Dave Liebman, Richard Beirach - Balladscapes

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:20
Size: 171,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Siciliana
(3:21)  2. For All We Know
(6:32)  3. This Is New
(4:33)  4. Quest
(6:29)  5. Master of the Obvious
(5:52)  6. Zingaro
(4:37)  7. Sweet Pea
(4:46)  8. Kurtland
(6:08)  9. Moonlight in Vermont
(4:12) 10. Lazy Afternoon
(8:47) 11. Welcome / Expression
(9:09) 12. Dl
(5:16) 13. Day Dream

If there is an artistic partnership that deserves to be called "historical," it is the one between Dave Liebman and Richie Beirach : the first encounter between the two who are almost the same age, the sopranist having only one more year than the pianist - happens indeed almost fifty years ago, when the two were still students, and they were together in 1973 for First Visit , the first work on behalf of Liebman. Since then the collaboration has never stopped: together in the Quartet Quest, with Billy Hart and Ron McClure , they have recorded numerous duo works (the last, Unspoken, is from 2013) and have worked together in many different formations. It is therefore based on their highly developed agreement and their common sensibility that this CD is based, which is atypically focused above all on ballads above all . As evidence of the openness and ellipticity of the two, however, the first of these thirteen ballads is none other than a passage by Johan Sebastian Bach, the "Sicilian" from the Sonata for piano and flute in E-flat Major BWV 1031, which Liebman reinterprets to his way to the soprano sax. Then followed by well-known pieces such as the following "For All We Know" and "Zingaro" by Antonio Carlos Jobim one of the highest moments of the work, for the originality and delicacy of the, as in the case of the Shorteriana "Sweet Pea" or of the medley coltraneana "Welcome / Expression," interspersed with original compositions, even if not previously unpublished, of the two protagonists. The figure is that of a very tidy and linear chamber classicism, enriched, however, besides the understanding of the musicians, by the very great interpretative skills of the two. In particular, Beirach appears to be extremely sensitive in measuring time and pauses, so as to create intimate, never dense atmospheres, while Liebman shows off to his soprano his proverbial expressive complexity that makes him one of the greatest living interpreters (and not only), a gift that he also replicates in the reduced occasions in which he takes up the tenor and the flute (in particular, precisely in "Zingaro"). A disc masterfully performed by two Masters, a synthesis of the artistic work they have been leading for a lifetime. ~ Neri Pollastri https://www.allaboutjazz.com/balladscapes-dave-liebman-intuition-review-by-neri-pollastri.php

Personnel: Dave Liebman: sax (soprano, tenore), flauto; Richie Beirach: pianoforte.

Balladscapes

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Dorothy Dandridge - 15 Famous Songs

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:53
Size: 105,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:25)  1. It's Easy To Remember
(3:12)  2. What Is There To Say
(3:08)  3. That Old Feeling
(3:01)  4. The Touch Of Your Lips
(3:36)  5. Chattanooga Choo Choo
(3:20)  6. The Nearness Of You
(4:05)  7. I'm Glad There Is You
(1:51)  8. I've Grown Accustomed To Your Face
(3:40)  9. Body And Soul
(3:33) 10. How Long Has This Been Going On
(2:32) 11. I've Got A Crush On You
(2:41) 12. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(2:11) 13. Taking a chance on love
(4:22) 14. My heart belongs to Daddy
(1:09) 15. Whatcha say

Actress/singer Dorothy Dandridge was Hollywood's first African-American superstar, becoming the first black performer ever nominated for a Best Actress Oscar. Born November 9, 1922, in Cleveland, she was the daughter of actress Ruby Dandridge, and with sister Vivian teamed in the song-and-dance duo the Wonder Children. The family relocated to Los Angeles during the mid-'30s, and in 1937 Dandridge briefly made her film debut in the Marx Brothers classic A Day at the Races. Meanwhile, she continued her singing career, and with Vivian performed as the Dandridge Sisters, sharing stages with the likes of Jimmie Lunceford and Cab Calloway as well as recording with Louis Armstrong. During the early '40s, Dandridge appeared in a series of musical film shorts, and as the decade progressed she became a sensation on the nightclub circuit. Her mainstream breakthrough was the title role in Otto Preminger's 1954 screen musical Carmen Jones, a performance which earned her an Academy Award nomination and made her a star; nevertheless, she did not reappear onscreen until 1957's Island in the Sun, and despite winning a Golden Globe for her work in 1959's Porgy and Bess, she was offered virtually no future film roles, returning to nightclubs by the early '60s. Plagued by years of personal hardships as well as professional hurdles, Dandridge was found dead of an overdose of anti-depressants on September 8, 1965. Three decades later, her career enjoyed a kind of renaissance with an acclaimed 1997 biography by film historian Donald Bogle in addition to Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, a 1999 HBO film starring Halle Berry. Smooth Operator, a long-unreleased recording date from 1958 featuring the Oscar Peterson trio, was finally issued in 1999 as well. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dorothy-dandridge-mn0000190742/biography

15 Famous Songs

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Glenn Zottola - Reflections Of Charlie Parker

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:26
Size: 79,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:41)  1. Moonlight In Vermont
(3:01)  2. Oh, Lady Be Good!
(3:18)  3. It Might As Well Be Spring
(4:08)  4. In The Wee Small Hours of The Mourning
(3:22)  5. What Is This Thing Called Love'
(4:05)  6. I'm In The Mood For Love
(3:11)  7. Embraceable You
(4:30)  8. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
(2:25)  9. I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful!)
(2:41) 10. Three Little Words

Moonlight In Vermont"" is the opening song of this album and is one of my favorites and has that classic 50s string feel of the era. The small group track which is next is ""lady be good"" and what a ball playing with this Rhythm section that included really tasteful pianist Don Abney along with jazz legends Oscar Pettiford and Kenny Clarke real stars from the Golden Age of Jazz who played extensively with Charlie Parker. The last track ""I'm in the mood for Love"" is a beautiful arrangement slightly more contemporary that i am sure Charlie Parker would of loved to blow on as i did."" ~ Glenn Zotolla ..Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Tribute-Charlie-Parker-Glenn-Zottola/dp/B00IJ041UI

Tribute To Charlie Parker

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Lem Winchester, Benny Golson - Winchester Special

Styles: Vibraphone And Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:28
Size: 91,2 MB
Art: Front

(10:02)  1. Down Fuzz
( 4:01)  2. If I Were A Bell
( 7:00)  3. Will You Still Be Mine
( 7:31)  4. Mysticism
( 4:11)  5. How Are Things In Glocca Morra
( 6:42)  6. The Dude

This excellent CD reissue features the ill-fated vibraphonist Lem Winchester teamed up with tenor saxophonist Benny Golson, pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Wendell Marshall and drummer Art Taylor for three standards, an obscurity and two of the leader's originals. The music falls between bop and hard bop with consistently swinging solos that are generally fairly inventive. This was one of Winchester's three recordings for the New Jazz label; all are easily recommended to straightahead jazz fans. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/winchester-special-mw0000271817

Personnel: Vibraphone – Lem Winchester; Tenor Saxophone – Benny Golson;  Bass – Wendell Marshall; Drums – Arthur Taylor; Piano – Tommy Flanagan

Winchester Special

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George Shearing With Brass Choir - Burnished Brass

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:59
Size: 80,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:07)  1. Memories Of You
(2:15)  2. Lulu's Back In Town
(2:48)  3. If You Were Mine
(3:04)  4. Burnished Brass
(2:27)  5. These Things You Left Me
(2:49)  6. Mine
(2:26)  7. Beautiful Love
(2:41)  8. Cuckoo In The Clock
(3:44)  9. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
(2:44) 10. Cheek To Cheek
(3:12) 11. Blame It On My Youth
(2:38) 12. Basie's Masement

For a long stretch of time in the 1950s and early '60s, George Shearing had one of the most popular jazz combos on the planet so much so that, in the usual jazz tradition of distrusting popular success, he tended to be underappreciated. Shearing's main claim to fame was the invention of a unique quintet sound, derived from a combination of piano, vibraphone, electric guitar, bass, and drums. Within this context, Shearing would play in a style he called "locked hands," which he picked up and refined from Milt Buckner's early-'40s work with the Lionel Hampton band, as well as Glenn Miller's sax section and the King Cole Trio. Stating the melody on the piano with closely knit, harmonized block chords, with the vibes and guitar tripling the melody in unison, Shearing sold tons of records for MGM and Capitol in his heyday. The wild success of this urbane sound obscures Shearing's other great contribution during this time, for he was also a pioneer of exciting, small-combo Afro-Cuban jazz in the '50s. Indeed, Cal Tjader first caught the Latin jazz bug while playing with Shearing, and the English bandleader also employed such esteemed congueros as Mongo Santamaria, Willie Bobo, and Armando Peraza. As a composer, Shearing was best known for the imperishable, uniquely constructed bop standard "Lullaby of Birdland," as well as "Conception" and "Consternation." His solo style, though all his own, reflected the influences of the great boogie-woogie pianists and classical players, as well as those of Fats Waller, Earl Hines, Teddy Wilson, Erroll Garner, Art Tatum, and Bud Powell and fellow pianists long admired his light, refined touch. He was also known to play accordion and sing in a modest voice on occasion. 

Shearing, who was born blind, began playing the piano at the age of three, receiving some music training at the Linden Lodge School for the Blind in London as a teenager but picking up the jazz influence from Teddy Wilson and Fats Waller 78s. In the late '30s, he started playing professionally with the Ambrose dance band and made his first recordings in 1937 under the aegis of fellow Brit Leonard Feather. He became a star in Britain, performing for the BBC, playing a key role in the self-exiled Stéphane Grappelli's London-based groups of the early '40s, and winning seven consecutive Melody Maker polls before emigrating in New York City in 1947 at the prompting of Feather. Once there, Shearing quickly absorbed bebop into his bloodstream, replacing Garner in the Oscar Pettiford Trio and leading a quartet in tandem with Buddy DeFranco. In 1949, he formed the first and most famous of his quintets, which included Marjorie Hyams on vibes (thus striking an important blow for emerging female jazz instrumentalists), Chuck Wayne on guitar, John Levy on bass, and Denzil Best on drums. Recording briefly first for Discovery, then Savoy, Shearing settled into lucrative associations with MGM (1950-1955) and Capitol (1955-1969), the latter for which he made albums with Nancy Wilson, Peggy Lee, and Nat King Cole. He also made a lone album for Jazzland with the Montgomery Brothers (including Wes Montgomery) in 1961, and began playing concert dates with symphony orchestras. After leaving Capitol, Shearing began to phase out his by-then-predictable quintet, finally breaking it up in 1978. He started his own label, Sheba, which lasted for a few years into the early '70s -- and made some trio recordings for MPS later in the decade. In the '70s, his profile had been lowered considerably, but upon signing with Concord in 1979, Shearing found himself enjoying a renaissance in all kinds of situations. He made a number of acclaimed albums with Mel Tormé, raising the singer's profile in the process, and recorded with the likes of Ernestine Anderson, Jim Hall, Marian McPartland, Hank Jones, and classical French horn player Barry Tuckwell. He also recorded a number of solo piano albums where his full palette of influences came into play. He signed with Telarc in 1992 and from that point through the early 2000s continued to perform and record, most often appearing in a duo or trio setting. Shearing, who had remained largely inactive since 2004 after a fall in his New York City apartment, died of congestive heart failure at New York's Lenox Hill Hospital on February 14, 2011. He was 91. ~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/george-shearing-mn0000642664/biography

Burnished Brass

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