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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