitecaps

It's curious that Bill O’Connell’s 11th album as a leader is titled after the revered John Lennon anthem covered within, because it’s atypical of most of his work. O’Connell’s stock-in-trade is bop-tempered Afro-Cuban rhythm, and few traces of such surface during the elegant float through the song. But what the pianist and his sextet do with “Imagine” instead is more valuable than giving it a stock clave coating. About midway through the nearly nine-minute rumination, following saxophonist Steve Slagle and trombonist Conrad Herwig’s subtle, repeated restating of the theme, O’Connell carries it away, his impeccably phrased solo leaving Lennon far behind. By the time Slagle returns to wrap it, the reimagining of “Imagine” is unrecognizable, becoming this sextet’s own, and a highlight of the set. O’Connell’s original compositions are handled with similar spirit and inventiveness. The ballad “Missing Mr. Berrios,” a wistful tribute to the late drummer and percussionist Steve Berrios, again leaves it up to the hornmen to provide shape, O’Connell only detouring from the simple chord pattern that’s been providing the foundation briefly enough to let us know he’s there. Of the uptempo numbers, both “Stepping Stones” and especially the closing “Whitecaps” afford the brawny rhythm team of bassist Luques Curtis, drummer Richie Barshay and percussionist Richie Flores (the last two returnees from O’Connell’s previous effort) ample opportunity to flex. That latter tune is closer to what we’ve come to expect from Bill O’Connell, but by the time we’ve gotten to it, he’s made it clear that perhaps what we should really expect from him is only the unexpected. ~ By Jeff Tamarkin https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/bill-oconnell-and-the-latin-jazz-allstars-imagine/

Personnel: Bill O'Connell (Piano); Luques Curtis (Bass); Richie Barshay (Drums); Richie Flores (Percussion); Steve Slagle (Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone); Conrad Herwig (Trombone).

Imagine

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Gene Ammons - Gene Ammons Swinging the Jugg

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:18
Size: 74,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:17)  1. Swinging the Jugg
(5:44)  2. Round Midnight
(5:23)  3. Look of Love
(5:42)  4. Lover Man
(4:34)  5. Just the Blues
(6:35)  6. Confessing the Blues

Gene Ammons, who had a huge and immediately recognizable tone on tenor, was a very flexible player who could play bebop with the best (always battling his friend Sonny Stitt to a tie) yet was an influence on the R&B world. Some of his ballad renditions became hits and, despite two unfortunate interruptions in his career, Ammons remained a popular attraction for 25 years. Son of the great boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons (who was nicknamed "Jug") left Chicago at age 18 to work with King Kolax's band. He originally came to fame as a key soloist with Billy Eckstine's orchestra during 1944-1947, trading off with Dexter Gordon on the famous Eckstine record Blowing the Blues Away. 

Other than a notable stint with Woody Herman's Third Herd in 1949 and an attempt at co-leading a two tenor group in the early '50s with Sonny Stitt, Ammons worked as a single throughout his career, recording frequently (most notably for Prestige) in settings ranging from quartets and organ combos to all-star jam sessions. Drug problems kept him in prison during much of 1958-1960 and, due to a particularly stiff sentence, 1962-1969. When Ammons returned to the scene in 1969, he opened up his style a bit, including some of the emotional cries of the avant-garde while utilizing funky rhythm sections, but he was still able to battle Sonny Stitt on his own terms. Ironically the last song that he ever recorded (just a short time before he was diagnosed with terminal cancer) was "Goodbye."~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gene-ammons-mn0000160198/biography
 

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Gene Ammons; Drums  – Bob Guthrie; Guitar  – George Freeman; Organ  – Bob Pierce

Gene Ammons Swinging the Jugg

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Joe Newman - Soft Swingin' Jazz

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:25
Size: 173,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:18)  1. Makin' Whoppee
(2:38)  2. Three Little Words
(4:29)  3. Scotty
(2:37)  4. There's A Small Hotel
(3:19)  5. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
(3:39)  6. Moonglow
(3:01)  7. Organ Grinder's Swing
(3:35)  8. Rosetta
(3:07)  9. Too Marvellous For Words
(2:59) 10. The Farmer's Daughter
(3:56) 11. Save Your Love For Me
(3:08) 12. The Happy Cats
(2:53) 13. Cocktails For Two
(3:40) 14. Later For The Happenings
(4:04) 15. Buttercup
(4:26) 16. Robbin's Nest
(2:18) 17. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(3:47) 18. Feather's Nest
(3:01) 19. Mean To Me
(3:34) 20. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
(3:19) 21. Joe's Tune
(3:31) 22. I Never Knew

The title says it all. Soft Swinging Jazz pairs Joe Newman with organist Shirley Scott, bassist Eddie Jones, and Charlie Persip for a mellow, lovely session unique within the trumpeter's catalog. For starters, Newman assumes vocal duties on a handful of cuts, proving himself a fine crooner. Moreover, the spacious, nuanced arrangements afford him the room to summon some of his most intimate but impassioned solos. Not to mention that Scott's an uncommonly sympathetic collaborator, shaping and underlining the melodies to create rolling, contoured grooves with the texture of velvet. The album was reissued in 2007 on the Lonehill label alongside the subsequent The Happy Cats. 

~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/album/soft-swinging-jazz-mw0000350883

Personnel:  Joe Newman - trumpet, vocals; Shirley Scott - organ; Eddie Jones - bass; Charlie Persip - drums; Ernie Wilkins - piano

Soft Swingin' Jazz

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Cyrille Aimee - Move On: A Sondheim Adventure

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:47
Size: 116,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:00)  1. When I Get Famous (Intro)
(3:39)  2. Take Me to the World
(2:52)  3. Love, I Hear
(2:52)  4. Loving You
(3:05)  5. Marry Me a Little
(4:14)  6. Being Alive
(2:41)  7. So Many People
(4:08)  8. Not While I'm Around
(1:58)  9. They Ask Why I Believe in You
(5:27) 10. No One is Alone
(2:37) 11. Un Baiser d’Adieu (One More Kiss)
(5:08) 12. I Remember
(5:22) 13. Move On
(3:38) 14. With so Little to Be Sure Of

Cyrille Aimée's latest album may come as a shock to fans of the French vocalist. Gone is the light, bubbly approach that has been her hallmark. Aimée is now a "musical interpreter," no less, and is devoting a whole album to the late works of American composer Stephen Sondheim. Except for Adrien Moignard's acoustic guitar on "So Many People," she has discarded her marvelous manouche backing band, depriving her of the interplay that made her recent stint at New York's Poisson Rouge so enjoyable. She is now accompanied by American studio musicians and highly professional though they may be the chaleur and charm of her work is gone. Whether these songs deserve her devotion is also debatable. Sondheim is fast approaching his 90th birthday. We're a world away from West Side Story, first staged on Broadway in 1957, and from A Little Night Music and its hit "Send In The Clowns" from 1973. Sondheim's recent work is frankly stodgy, with an over emphasis on words and not enough attention paid to the music. "No One Is Alone" makes a philosophical point rather than entertains. "Marry Me A Little" is plain outdated. "So Many People" hints at the writer's confusion as an octogenarian in the modern world. Aimée copes pretty well. Occasional bursts of scat singing show she can still do jazz, and perhaps indicate nervousness concerning her change of direction. Her affection for these Sondheim songs seems genuine. Underneath her frothy French persona, Aimée is a tough cookie who will undoubtedly weather the storm should the rest of the world not share her enthusiasm. ~ Chris Mosey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/move-on-a-sondheim-adventure-cyrille-aimee-mack-avenue-records-review-by-chris-mosey.php

Personnel: Cyrille Aimée: vocals; Assaf Gleizner, Thomas Enhco: keyboards; Jeremy Bruyere: bass; Yoann Serra: drums; Abraham Mansfaroll: percussion; Rubin Kodhelj: cello; Adrien Moignard, Ralph Lavita, Diego Figueredo, Sebastien Giniaux: guitar; Rubin Kodhelj: guitar and cello; Warren Walker, Bill Todd: tenor saxophone; Maxime Berton: soprano saxophone; Patricia Bartley: alto saxophone; Wayne Tucker: trumpet; Mathias Levy, Fung Chern Hwej, Gregor Huebner: violin; Julie Goodale: viola.

Move On: A Sondheim Adventure

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Bill Evans - Starfish & The Moon

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:26
Size: 126,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. Something in the Rose
(5:27)  2. Starfish and the Moon
(5:31)  3. Little Slow Poke
(5:35)  4. I'll Miss You
(5:12)  5. Whiskey Talk
(3:37)  6. The Last Goodbye
(5:03)  7. Red Dog
(6:42)  8. It's Only History
(6:16)  9. BIg Blue Hat
(5:14) 10. Shady Lady

After providing an abundance of hard-edged, aggressive jazz-funk and jazz-rap on Live and Escape, Bill Evans surprised his followers by being so relaxed on Starfish and the Moon. This excellent, highly melodic CD was hailed as "Bill Evans' acoustic album," which was misleading because Starfish has its share of keyboards and synthesizers as well as electric bass and electric guitar. But it is accurate to say that the rap-free Starfish uses more acoustic instruments and less amplification than one had come to expect from the soprano and tenor saxophonist, who favors subtlety on such introspective, lyrical jazz pop as "The Last Goodbye," "Something In the Rose" and "I'll Miss You." Even when he gets into a funk-minded groove on "Whiskey Talk" and "Shady Lady," Evans is moody and evocative rather than intense. Though the Chicago native had often played lyrically in the past, he was never as consistently restrained as he is on Starfish, a curve ball that was the last thing one would have expected to follow Escape. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/starfish-and-the-moon-mw0000595911

Personnel:  Saxophone – Bill Evans ; Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Adam Rogers , Jon Herington; Bass [Acoustic] – James Genus; Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta; Keyboards [Additional] – Henry Hey; Piano, Organ [Hammond], Synthesizer – Jim Beard; Vocals – Caroline Leonhart, David Blamires

Starfish & The Moon

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