Lee Konitz, Don Friedman - Lee Konitz Meets Don Friedman

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:54
Size: 165,4 MB
Art: Front

(11:53)  1. Alone Together
(10:11)  2. In Your Own Sweet Way
( 7:45)  3. Huntington Street
( 9:41)  4. Opus D'amour
( 7:52)  5. It's You
( 8:28)  6. My Old Flame
( 8:57)  7. Almost Everything
( 7:04)  8. Lew 'N' Shu

Lee Konitz is one of a few alto saxophonists in jazz who avoided succumbing to copying Charlie Parker's approach, instead developing a dry, very lyrical style and an adventurous spirit in his musical instruments that rivals almost any other instrumentalist of his era. Matching him with the superb pianist Don Friedman was an inspired decision, as the two men soar in their musical explorations together, along with bassist Tsutomu Okada and drummer Jeff Williams. Their reworking of Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way" finds them moving further away from its famous theme (compared to its composer's performances) in a lengthy, but never dull interpretation. Konitz plays soprano sax on several tracks, including the drummer's driving "Huntington Street" and the leader's tricky "Lew 'N' Shu." Beautifully recorded in front of a respectful audience, this Japanese release is worth acquiring. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/lee-konitz-meets-don-friedman-mw0000912707

Personnel:  Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz; Bass – Tsutomu Okada; Drums – Jeff Williams; Piano – Don Friedman

Lee Konitz Meets Don Friedman

---

Cristina Braga - Whisper: The Bossa Nova Brandenburg Concerto

Styles: Vocal, Bossa Nova
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:37
Size: 105,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:23)  1. Meditation
(4:04)  2. Samba Triste
(5:26)  3. É Doce Morrer No Mar
(5:20)  4. Whisper on a Prelude
(5:00)  5. Mot D'Amour
(4:21)  6. A Rã
(3:58)  7. Last Words
(5:35)  8. All Mine
(6:28)  9. Canto Triste

Whisper, the Bossa Nova Brandenburg Concerto, is the new CD by Cristina Braga, singer and harper. The new album brings us the live recording of a concert with Braga, the Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra, the Modern Samba Quintet and a special guest: the singer and guitarist Dado Villa-Lobos. Whisper features compositions from a pantheon of bossa nova legends, including Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Donato and Baden Powell. The album also features arrangements by Grammy winner Ruriá Duprat, Ricardo Medeiros, Alberto Rosenblit, and Jaques Morelenbaum, who was Jobim's musical director in the final years of his career. Whisper, a partnership project between the German Enja and the Brazilian Biscoito Fino, is in fact an exciting album recorded live in Germany, with the Brandenburg Symphony Orchestra and the contribution of the Modern Samba Quintet, which has in its formation some of the musicians in Brazil. Translate by Google https://biscoitofino.com.br/produto/cristina-braga-sinfonica-de-brandenburgo-whisper/

Whisper: The Bossa Nova Brandenburg Concerto

---

Harold Danko - Tidal Breeze

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:25
Size: 143,9 MB
Art: Front

( 7:29)  1. Tidal breeze
( 7:06)  2. Blue Swedish wildflower
( 7:58)  3. Wayne Shorter
( 6:32)  4. McCoy's passion
( 7:00)  5. Swift shifting
( 8:50)  6. Personal cornucopia
( 5:23)  7. Soaring thru space
(12:02)  8. Pastoral landing

One of many fine outings by Harold Danko for Steeplechase, this quartet session is a bit different from most of his CDs for the label, as he mostly focuses on revisiting his older compositions. With the solid tenor saxophonist Rich Perry, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Jeff Hirschfield rounding out this talented group, the pianist explores songs written during several different decades. His richly textured tribute "Wayne Shorter" is an excellent portrait featuring Perry, while the turbulent descending line of "McCoy's Passion" captures the energy of McCoy Tyner perfectly. The upbeat "Swift Shifting" is described by Danko as a blues of sorts, though few listeners will likely think of his driving post-bop anthem in that way. The one new song making its debut is the quirky "Personal Cornucopia," which alternates between its complex theme and soft, introspective passages for the rhythm section. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/tidal-breeze-mw0000443423

Personnel:  Piano, Composed By – Harold Danko; Bass – Scott Colley; Drums – Jeff Hirshfield; Tenor Saxophone – Rich Perry

Tidal Breeze

---

Hugh Laurie - Let Them Talk

Styles: Vocal, Guitar And Piano Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:04
Size: 133,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:25)  1. St James Infirmary
(3:39)  2. You Don't Know My Mind
(4:55)  3. Six Cold Feet
(3:12)  4. Buddy Bolden's Blues
(3:47)  5. Battle Of Jericho
(4:09)  6. After You've Gone
(2:43)  7. Swanee River
(3:37)  8. The Whale Has Swallowed Me
(3:34)  9. John Henry
(3:33) 10. Police Dog Blues
(5:07) 11. Tipitina
(2:59) 12. Winin' Boy Blues
(1:12) 13. They're Red Hot
(4:57) 14. Baby Please Make A Change
(4:10) 15. Let Them Talk

Music has been present in Hugh Laurie’s career in some form or another since the days of Fry & Laurie, even working its way into House, the American television series that turned him into an international star in the 2000s. Without House, Laurie would never have been granted the opportunity to record an album like 2011’s Let Them Talk, a full-blooded immersion into American blues via New Orleans, shepherded by acclaimed roots producer Joe Henry and featuring such Big Easy heavy-hitters as Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, and Irma Thomas. To his enormous credit, Laurie never sounds like a dilettante among this group; he holds his own, working his way into the marrow of the songs, playing credible piano throughout the record. Which isn’t to say that he quite makes this selection of standards his own, either. There are reworkings and reinterpretations, “Tipitina” in particular being turned on its head, but the problem with Let Them Talk isn’t the guts and blood of the music, or the slightly studious air Henry cultivates. No, the problem is how Laurie’s blues accent inevitably slides into affectations quite familiar from House. He can’t help it, that’s his American accent, but it’s disarming to have a number cooking along and all of a sudden Princeton Plainsboro’s favorite misanthrope has taken the lead. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/let-them-talk-mw0002112639

Let Them Talk

---

Arthur Blythe - Synergy

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:58
Size: 122,5 MB
Art: Front

( 6:28)  1. Morning Call
( 5:29)  2. Earth Tones
( 5:42)  3. Synergy
( 4:57)  4. Time Circles
( 3:21)  5. Infinity
( 4:56)  6. Afternoon Musings
( 5:05)  7. Sociability
( 4:58)  8. Walking Line
(11:56)  9. Night Scape

Throughout his career, Arthur Blythe has appeared with a wide variety of instrumentation, always willing to try new ensemble sounds. On this date, Blythe is teamed in a trio with the talented cellist David Eyges and the flexible drummer Bruce Ditmas. Blythe's bluesy and soulful tone, along with his ability to caress a melody, makes his adventurous flights more accessible than one might expect. David Eyges holds the group together by playing both supportive basslines (although obviously in a higher register) and soloing along with Blythe, while Bruce Ditmas keeps the momentum of the music flowing. All nine selections on the date were co-composed by the three musicians, so it is quite possible that they are largely free improvisations. However, the interplay between the players, the gradual development of the often fiery performances, and the strong (and sometimes joyful) melodies that pop up are so coherent that the music sounds as if it were more planned in advance than it probably was. Well worth checking out. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/synergy-mw0000040090

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Arthur Blythe;  Cello – David Eyges;  Drums – Bruce Ditmas

Synergy

---