The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Near-Myth

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:58
Size: 102,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:16)  1. The Unihorn
(3:51)  2. Bach An' All
(5:40)  3. Siren Song
(4:12)  4. Pan's Pipes
(3:53)  5. By Jupiter
(6:48)  6. Baggin' The Dragon
(3:23)  7. Apollo's Axe
(4:14)  8. The Sailor And The Mermaid
(2:53)  9. Nep-Tune
(3:43) 10. Pan Dance

This is the third and final guest appearance by clarinetist Bill Smith in the place of Paul Desmond with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Like the earlier record dates, this 1961 session focuses exclusively on Smith's compositions, resulting in a very different sound for the band than its normal mix of the leader's songs and standards. Smith was a member of Brubeck's adventurous octet of the late '40s and, like the pianist, also studied with French composer Darius Milhaud. So the clarinetist is willing to take chances, utilizing a mute on his instrument in "Pan's Pipes," and having drummer Joe Morello use his timpani sticks on the piano strings in the swinging "The Unihorn." Smith proves himself very much in Desmond's league with his witty solos and equally amusing, pun-filled liner notes. While none of these songs became a regular part of Brubeck's repertoire, even after Smith replaced tenorist Jerry Bergonzi as a member of the quartet in 1982, this is easily the best of the three albums that he made with Dave Brubeck during the late '50s and early '60s. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/near-myth-mw0000263459

Personnel:  Piano – Dave Brubeck;  Bass – Gene Wright;  Clarinet – Bill Smith; Drums – Joe Morello

Near-Myth

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Soesja Citroen - Soesja Citroen sings Thelonious Monk

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:30
Size: 98,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:52)  1. In Walked Bud
(4:51)  2. In Twilight
(4:11)  3. Come With Me
(8:58)  4. 'Round Midnight
(3:23)  5. Well You Needn't
(7:17)  6. Underneath This Cover
(5:42)  7. Blue Monk
(4:13)  8. Sure It Can Be Done

Thelonious Monk has been the subject of many jazz tributes, but not many of them have come from singers. Five years before Carmen McRae recorded 1988's stunning Carmen Sings Monk, Soesja Citroen impressed the European jazz world with this five-star collection of Monk classics. This 1983 date didn't receive much attention in the U.S., but in Europe it went down in history as a jazz-vocal classic. 

Not only does the Dutch singer impress with her soulful interpretations of Monk's unique melodies, she also demonstrates just how talented a lyricist she is. Citroen embraces the familiar lyrics to "'Round Midnight" which producer Orrin Keepnews described as "the national anthem of jazz" but on gems that range from "Monk's Mood" and "Monk's Dream" to "In Walked Bud," "Crepescule With Nellie," and "Let's Cool One," she provides fine lyrics of her own. And when you consider the fact that Dutch, not English, is Citroen's native language, her command of English seems all the more impressive. For lovers of bop-oriented jazz vocals, this outstanding CD is essential listening. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/soesja-citroen-sings-thelonious-monk-mw0001124792

Soesja Citroen sings Thelonious Monk

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Cannonball Adderley - Live!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:55
Size: 105,9 MB
Art: Front

(13:29)  1. Little Boy With The Sad Eyes
( 8:54)  2. Work Song
( 6:46)  3. Sweet Georgia Bright
(15:24)  4. The Song My Lady Sings
( 1:19)  5. Theme

Cannonball Adderley Live! is a live album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley recorded at Shelly's Manne-Hole and released on the Capitol label featuring performances by Adderley with Nat Adderley, Charles Lloyd, Joe Zawinul, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes. The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 3 (out of 5) stars and states: "When Riverside Records went into bankruptcy, Adderley signed with Capitol, a label whose interest in jazz ... tended to be short-lived. 

As a result, Cannonball's recordings would become more commercial as the 1960s developed but this early Capitol effort is quite good. Charles Lloyd had just joined Adderley's Sextet and his tenor and flute were major assets" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannonball_Adderley_Live!

Personnel:  Cannonball Adderley - alto saxophone; Nat Adderley - cornet; Charles Lloyd - tenor saxophone, flute; Joe Zawinul - piano; Sam Jones - bass; Louis Hayes - drums

Live!

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Louis Bellson - The Louis Bellson Explosion

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:35
Size: 123,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:02)  1. Intimacy Of The Blues
(5:30)  2. Quiet Riots
(6:45)  3. Carnaby Street
(8:19)  4. Beyond Category
(4:33)  5. Chameleon
(5:17)  6. Open Your Window
(3:29)  7. Movin' On
(7:11)  8. Groove Blues
(5:25)  9. La Banda Grande

A fine mid-'70s date that was both a showcase for Bellson's bombastic drumming and also a nice straight-ahead date with great contributions from Blue Mitchell, Snookey Young, Dick Mitchell and others. It's been reissued on CD. ~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-louis-bellson-explosion-mw0000085941

Personnel: Drums – Louis Bellson; Bass – John Williams; Guitar – Mitch Holder; Keyboards – Nat Pierce, Ross Tompkins; Percussion – Dave Levine, Paulo Magalhaes; Saxophone – Bill Byrne , Dick Spencer, Don Menza, Larry Covelli, Pete Christlieb; Trombone – Ernie Tack, Gil Falco, Mayo Tiana, Nick DiMaio ; Trumpet – Blue Mitchell, Bobby Shew, Cat Anderson, Dick Cooper, Dick Mitchell, Snooky Young

The Louis Bellson Explosion

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Marty Ehrlich - Trio Exaltation

Styles: Saxophone, Clarinet And Flute Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:58
Size: 129,5 MB
Art: Front

(8:30)  1. Dusk
(5:11)  2. Yes Yes
(5:06)  3. Senhor P.C
(6:15)  4. Dance No. 5
(4:14)  5. Stone
(7:18)  6. June 11th, 2015-In Memorium: Ornette Coleman
(6:07)  7. Sometimes
(4:25)  8. The Arc of the Oar
(3:31)  9. Spirit of Jah No.2
(5:17) 10. Reading the River

After his previous release, 2013's magnificent big-band disc A Trumpet in the Morning (New World Records), it was unclear whether multi-instrumentalist Marty Ehrlich would continue down the path of large-scale composition or return to the small-to-medium-sized ensembles he's used for most of his recorded output over the years. Well, he's gone small all right: all the way down to a trio, something he's not done since 2000, when he teamed up with Andrew Cyrille and Mark Dresser on C/D/E (Jazz Magnet). This time he's working with bassist John Hébert and drummer Nasheet Waits, and the album's title, Trio Exaltation, is entirely appropriate, given the plenitude of dynamic and joyous music it features. Hébert and Waits have a good deal of intersecting history, found most recently on Michael Attias's Nerve Dance, from 2017 (Clean Feed). But for their shared link to Ehrlich, we can go back to the Andrew Hill Sextet, when all three worked in the early 2000s with that uniquely enigmatic pianist and composer. It's entirely fitting, therefore, that Hill's composition "Dusk" kicks off the album, as the piece's sinuous melody and controlled freedom establish the template for the trio's modus operandi. When Hébert's ostinato locks in with Waits' strolling toms, the groove feels unshakeable, and yet the music still possesses a sense of yearning and a desire to push free of rhythmic constraints due in large part to Ehrlich's soaring alto saxophone, which is perfect in capturing both the mystery and the power of Hill's vision.  

Other tracks bring Ehrlich's tuneful instincts to the fore not to mention his technical facility on a range of instruments, including bass clarinet, shown convincingly on "Dance No. 5," as a sing-able melody (and another engaging ostinato by Hébert) driving the piece with an irresistible momentum. On "Spirit of JAH No. 2" Waits' Caribbean-infused rhythms inspire an infectious duo with Ehrlich, this time on wooden flutes; and the clarion purity of Ehrlich's clarinet on "Reading the River" sustains the record's most swinging track, with a seemingly endless progression of lengthy, flowing lines.  While the music is undeniably appealing when it's rooted in strong rhythm and groove, it is just as affecting when the three move out into less-charted rhythmic territory. Case in point is "Senhor P.C.," dedicated to Clean Feed label impresario Pedro Costa, where Hébert's superb arco playing melds with Ehrlich's freer musings on alto and Waits's gradual ascension of intensity in a gripping five-minute burst of energy. And even more impressive is the album's tribute to Ornette Coleman, "June 11th, 2015 In Memoriam." With an emotional arc that is both haunting and liberating at the same time, the trio expands on a poignant melody with a controlled passion and fury that only find their full release at the piece's cathartic finish. Ehrlich's compositions have always been rich enough to warrant the treatment a larger ensemble can provide. But his improvisational skills as an instrumentalist are also prodigious, so it's a treat to have such a terrific recording on which to hear them. Trio Exaltation is a triumphant release for all three players, and one that should earn abundant accolades. ~ Troy Dostert https://www.allaboutjazz.com/trio-exaltation-marty-ehrlich-clean-feed-records-review-by-troy-dostert.php

Personnel: Marty Ehrlich: alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, wooden flutes; John Hébert: bass; Nasheet Waits: drums.

Trio Exaltation

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