Steve Slagle - Alto Blue

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:21
Size: 139,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:31)  1. Blues not to lose
(5:51)  2. Hail-Bop
(9:22)  3. Full moon
(5:13)  4. Jaco time
(6:01)  5. Detour ahead
(9:52)  6. Peacefully
(9:53)  7. Jump Monk
(6:33)  8. The Midget

Steve Slagle, who has a very appealing tone on alto, strong technique, and a style that is quite versatile, performs seven blues on this exciting set, as well as a flute feature on "Detour Ahead." By varying tempos and grooves (ranging from bebop to Ornette Coleman and a bit of funk), each song manages to have its own personality and a mundane sameness never occurs. Trumpeter Ryan Kisor, who had grown quite a bit during the past few years, seemed at this point to be obviously poised for potential greatness and sounds quite individual. Bassist Scott Colley and drummer Gene Jackson, although in a supporting role, are major assets and work together quite well. The material is made up of four Slagle originals, one song by Dave Stryker, Charles Mingus' "Jump Monk" and Lee Morgan's "The Midget," in addition to "Detour Ahead"; it's consistently colorful and catchy enough to both inspire the musicians and be memorable for the listeners. Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/alto-blue-mw0000597428

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone, Flute – Steve Slagle; Bass – Scott Colley; Drums – Gene Jackson; Trumpet – Ryan Kisor

Alto Blue

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Peggy Lee - Peggy At Basin Street East

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:34
Size: 130,8 MB
Art: Front

( 1:35)  1. Overture
( 1:47)  2. Day In-Day Out
( 2:32)  3. Call Me Darling
( 4:15)  4. One Kiss/ My Romance/ The Most Beautiful Man In The World
( 5:46)  5. But Beautiful/The Second Time Around
( 2:59)  6. Fever
( 3:47)  7. I'm Gonna Go Fishin'
( 2:32)  8. I Love Being Here With You
( 3:57)  9. By Myself
( 1:56) 10. Heart
( 4:08) 11. I've Never Left Your Arms
(14:30) 12. Ray Charles Tribute: Hallelujah, I Love Him So/ I Got A Man/ Just For A Thrill/You Won't Let Me Go/ Yes Indeed!
( 1:23) 13. Peggy Lee Bow Music
( 5:20) 14. I Don't Know Enough About You Medley

Like legions of other Peggy Lee fans, I never had reason to question the authenticity of Basin Street East (Blue Note), accepting that it was, as billed, “recorded at the fabulous New York club” during Lee’s fabled gig in early ’61. Turns out, though, that neither Basin Street East nor either of Lee’s other “live” outings from that era-1959’s Beauty and the Beat! with George Shearing and the ultrarare Two Shows Nightly from ’68-were quite as legit as Capitol led us to believe. Peggy, the penultimate perfectionist, demanded that all three albums be reshaped and, to varying degrees, rerecorded within the safely controllable confines of a studio, then sweetened with audience applause. How sad to learn, then, that there has never existed an entirely genuine “live” recording from the days when Lee ruled as queen of the supper-club circuit. Not, that is, until now. Thanks to some diligent detective work by producer Cy Godfrey, Lee’s engagement-ending performance from February 8, 1961, can be heard in its entirety on Peggy at Basin Street East: The Unreleased Show (Collectors’ Choice). 

As Godfrey recalls in the liner notes, he was nosing around the Capitol vaults when he came across a series of mislabeled Basin Street “safety” tapes that fortuitously turned out to contain the complete February 8 date. Double the length of the stingy original LP, the new disc includes more than a dozen additional songs. A misty “Call Me Darling” substitutes for “Moments Like This,” and the far more interesting “The Most Beautiful Man in the World” replaces “The Vagabond King” in the first medley. Lee also adds her sizzling, Afro-Cuban “Heart” and an ethereal “I’ve Never Left Your Arms,” and finishes with a spirited “greatest hits” encore. The disc does, as expected, suffer a few minor technical setbacks. Apart, however, from occasional moments of inaudibility (including unfortunate muddiness during Lee’s spoken introduction to her Ray Charles tribute), The Unreleased Show remains a rare and vibrant testament to Peggy at her unedited best. ~  By Christopher Loudon https://jazztimes.com/archives/peggy-lee-peggy-at-basin-street-east/

Peggy At Basin Street East

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Hilton Ruiz - Strut

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:24
Size: 113,6 MB
Art: Front

( 6:19)  1. The SideWinder
(10:46)  2. Goin'Back To New Orleans
( 4:57)  3. Bluz
( 4:19)  4. Aged In Soul
( 8:07)  5. All My Love Is Yours
( 5:55)  6. Soca Serenade
( 2:34)  7. Why Don't You Steal My B
( 6:24)  8. Lush Life

Pianist Hilton Ruiz mixes together elements of salsa, r&b, funk and jazz but, instead of his music becoming some type of hybrid, the result is a very danceable variety of jazz that is both accessible and challenging. Ruiz, whose main influence is McCoy Tyner, gathered together a very interesting assortment of players for Strut. Trumpeter Lew Soloff contributes some high notes and leads the horn riffing, trombonist Dick Griffin's extroverted trombone is witty in its short spots, Sam Rivers (mostly on tenor) and percussionist Mongo Santamaria add their sounds to the brew and guitarist Rodney Jones is second only to Ruiz in taking solo honors. 

It is particularly rewarding to hear a Latin remake of "The Sidewinder" and many of the other good-natured melodies are catchy. Strut should be able to win over both jazz fans and those listeners who claim to not understand or be able to appreciative creative music. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/strut-mw0000203520

Personnel:  Piano – Hilton Ruiz; Bass – Rodney Jones; Congas – Mongo Santamaria; Drums – Robby Ameen, Steve Berrios; Electric Bass – Francisco Centeno; Guitar – Rodney Jones; Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Sam Rivers; Timbales, Percussion – Robby Ameen, Steve Berrios; Trombone – Dick Griffin; Trumpet – Lew Soloff

Strut

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Peter Erskine - Motion Poet

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:31
Size: 124,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:26)  1. Erskoman
(6:43)  2. Not a Word
(6:25)  3. Hero with a Thousand Faces
(7:23)  4. Dream Clock
(6:01)  5. Exit up Right
(4:07)  6. A New Regalia
(3:25)  7. Boulez
(7:44)  8. The Mystery Man
(5:13)  9. In Walked Maya

A highly skilled, versatile drummer, Peter Erskine has anchored big bands and jazz-rock fusion groups. He's known for sophisticated rhythms, distinctive accompaniment, and powerful, rippling solos. Erskine began drumming at three, and participated in Stan Kenton's National Stage Band Camps from the age of six. He studied with Alan Dawson and Ed Soph, attending the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan and Indiana University. He played with Kenton from 1972 to 1975, then from 1976 to 1978 with Maynard Ferguson. Erskine joined Weather Report in 1978, and was their drummer and percussionist until 1982. He also did several West Coast sessions in the late '70s, and was a member of Steps and Steps Ahead. During the '80s he worked with John Abercrombie's groups and the quartet Bass Desires. He's also worked with Joe Farrell, Marc Johnson, Mike Brecker, Randy Brecker, John Scofield, Bob Mintzer, Lew Soloff, Kenny Kirkland, Mike Mandel, and Kenny Werner, among others. As a leader, he debuted with Peter Erskine in 1982 on Contemporary, followed by several well-received efforts for Denon. During the '90s, he developed a good relationship with ECM, releasing such albums as 1992's You Never Know, 1995's As It Is, and 1998's Juni. Also during the '90s, Erskine founded his own Fuzzy Music label, delivering such albums as 1995's From Kenton to Now with tenor saxophonist Richard Torres and 1998's Lava Jazz. In the 2000s, Erskine continued to release albums via Fuzzy Music with 2002's Badlands, 2005's The Lounge Art Ensemble: Music for Moderns, and 2016's Dr. Um, which introduced his Dr. Um Band featuring keyboardist John Beasley. In 2017, Erskine reunited Beasley and the Dr. Um Band for Second Opinion. ~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/artist/peter-erskine-mn0000842492/biography

Personnel: Drums, Percussion – Peter Erskine; Arranged By – Bob Mintzer (tracks: 8), Randy Brecker (tracks: 5), Vince Mendoza (tracks: 1 to 4, 6, 7, 9); Baritone Saxophone – Roger Rosenberg (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 6); Bass – Marc Johnson (2) (tracks: 2 to 4, 8, 9); Bass Trombone – Matt Finders (tracks: 2 to 4, 6); Electric Bass – Will Lee (tracks: 1, 5, 6); French Horn – Jerry Peel (tracks: 2 to 4), John Clark (2) (tracks: 2 to 4), Peter Gordon (8) (tracks: 2 to 4); Guitar – Jeff Mironov (tracks: 1, 5, 6); Guitar, Guitar Synthesizer – John Abercrombie (tracks: 2 to 4, 8, 9); Keyboards – Jim Beard (tracks: 1 to 8); Piano – Eliane Elias (tracks: 2, 5); Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Flute – Lawrence Feldman (tracks: 1, 3 to 6); Tenor Saxophone – Bob Mintzer (tracks: 4, 6, 8), Michael Brecker (tracks: 3); Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Bob Mintzer (tracks: 1, 3 to 6); Trombone, Tuba – Dave Bargeron (tracks: 1, 2 to 4, 6); Trumpet – Joe Mosello (tracks: 1, 3 to 6), Randy Brecker (tracks: 4, 8); Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Lew Soloff (tracks: 1 to 4, 6)

Motion Poet

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John Pizzarelli Trio - For Centennial Reasons: 100 Year Salute to Nat King Cole

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:04
Size: 120,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:32)  1. Straighten Up and Fly Right
(2:36)  2. A Hundred Years from Now
(3:22)  3. The Very Thought of You
(3:18)  4. (I Would Do) Anything for You
(4:52)  5. I'm Such a Hungry Man
(4:46)  6. It's Only a Paper Moon
(3:39)  7. Body and Soul
(3:22)  8. Nat King Cool
(4:03)  9. When I Fall in Love
(2:35) 10. Save the Bones for Henry Jones ('Cause Henry Don't Eat Meat)
(3:55) 11. Hit That Jive, Jack!
(3:06) 12. Could-'Ja
(3:20) 13. Red Sails in the Sunset
(4:32) 14. (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66

When guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli last paid tribute to his primary musical inspiration with 1999’s P.S. Mr. Cole, he was in his late thirties, and Nat Cole probably still cast an imposing shadow as a legendary jazz master. P.S. was his second release honoring his hero, following not long after 1994’s Dear Mr. Cole, a swinging trio session with Benny Green and Christian McBride. A third Pizzarelli album celebrating the inimitable Cole might seem like overkill, but For Centennial Reasons (oy, that pun) has more to do with Pizzarelli’s age than Cole’s. At 58, he’s lived a dozen years longer than the pop star, who died of lung cancer in 1965 just shy of his 46th birthday. Pizzarelli’s no less reverent here than on the previous albums, but instead of approaching the elder master with “Mr. Cole” formality, he imbues the 12 standards (and two originals) with a lived-in ease and familiarity that make it one of his more satisfying sessions. Featuring his finely calibrated trio with bassist Mike Karn and pianist Konrad Paszkudzki, the album seamlessly ranges across a smart array of material with only three repeats from the earlier albums (the relaxed opener “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” the quietly besotted “It’s Only a Paper Moon,” and the jivey closer “Route 66”). Whether he’s wending his way through well-worn ballads such as “The Very Thought of You” and “Body and Soul,” or cutting loose on obscure pieces like Bobby Troupe’s “I’m a Hungry Man” and Danny Barker’s “Save the Bones for Henry Jones (Cause Henry Don’t Eat Meat),” Pizzarelli finds the ideal tempo, his phrasing a model of grace and efficiency. Pizzarelli was never a wild man musically, but the older-and-wiser persona suits him on his latest Nat Cole communion. https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/john-pizzarelli-trio-for-centennial-reasons-100-year-salute-to-nat-king-cole-ghostlight/#
 

Personnel:  Guitar, Vocals – John Pizzarelli; Co-producer – Jessica Molaskey; Double Bass – Mike Karn; Drums – Konrad Paszkudzki

For Centennial Reasons: 100 Year Salute to Nat King Cole

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