Steve Kuhn, Steve Swallow - Two by 2

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:00
Size: 133,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:01)  1. Gentle Thoughts
(3:51)  2. Two By Two
(5:56)  3. Remember
(4:33)  4. Wrong Together
(5:33)  5. Eidertown
(5:47)  6. Lullaby
(6:30)  7. Ladies In Mercedes
(6:32)  8. Deep Tango
(6:39)  9. Poem For # 15
(2:57) 10. Mr.Calypso Kuhn
(5:35) 11. Emmanuel

Few musicians possess anything like the lyrical capacity of Steve Kuhn and Steve Swallow, whether as composers or performers and this album of duets recorded in 1995 achieves an ideal of empathy. With the compositions roughly divided between the two, there's as much emphasis on the construction of durable melodic material as spontaneous interaction. Kuhn's opening "Gentle Thoughts" immediately achieves a limpid beauty, a vaguely Oriental theme that suggests light shimmering on water, while his "Two by Two" manages to reanimate traditional blues lines with sheer good spirits and just the lightest touch of ironic bluster. A triptych of Swallow compositions follows, with Kuhn buoyantly exuberant on "Remember," before the composer supplies the most guitar-like of electric bass solos, providing a slightly dissonant counterfoil to Kuhn's ebullience. Some of the best bop composers Tadd Dameron, Herbie Nichols seem to underpin "Wrong Together," a somber theme with a sprightly undercurrent that testifies to Swallow's ability to construct compound moods with subtle harmonic suggestion. 

There's more of the same in his familiar "Eiderdown," a fine performance of a genuinely memorable tune. Kuhn's "Lullaby" returns the two to the quiescent grace of the opening with Swallow achieving a glassy, resonant sound. There's a kind of Latin melodrama to Swallow's "Ladies in Mercedes," Kuhn's bright, soaring lines and Swallow's resilient underpinnings summarizing the duo's strength an ability to develop complex harmonic dialogue with grace and wit. Latin elements are even more pronounced in Kuhn's passionate "Deep Tango" and the brisk frolic of his "Mr. Calypso Kuhn." Kuhn's spoken-word performance of his "Poem for #15" recalls Swallow's deft settings of poems by Robert Creeley and focuses the recording's emotional intensity, suggesting how often this is music about something. In all, it's a superior performance by two masters of micro-ensemble intimacy. ~ Stuart Broomer https://www.allaboutjazz.com/two-by-2-steve-kuhn-sunnyside-records-review-by-stuart-broomer.php

Personnel: Steve Kuhn: piano; Steve Swallow: electric bass.

Two by 2

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Ellis Larkins Trio - Manhattan At Midnight

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:08
Size: 182,5 MB
Art: Front

(18:33)  1. Manhattan At Midnight
(19:42)  2. Penthouse Suite
( 3:03)  3. Am I Blue
( 2:58)  4. Blue Prelude
( 2:56)  5. Blue And Sentimental
( 3:02)  6. Blue Moon
( 3:09)  7. Blue Again
( 2:49)  8. A Blues Serenade
( 3:49)  9. Interlude #1
( 4:17) 10. At Loose Ends
( 4:26) 11. Ode To Marie
( 3:17) 12. Interlude #2
( 3:18) 13. Time
( 3:47) 14. Four Bar Intro With Tag

One of the most subtle, lyrical and intriguing of all jazz pianists, Ellis Larkins was considered the perfect accompanist. He recorded classic duets with Ella Fitzgerald and Ruby Braff, and fortunately led occasional sessions of his own. Two complete albums from the 1950s, Manhattan at Midnight and Blue and Sentimental, are reissued in full on this single CD. The former is particularly intriguing for it consists of two lengthy medleys that originally filled the two sides of an LP. The "Manhattan at Midnight Suite" has eight songs that musically hint at stories of New York nightlife in the 1950s while "Penthouse Suite" is perfect music for the cocktail hour. Larkins, guitarist Art Ryerson, and bassist Beverly Peer play as one, going smoothly and seamlessly from one song to another. The relaxed ambiance continues even when the performances are briefly uptempo. The Blue and Sentimental album continues the same mood during a dozen concise numbers. The first six are performed by a quartet with guitarist Skeeter Best with each song having "blue" in its title. The remainder of the project consists of duets with bassist Joe Benjamin on six fascinating Larkins originals. Although the music on this CD is perfect for backgrounds, turn up the volume and listen closely. There is a great deal of subtle creativity to discover. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/manhattan-at-midnight-mw0000472774

Personnel:  Piano – Ellis Larkins; Bass – Beverly Peer; Guitar – Art Ryerson.

Manhattan At Midnight

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Arturo O'Farrill & Jazz At Lincoln Center's Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra - Una Noche Inolvidable

Styles: Latin Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:57
Size: 138,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:16)  1. Havana Special
(6:43)  2. Buscando La Melodía
(3:19)  3. Somos Novios
(3:23)  4. Estoy Commo Nunca
(5:59)  5. Volver A Los 17
(3:20)  6. Encantado De La Vida
(9:56)  7. Enseñame Tu & Piensalo Bien
(2:47)  8. Pianarabatibiri
(6:30)  9. Corazón Rebeldé
(3:43) 10. La Ley Del Guaguanco
(2:42) 11. Mi Amor Fugaz
(3:04) 12. Don Fulano
(5:07) 13. Avisale A Mi Contrario

It's never easy to replace a legend, especially when the legend happens also to be one's father. But Arturo O'Farrill, who doesn't want for courage or self-reliance, has seized the reins once held by his illustrious parent, the late Chico O'Farrill, and ridden the thoroughbred Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra into the winner's circle in the first-ever live recording from Jazz at Lincoln Center's state-of-the-art Frederick P. Rose Hall, an occasion that was truly Una Noche Inolvidable (an unforgettable night). Commenting on the marvelous acoustics in Rose Hall, O'Farrill writes, "...all the musicians were smiling that night. And listening to this album, believe it or not, you can almost hear them smiling which is enchanting, as the most pleasurable Latin music is always presented with a smile. The concert was billed as "A Celebration of the Great Latin Jazz Vocalists, and the ALJO set the stage for two of the contemporary music scene's most celebrated soneros, Herman Olivera and Claudia Acuña. Olivera is showcased on seven of the album's thirteen tracks, Acuña on three, and there is one charming duet, "Encantado de la Vida. The ensemble opens with the buoyant "Havana Special and also goes it alone on pianist O'Farrill's fast-paced feature, "Pianarabatibiri. As this was essentially the singers' night to shine, there are few other solos. Alto Bobby Porcelli is heard briefly on "Buscando la Melodia, trombonist Luis Bonilla on "Volver a los 17, O'Farrill on "Corazon Rebeldé. Aside from that, the spotlight rests squarely on Olivera and Acuña, neither of whom needs much help to captivate an audience. Even so, they are given unwavering support throughout by the ALJO, which has been scrupulously assembled by O'Farrill from among the New York City area's most accomplished musicians, including a handful who were members of his father's Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra. Rose Hall lives up to its promise, as does the ALJO and its inimitable guests, Herman Olivera and Claudia Acuña, who together make this an unforgettable night for anyone who appreciates the bold and breathtaking panorama of Latin jazz. Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/una-noche-inolvidable-afro-latin-jazz-orchestra-palmetto-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel:  Producer – Arturo O'Farrill; Bass – Ruben Rodriguez; Drums – Vince Cherico; Percussion – Joseph Gonzalez, Milton Cardona; Reeds – Bobby Porcelli, Erica vonKleist , Ivan Renta, Mario Rivera, Pablo Calogero; Trombone – Douglas Purviance, Luis Bonilla, Noah Bless, Reynaldo Jorge; Trumpet – Joseph Magnarelli, John Walsh, Michael Philip Mossman, Michael Rodriguez; Vocals – Claudia Acuña, Herman Olivera

Una Noche Inolvidable

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