Hal Galper, Jerry Bergonzi - Just Us

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:08
Size: 147,9 MB
Art: Front

( 5:46)  1. Just Us
(10:37)  2. Unforgettable
(11:02)  3. Moon Glaze
( 8:41)  4. Stablemates
(10:58)  5. Bye Bye Blackbird
( 7:29)  6. Lover Man
( 9:35)  7. I'll Never Be The Same

Jazz pianist, composer, and educator Hal Galper is among the finest post-bop performers, known for his fluid solo performances and work with icons like Chet Baker, Phil Woods, and the Brecker Brothers. An East Coast native, Galper first came to the public's attention playing with Baker's quartet in the mid-'60s before launching his own career with albums like 1972's The Guerilla Band. From there, he played with a string of marquee artists like Lee Konitz, Tom Harrell, and Woods, while also releasing his own largely acoustic piano albums. Since the '80s, he has also contributed to the world of academia, teaching at the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music and Purchase Conservatory. Galper remains an active performer, balancing his time between teaching, and playing with his trio. Born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1938, Galper first began taking piano lessons at age six. A gifted performer, he entered Berklee School of Music in Boston in 1955, honing his skills by studying with noted pianist and teacher Madame Chaloff. During college, he hit the jazz clubs, playing with such luminaries as Sam Rivers, Herb Pomeroy, and Jaki Byard. He also garnered his own gigs, working as the house pianist at such Boston venues as The Stables, Connelly's, and Lennie's on the Turnpike. 

After graduating, he launched his professional career, touring and recording for three years with iconic trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker. From there, he also played with such luminaries as Joe Henderson, Cannonball Adderley, and others. By the '70s, he had begun to embrace an expansive soul-jazz and fusion sound, a style he showcased on two 1971 recordings for Mainstream Records; The Guerilla Band and Wild Bird, both of which featured trumpeter Randy Brecker and his brother, saxophonist Michael Brecker. A third Mainstream session, the trio date Inner Journey, followed in 1972 and found Galper returning to a more acoustic sound. He then joined saxophonist Lee Konitz for the straight-ahead duo session Windows. Galper's follow-up as leader, 1976's Reach Out, reunited him with the Brecker Brothers for a fiery and searching post-bop set. Along with several more sessions with the Breckers, he rounded out the '70s with dates on several Enja albums, including Now Hear This with trumpeter Terumasa Hino, and Ivory Forest with guitarist John Scofield. 

The '80s were also a busy time for Galper, who recorded again with Baker. He also worked steadily with Phil Woods for much of the decade, appearing on 14 of the saxophonist's albums. Consequently, his own output slowed somewhat, though he did deliver several highly regarded efforts like 1982's Naturally with bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Victor Lewis, 1986's Dreamsville, and 1987's Time to Remember. After releasing his 1989 trio album Portrait, he decided to return to more regular solo work. Over the next decade, Galper's output increased steadily and he recorded for such labels as Concord, Enja, and Philology with albums like 1992's Tippin', 1995's Rebop, and 1999's Let's Call This That. Along with performing, Galper has worked as an educator he helped found New York's New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, and taught at Purchase University until 2014. He also authored a highly regarded theory text book, Forward Motion. During these years, he remained active, recording a handful of trio albums including 2007's Agents of Change with bassist Tony Marino and drummer Billy Mintz, 2009's Art-Work with former John Coltrane bandmates bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Rashid Ali, and 2012's Airegin Revisited with bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop. In 2018, he delivered Cubist, a quartet date featuring saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/hal-galper-mn0000550317/biography

Personnel: Piano – Hal Galper;  Tenor Saxophone – Jerry Bergonzi; Bass – Pat O'Leary; Drums – Steve Ellington;

Just Us

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Freddy Cole - Waiter, Ask the Man to Play the Blues

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz 
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:13
Size: 75,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:17)  1. Waiter, Ask The Man To Play The Blues
(2:36)  2. Black Night
(2:36)  3. Rain Is Such A Lonesome Sound
(2:39)  4. Bye Bye Baby
(3:24)  5. Just A Dream
(2:16)  6. Muddy Water Blues
(2:40)  7. Black Coffee
(2:29)  8. The Joke Is On Me
(2:45)  9. I Wonder
(2:22) 10. This Life I'm Living
(3:42) 11. Blues Before Sunrise
(2:23) 12. I'm All Alone

Originally released either in 1956, according to Freddy Cole's official website, or 1964, per the reissue's information, Waiter Ask The Man to Play the Blues: Freddie Cole Sings & Plays Some Lonely Ballads isn't as the title might tempt one to think an exercise in despondent blues and wrist slashing. Actually, it has plenty of tight, low, sizzling bluesy swing. Cab Calloway alumni Milt Hinton and Sam "The Man Taylor (the latter being the instrumental star of the session) are the most notable musicians in the quintet. Cole sings and plays the piano in fine form, Osie Johnson offers smartly played drumming, and Barry Galbraith and Wally Richardson split the guitar duties. The New York recording is a product of its time, with assured long-lasting worth nonetheless. All of the cuts are short and to the point. They do, however, generate interest and radiate musicality. "Muddy Water Blues is a cool, yet engaging percussive piece with a characteristic blues march. Taylor seems eager to jump in until he does exactly that about halfway through with energetic aplomb and swing. This one is a jumping jive that would make an audience clap with abandon. On "I Wonder, Cole sweetens the pot with his tasteful piano playing on a mellow blues, Hinton lays back ever so strong, Taylor seduces with his classic jazzy saxophone tone, and Johnson eats this romantic cooker up. "Black Night and "Rain is Such A Lonesome Sound are similar in scope, extension, and sonic character. On both of these numbers, particularly the second, you'll find yourself marking time with your feet or snapping your fingers to the steady beat. This release is a superb example of urban settled and cosmopolitan blues arousing affection through sheer straightforwardness even when as expected of the blues many of the lyrics are thematically inclined to the loneliest travails of love and life. ~ Javier Aq Ortiz https://www.allaboutjazz.com/waiter-ask-the-man-to-play-the-blues-freddy-cole-verve-music-group-review-by-javier-aq-ortiz.php

Personnel: Piano & vocal: Freddy Cole. Tenor sax: Sam "The Man" Taylor.Bass: Milt Hinton. Drums: Osie Johnson. Guitar: Barry Galbraith & Wally Richardson.

Waiter, Ask the Man to Play the Blues

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Ray Charles - Live In Japan

Styles: Soul, Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 89:25
Size: 205,0 MB
Art: Front

( 0:09)  1. Introduction - The Ray Charles Show
( 4:25)  2. Metamorphosis
( 5:56)  3. Pair Of Threes
( 6:28)  4. Spain
( 3:37)  5. Blowin' The Blues Away
( 0:30)  6. Introduction - Ray Charles
( 2:48)  7. Let The Good Times Roll
( 4:05)  8. Then I'll Be Home
( 5:43)  9. Till There Was You
(10:00) 10. Feel So Bad
( 5:29) 11. Georgia On My Mind
( 2:17) 12. Busted
( 6:58) 13. Am I Blue
( 8:06) 14. Living For The City
( 3:14) 15. I Can't Stop Loving You
( 4:27) 16. Take Me Home, Country Road
( 4:26) 17. Don't Let Her Know
(10:39) 18. What'd I Say

Ray Charles was the musician most responsible for developing soul music. Singers like Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson also did a great deal to pioneer the form, but Charles did even more to devise a new form of black pop by merging '50s R&B with gospel-powered vocals, adding plenty of flavor from contemporary jazz, blues, and (in the '60s) country. Then there was his singing; his style was among the most emotional and easily identifiable of any 20th century performer, up there with the likes of Elvis and Billie Holiday. He was also a superb keyboard player, arranger, and bandleader. The brilliance of his 1950s and '60s work, however, can't obscure the fact that he made few classic tracks after the mid-'60s, though he recorded often and performed until the year before his death. Blind since the age of six (from glaucoma), Charles studied composition and learned many instruments at the St. Augustine School for the Deaf and the Blind. His parents had died by his early teens, and he worked as a musician in Florida for a while before using his savings to move to Seattle in 1947. By the late '40s, he was recording in a smooth pop/R&B style derivative of Nat "King" Cole and Charles Brown. He got his first Top Ten R&B hit with "Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand" in 1951. Charles' first recordings came in for their fair share of criticism, as they were much milder and less original than the classics that would follow, although they're actually fairly enjoyable, showing strong hints of the skills that were to flower in a few years. In the early '50s, Charles' sound started to toughen as he toured with Lowell Fulson, went to New Orleans to work with Guitar Slim (playing piano on and arranging Slim's huge R&B hit, "The Things That I Used to Do"), and got a band together for R&B star Ruth Brown. It was at Atlantic Records that Ray Charles truly found his voice, consolidating the gains of recent years and then some with "I Got a Woman," a number-two R&B hit in 1955. 

This is the song most frequently singled out as his pivotal performance, on which Charles first truly let go with his unmistakable gospel-ish moan, backed by a tight, bouncy horn-driven arrangement. Throughout the '50s, Charles ran off a series of R&B hits that, although they weren't called "soul" at the time, did a lot to pave the way for soul by presenting a form of R&B that was sophisticated without sacrificing any emotional grit. "This Little Girl of Mine," "Drown in My Own Tears," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Lonely Avenue," and "The Right Time" were all big hits. But Charles didn't really capture the pop audience until "What'd I Say," which caught the fervor of the church with its pleading vocals, as well as the spirit of rock & roll with its classic electric piano line. It was his first Top Ten pop hit, and one of his final Atlantic singles, as he left the label at the end of the '50s for ABC. One of the chief attractions of the ABC deal for Charles was a much greater degree of artistic control of his recordings. He put it to good use on early-'60s hits like "Unchain My Heart" and "Hit the Road Jack," which solidified his pop stardom with only a modicum of polish attached to the R&B he had perfected at Atlantic. In 1962, he surprised the pop world by turning his attention to country & western music, topping the charts with the "I Can't Stop Loving You" single, and making a hugely popular album (in an era in which R&B/soul LPs rarely scored high on the charts) with Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. Perhaps it shouldn't have been so surprising; Charles had always been eclectic, recording quite a bit of straight jazz at Atlantic, with noted jazz musicians like David "Fathead" Newman and Milt Jackson. Charles remained extremely popular through the mid-'60s, scoring big hits like "Busted," "You Are My Sunshine," "Take These Chains From My Heart," and "Crying Time," although his momentum was slowed by a 1965 bust for heroin. This led to a year-long absence from performing, but he picked up where he left off with "Let's Go Get Stoned" in 1966. Yet by this time Charles was focusing increasingly less on rock and soul, in favor of pop tunes, often with string arrangements, that seemed aimed more at the easy listening audience than anyone else. 

Charles' influence on the rock mainstream was as apparent as ever; Joe Cocker and Steve Winwood in particular owe a great deal of their style to him, and echoes of his phrasing can be heard more subtly in the work of greats like Van Morrison. One approaches sweeping criticism of Charles with hesitation; he was an American institution, after all, and his vocal powers barely diminished over his half-century career. The fact remains, though, that his work after the late '60s on record was very disappointing. Millions of listeners yearned for a return to the all-out soul of his 1955-1965 classics, but Charles had actually never been committed to soul above all else. Like Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley, his focus was more upon all-around pop than many realize; his love of jazz, country, and pop standards was evident, even if his more earthy offerings were the ones that truly broke ground and will stand the test of time. He dented the charts (sometimes the country ones) occasionally, and commanded devoted international concert audiences whenever he felt like it. For good or ill, he ensured his imprint upon the American mass consciousness in the 1990s by singing several ads for Diet Pepsi. He also recorded three albums during the '90s for Warner Bros., but remained most popular as a concert draw. In 2002, he released Thanks for Bringing Love Around Again on his own Crossover imprint, and the following year began recording an album of duets featuring B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Michael McDonald, and James Taylor. After hip replacement surgery in 2003, he scheduled a tour for the following summer, but was forced to cancel an appearance in March 2004. Three months later, on June 10, 2004, Ray Charles succumbed to liver disease at his home in Beverly Hills, CA. The duets album, Genius Loves Company, was released two months after his death. The biopic Ray hit screens in the fall of 2010 and was a critical and commercial success, with the actor who portrayed Charles in the move, Jamie Foxx, winning the 2005 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role. Two more posthumous albums, Genius & Friends and Ray Sings, Basie Swings, appeared in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Charles' recordings began reappearing in various facsimile editions, reissues, re-masters, and box sets as his entire recorded legacy received the attention that befits a legendary American artist. ~ Richie Unterberger https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ray-charles-mn0000046861/biography

Musicians: Reggie Walsh, Bob Coassin, Johnny Coles (flugel), Jack Evans – trumpets; Steve Davis, Wally Huff, Ken Tussing – trombones;  Ed Pratt, Clifford Solomon – alto saxophones; James Clay, Andy Ennis – tenor saxophones; Leroy  Cooper – baritone saxophone; Scott von Ravensberg – drums; Tony Matthews – guitar; Edgar Willis – bass; Ernest Vantrease – organ. The Raelettes: Linda Sims, Dorothy Berry, Estella Yarbrough. Bernice Hullaby, Donna [Jones].

Thank You Luis!

Live In Japan

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Billy Vaughn - A Strauss Waltz Concert

Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:11
Size: 73,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:30)  1. Blue Danube
(2:18)  2. Voices Of Spring
(2:57)  3. Tales fromThe Vienna Woods
(2:48)  4. Southern Roses
(2:18)  5. Kiss Waltz
(3:12)  6. Wine,Women And Song
(2:34)  7. Artist's Life
(2:37)  8. Vienna Life
(2:22)  9. Du Und Du
(2:47) 10. Treasure Waltz
(2:23) 11. A Thousand And One Night
(2:20) 12. Emperor Waltz

Billy Vaughn was one of the most popular orchestra leaders and pop music arrangers of the '50s and early '60s. In fact, he had more pop hits than any other orchestra leader during the rock & roll era. Vaughn was also the musical director for many of the hitmakers on Dot Records, including Pat Boone, the Fontane Sisters, and Gale Storm. As a pop music arranger, he was most distinctive for his his clean, inoffensive mainstream adaptations of rock & roll and R&B hits. Vaughn was also a recording artist, and he cut a number of albums of easy listening instrumental music that were very popular throughout the '60s. Vaughn began his professional music career in 1952, forming the vocal quartet the Hilltoppers with Don McGuire, Jimmy Sacca, and Seymour Speigelman. From 1952 to 1957, the Hilltoppers had numerous hit singles, beginning with Vaughn's song "Trying." He left the group in 1955 to join Dot Records as a musical director. Vaughn was responsible for most of Dot's biggest hits of the '50s as he rearranged popular rock & roll and R&B songs for white mainstream groups. His first success was with the Fontane Sisters, who sang with his orchestra on all their singles, including their 1954 breakthrough hit "Hearts of Stone." However, Dot's biggest success was Pat Boone, who had a series of hits with Vaughn's cleaned-up arrangements of rock & roll songs. At the same time he was leading the vocal pop division of Dot, Vaughn was recording his own instrumental records, which frequently were also covers of R&B and country songs. Beginning with 1954's "Melody of Love," Vaughn had a string of easy listening U.S. hit singles that ran for over a decade. He also recorded numerous hit albums, with 36 of his records entering the U.S. album charts between 1958 and 1970. Though he was the most successful orchestra leader of the rock & roll era, he wasn't able to sustain an audience in the late '60s. Vaughn released several albums in the '70s before quietly retiring in the early '80s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-vaughn-mn0000768844/biography

A Strauss Waltz Concert

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