Charles McPherson - Live at the Cellar

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:34
Size: 166,5 MB
Art: Front

(10:16)  1. Spring Is Here
(13:25)  2. Illusions In Blue
(10:44)  3. Blue & Boogie
(14:59)  4. How Deep Is The Ocean
(11:55)  5. Manhattan Nocturne
(11:13)  6. Star Eyes

Live at the Cellar is a sizzling collection of extended improvisations featuring a Vancouver-made quartet: Charles McPherson (alto sax), Ross Taggart (piano), Jodi Proznick (bass) and Blaine Wikjord (drums). McPherson and band fashion their work for the literati. McPherson opens hard with Rodgers and Hart's "Spring Is Here." The native of Joplin, Miss. singes the ears with intense improvisation for five minutes, then hands it over for very compelling interplay between Taggart and Proznick before the tune eventually dissipates on the resonance of McPherson's horn. The alto saxophonist's playing is demanding on drummers; fortunately veteran Vancouver player Wikjord lays down enough complexity to make an entire record of drum parts. As the interplay spreads, Taggart pops chord placements into areas where the drums are otherwise rolling, leaving a resulting work of sounds in perpetual transit. Apparently, Dizzy Gillespie's "Blue & Boogie" left a medical legacy. Unconfirmed sources claim that band members plunged their heads into ice buckets post-set, as Proznick's hands were reported to have become an autonomous, collective blister and Taggart's piano needed its own treatment afterwards. Wikjord's sticks, meanwhile, perished in the blaze. Typically, McPherson was fine (something like, "Yeah, right on!"). Live at the Cellar tries to be as light in the back half as it tried to be heavy in the first half. In this context, it is hard to pull one's head out of the fire to feel the cool of Irving Berlin's "How Deep is the Ocean." "Manhattan Nocturne" continues to bring the collective pot to a low boil with some great rhythm work. The leader returns to the fore for "Star Eyes," and there is where we are brought full-circle. Can any audience navigate the musical expectations that such a complete reversal demands? Bop fans can't escape the intensity of McPherson's work. Jazz fans should just try to smoke it. That's what the band did. Live at the Cellar lights it up! ~ AAJ Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-the-cellar-charles-mcpherson-cellar-records-review-by-aaj-staff.php

Personnel: Charles McPherson - alto sax; Ross Taggart - piano; Jodi Proznick - bass; Blaine Wikjord - drums.

Live at the Cellar

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Anne Walsh - Pretty World

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:23
Size: 125,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:38)  1. Pretty World
(4:38)  2. So May It Secretly Begin
(4:29)  3. Caramel
(4:47)  4. Waters Of March
(2:58)  5. Chove Chuva
(5:03)  6. In The Still Of The Night
(5:18)  7. Pools
(4:31)  8. Night And Day
(5:04)  9. My Favorite Things
(3:27) 10. Winter
(4:56) 11. He Loves You
(4:29) 12. My Song

Vocalist Anne Walsh has an authentic style of singing that is neither purely jazz or purely pop but rather a fusion of the two. Joined by her husband Thomas Zink who produced and arranged her debut recording Pretty World released by his label A To Zink Music, Walsh’s selection is rooted in American and Brazilian classics including covers of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “My Favorite Things” and “Waters Of March” from Antonio Carlos Jobim. The selection additionally features contemporary pop tunes such as Sergio Mendez’s samba-driven “Chave Chuv” and Suzanne Vega and Kevyn Lettau’s misty ballad “Winter.” Walsh’s vocals inject rays of light into somber and melancholic arrangements tooling a fluidity that is soothing and natural. Pretty World is perfectly tailored to Walsh’s register and philosophy about life, and is very persuasive in converting others to follow along her path. The recording fosters a concert setting as opposed to a overly produced studio offering as instruments attach to one another and blossom under each other’s tutelage. This was accomplished by using live musicians and allowing them the freedom of improvise and work off of each other’s vibe like in the bouts of perky xylophone-toned doodles and the eruptions of whistles in Bob Wilson’s upbeat minuet “He Love You.” With Zink playing the piano, keyboards and synths, the songs are cemented in a comely undertone which compliments Walsh’s register. For example, the soft and airy feel in songs like Keith Jarrett’s “My Song” and Pat Metheny’s “So May It Secretly Begin” bode nicely with the heavenly lilt in Walsh’s pitch. In the case of Metheny’s and Jarrett’s songs as well as with Don Grolnick’s bossa nova shaded “Pools,” original lyrics needed to be penned for Walsh which were written by Joe DeRenzo. 

Walsh’s vocals have a graceful stride that brings out the beauty in these tracks, and the melodies seem to embrace the warmth that she provides. Contributing their talents to the recording are a group of musicians that have worked with Sergio Mendez including guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, bassists Carlitos Del Puerto and Jerry Watts, percussionist Tiki Pasillas, and saxophonist-flautist Gary Meek. Walsh and Zink additionally incorporated strings into the recording which gave tracks like Cole Porter’s “In The Still Of The Night” and Mendez’s “Pretty World” an elevated stance. The string section includes Peter Kent, Kathleen Roberts, Cameron Patrick, and Missy Hasin. The musicians casted for the recording are large in numbers, though the music is subdued and primarily softens the senses. Even with the numerous improvisations provided by the band and with Walsh exerting complete freedom in her vocal melodies, everyone was on the same page playing to perform the songs in an optimal light and it worked. ~ Susan Frances https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/anne-walsh-pretty-world/

Pretty World

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Pharoah Sanders - Love Will Find A Way

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:30
Size: 89,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:13)  1. Love Will Find A Way
(4:33)  2. Pharomba
(4:43)  3. Love Is Here
(6:04)  4. Got To Give It Up
(5:10)  5. As You Are
(6:44)  6. Answer Me My Love
(6:00)  7. Everything I Have Is Good

Once you’ve heard the sound of Pharoah Sanders’ tenor saxophone, you never forget it; impossibly rich and full of overtones, it wrings every bit of emotion out of each note. Pharoah has gained a devoted following since his days with John Coltrane, and his work for Impulse during the early ’70s in particular has been lovingly reissued; however, his albums for Arista in the late '70s have been out of print for years. One big reason for that is that they are the most controversial of his career; that same devoted fan base could not believe its ears when this free jazz icon went the jazz-funk "quiet storm" route! But the blend some would say collision of the two aesthetics produced, on Love Will Find a Way, a unique album that has gained quite the cult following over the years; that it features two other legends in their own right, drummer/producer/singer Norman Connors and vocalist Phyllis Hyman, certainly doesn’t hurt! We’re reissuing this lost classic with original art and new liner notes with quotes from Pharoah. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Love-Will-Find-Pharoah-Sanders/dp/B000A7BB9C

Personnel:  Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Percussion – Pharoah Sanders; Backing Vocals – The Water Family;Bass – Alex Blake , Donny Beck ; Concertmaster [Strings] – Sidney Sharp; Congas, Bongos, Cymbal [Paiste Cymbals], Gong [Gongs], Percussion [Miscellaneous] – Kenneth Nash; Drums – James Gadson, Lenny White, Raymond Pounds ; Electric Guitar – David T. Walker, Wah Wah Watson; French Horn – Sidney Muldrow, Vincent De Rosa; Keyboards – Hubert Eaves, Khalid Moss; Keyboards [Keyboard Solos] – Bobby Lyle; Reeds – Ernest Watts; Saxophone – Terry Harrington, William Green ; Timpani, Drums, Percussion, Gong [Gongs] – Norman Connors; Trombone – George Bohanon, Lew McCreary; Trumpet – Charles Findley, Oscar Brashear; Vocals – Phyllis Hyman

Love Will Find A Way

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Carl Allen, Rodney Whitaker - Work To Do

Styles: Straight-Ahead Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:03
Size: 147,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:06)  1. Work to Do
(6:29)  2. Speak to My Heart
(7:03)  3. For Garrison (Both)
(6:24)  4. Giving Thanks
(5:30)  5. What's Going On
(6:58)  6. Eleanor Rigby
(6:49)  7. With You I'm Born Again
(6:38)  8. Grahamstown
(3:03)  9. A Time for Love
(8:57) 10. Relativity

On Carl Allen and Rodney Whitaker's Work to Do, their second collaboration with Mack Avenue Records, the musicians focus on groove, beauty and respect for the tradition. Allen and Whitaker provide a swinging backdrop for some of New York's finest and most respected musicians, including guitarist Rodney Jones and saxophonist Vincent Herring, two very distinctive contributors to the album. Joined by five other accomplished artists, the A-list lineup combines to make an electrifying 9-piece ensemble. Work to Do features 11 tracks, including reworked pop-classics and originals that range from achingly beautiful tunes to those possessing an energized post-bop feel. Highlights include Whitaker's hard-bop original "For Garrison," written for his son, who was named after jazz legend Jimmy Garrison. Here, the melody played by both Chandler and Herring is supported rhythmically by Allen who also provides suspense through his fills, which lead the band into an unbreakable and energized swing feel for the solo section. The The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," is uniquely interpreted with the band switching effortlessly between 5/4 and 4/4 throughout, and which Herring uses to his advantage to create a truly impressive solo. On Johnny Mandel's "Time for Love," Jones' sensitivity as a player is heard through the enchanting lines which accompany Whitakers' bowed melody. Finally, for the bonus track, Allen and Whitaker play a duo a version of "For Garrison," displaying their effortless musical partnership. Although Work to Do may not be categorized as an innovative album, it does possess remarkable musicality throughout, created by a group of players who have an obvious love for making music together and enjoy an array of different styles as long as it feels good.~ Angela Davis https://www.allaboutjazz.com/work-to-do-carl-allen-and-rodney-whitaker-mack-avenue-records-review-by-angela-davis.php

Personnel: Personnel:Carl Allen: drums; Rodney Whitaker: bass; George Colligan: piano; Rodney Jones: acoustic and electric guitars; Dorsey "Rob" Robinson: B3 organ; Brandon Lee: trumpet; Kirk Whalum: tenor and soprano saxophone; Vincent Chandler: trombone; Vincent Herring: alto and soprano saxophone.

Work To Do

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Al Stewart - Modern Times

Styles: Vocal, Guitar
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:48
Size: 90,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Carol
(2:49)  2. Sirens of Titan
(3:33)  3. What's Going On?
(4:34)  4. Not the One
(4:18)  5. Next Time
(5:18)  6. Apple Cider Re-Constitution
(5:01)  7. The Dark and the Rolling Sea
(8:40)  8. Modern Times

Surely the title is a bit of an allusion to the Past, Present and Future of its predecessor, but Modern Times also brought Al Stewart into the present, establishing his classic sound of folky narratives and Lennonesque melodies, all wrapped up in a lush, layered production from Alan Parsons. Hearing this production makes it clear that this is what was missing from Past, since it gives epics like the title track a real sense of grandeur that makes their sentiments resonate strongly. But it's not just the improvement in production that makes Modern Times the beginning of Stewart's classic period his songwriting has leapt up and met his ambitions, as it retains the historical sweep of his earlier material but melds it to a melodic sensibility that's alternately comforting and haunting. This skill is apparent throughout Modern Times, and is married to a sound that is its equivalent, making this an exquisite pop-prog gem. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/modern-times-mw0000084071

Personnel: Al Stewart - vocals, guitar, keyboard; Brian Bennett - background vocals; David Ellis - acoustic guitar; Isaac Guillory - guitar; Simon Nicol - guitar; Tim Renwick - guitar; Andrew Powell - arranger; Tony Carr - percussion; Gerry Conway - drums; Stuart Cowell - dobro, guitar; Barry DeSouza - drums; George Ford - bass; Neil Lancaster - background vocals; Charles Mills - background vocals; Peter Moss - fuzz bass; Graham Smith - harmonica; Pete Wingfield - keyboards; Peter Wood - keyboards, accordion; Alan Parsons - engineer, string arrangements

Modern Times

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