Red Rodney - Then and Now

Styles: Flugelhorn Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:38
Size: 171,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:08)  1. Woody 'n You
(5:41)  2. Marmaduke
(6:32)  3. Little Suede Shoes
(6:24)  4. Un Poco Loco
(6:53)  5. The Scene Is Clean
(5:26)  6. Early Autumn
(6:18)  7. Confirmation
(4:13)  8. Congo Blues
(5:49)  9. If You Could See Me Now
(6:08) 10. Yard's Pad
(5:11) 11. Crazeology
(9:51) 12. The Interview

Red Rodney's final recording (cut two years before his death) finds the 64-year-old sticking exclusively to flugelhorn and still displaying strong chops. Performing with his working quintet (Chris Potter on tenor and alto, pianist Garry Dial, bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Jimmy Madison) Rodney returns to his roots, performing 11 bop-era standards with a twist. Producer Bob Belden helped reharmonize many of the songs, and even though the original melodies are stated, the results sound more modern than one would expect. Potter (showing a great deal of potential that he has since realized) and Dial have many fine solos, while Rodney sounds pretty strong, pushing himself. The CD concludes with Rodney talking for 9½ minutes about his experiences in the bebop days and about this project, a perfect conclusion to a successful and important career. 

~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/then-and-now-mw0000093082

Personnel:  Red Rodney - flugelhorn; Chris Potter - tenor saxophone; Garry Dial - piano; Jay Anderson - bass; Jimmy Madison - drums

Then and Now

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Peggy King, Pam Garner - Lazy Afternoon + Sings Ballads For Broken Hearts

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:46
Size: 165,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:41)  1. Rain (Peggy King)
(3:11)  2. You'll Never Know (Peggy King)
(2:36)  3. Lazy Afternoon (Peggy King)
(2:21)  4. 'till There Was You (Peggy King)
(3:00)  5. Sure Thing (Peggy King)
(3:06)  6. I Remember You (Peggy King)
(2:11)  7. Love And The Weather (Peggy King)
(3:33)  8. Imagination (Peggy King)
(3:12)  9. Love Walked In (Peggy King)
(3:00) 10. Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo (Peggy King)
(2:59) 11. Nobody Else But Me (Peggy King)
(2:49) 12. Littleboy Heart (Peggy King)
(2:36) 13. Can't Get Out Of This Mood (Pam Garner)
(3:02) 14. Angel Eyes (Pam Garner)
(2:52) 15. It's The Talk Of The Town (Pam Garner)
(2:51) 16. The Thirteenth Month (Pam Garner)
(2:46) 17. Once In A While (Pam Garner)
(3:12) 18. Willow Weep For Me (Pam Garner)
(3:08) 19. Solitude (Pam Garner)
(2:35) 20. Blame It On My Youth (Pam Garner)
(3:16) 21. Lilac Wine (Pam Garner)
(2:55) 22. Lost In A Fog (Pam Garner)
(2:43) 23. (I Don't Stand) A Ghost Of A Chance (With You) (Pam Garner)
(4:00) 24. Lush Life (Pam Garner)

Lazy Afternoon:  Peggy’s singing is warmly intimate and sophisticated. All her charms are sheathed in highly imaginative and brilliant orchestral settings, by such gifted arrangers as Henri René, Jack Marshall, and Pete King.

Sings Ballads For Broken hearts:  Pam’s creamy voice is as expressive and surprising as a jazz solo. The accompaniment Johnny Williams devised for Pam expresses her style exactly. Interwoven with strings is the excitement of a first-class rhythm section, and along with the freewheeling improvisation provided by Jack Sheldon’s trumpet, the beat and the lightness of jazz are always present. https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/peggy-king-pam-garner-albums/46592-lazy-afternoon-sings-ballads-for-broken-hearts-2-lp-on-1-cd.html

Personnel:  Peggy King, Pam Garner (vcl), Henri René, Pete King, Jack Marshall, Johnny Williams (arr, cond), Jack Sheldon (tp), Jimmy Rowles (p, celeste), Red Mitchell (b), Larry Bunker (d)
 

Thank you Flyingfinger!

Lazy Afternoon

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David Sanborn - Straight To The Heart

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1984
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:11
Size: 120,2 MB
Art: Front

( 6:45)  1. Hideaway
( 5:09)  2. Straight to the Heart
( 6:27)  3. Run for Cover
(10:39)  4. Smile
( 5:07)  5. Lisa
( 6:51)  6. Love & Happiness
( 7:04)  7. Lotus Blossom
( 4:06)  8. One Hundred Ways

With bassist Marcus Miller acting as producer and some memorable tunes being performed (most notably "Hideaway" and "Straight to the Heart"), this is one of altoist David Sanborn's better R&B-ish recordings. Joined by keyboardist Don Grolnick, guitarist Hiram Bullock, bassist Miller, drummer Buddy Williams and various guest musicians, Sanborn sounds fairly inspired and is in top form. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/straight-to-the-heart-mw0000649716

Personnel: David Sanborn – alto saxophone; Don Grolnick – keyboards; Hiram Bullock – guitar, background vocals; Buddy Williams – drums; Marcus Miller – bass guitar, synthesizer, background vocals; Ralph MacDonald – percussion (3, 5, 8); Errol Bennett – percussion (2); Michael White – percussion (6); Michael Brecker – tenor saxophone (8); Randy Brecker – trumpet (8); Jon Faddis – trumpet (8); Hamish Stuart – lead vocals (6); Lani Groves – background vocals (8); Frank Floyd – background vocals (8); Vivian Cherry – background vocals (8)

Straight To The Heart

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Victor Gould - Earthlings

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:39
Size: 131,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:31)  1. Farewell to Dogma
(4:58)  2. Love Vibrations
(4:14)  3. Earthlings
(5:57)  4. Spider
(5:27)  5. Rise
(5:52)  6. Roses Poses
(5:06)  7. Blues on Top
(5:06)  8. Lover
(5:34)  9. Con Alma
(8:51) 10. Resilience

Darkly beautiful sounds from pianist Victor Gould an up-and-coming player who's also turning into a hell of a leader too! Vic works here with a fantastic core trio Dezron Douglas on bass and Eric McPherson on drums both players who are perfectly suited to set up the right sort of arcing, angling elements that fit the mode of Gould's piano which seems to run up and down in these blocky flights of deeper tones that are completely wonderful! The album also features guest horns on about half the set the soprano sax of Tim Warfield on three tracks, and the alto of Godwin Louis on three more plus some light percussion from Khalil Kwame Bell. 

Titles include the originals "Rise", "Resilience", "Spider", and "Blues On Top" plus versions of "Love Vibrations", "Farewell To Dogma", "Earthlings", and "Con Alma".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/870271/Victor-Gould:Earthlings

Personnel: Victor Gould - piano,composer; Dezron Douglas - bass,composer; Eric McPherson - drums

Earthlings

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Bob Sheppard - The Fine Line

Styles: Saxophone, Flute Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:54
Size: 126,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:44)  1. Edge of Trouble
(5:52)  2. Run Amok
(4:54)  3. The Fine Line
(5:08)  4. People Make the World Go 'Round
(7:20)  5. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(5:36)  6. Maria's Tango
(5:38)  7. Above & Beyond
(4:11)  8. Joegenic
(4:24)  9. Thanks for the Memory
(7:02) 10. A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing

Ironically, probably the only reason that Bob Sheppard isn't a household name (other than in jazz households) is because he's such an in-demand sideman. Splitting his time between Los Angeles, and New York he also teaches jazz at The University of Southern California Thornton School of Music. But he's worked, amongst many others, with such jazz luminaries as Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Peter Erskine and from the popular music world, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan and Stevie Wonder. This also explains why recordings under his own name are so relatively infrequent. His previous album, Close Your Eyes (Challenge, 2011) featuring, amongst others, drummer Antonio Sanchez, was highly lauded and rightly so. The Fine Line came about through Sheppard's chance meeting with Dutch bassist Jasper Somsen at the 2013 Jazzahead Network Event in Bremen, Germany. The two hit it off immediately and resolved to work together. However, due to their mutually busy schedules it took almost two years before they were able to share a stage in The Netherlands for a full week of concerts, followed by masterclasses and radio appearances. Shortly afterwards, Anne de Jong, General Director of Challenge Records offered Somsen the opportunity to work on several projects, and happily this album was one of them. To complete the line-up Sheppard shrewdly recruited keyboardist John Beasley, who appeared on Sheppard's previous album, plus virtuoso drummer Kendrick Scott.  Sheppard's fast-paced opener, "Edge Of Trouble," sees the sax maestro establishing a serpentine hook on soprano saxophone. 

There's also a florid solo from guest vibraphonist Simon Moullier, who later makes essential contributions to "Maria's Tango" and "Joegenic." All the while Scott propels the piece along with his crackling drums. "Run Amok" with Sheppard on tenor, has a Brecker Brothers feel courtesy of Benjamin Shepherd on electric bass and some Miles-ian harmon-muted trumpet from Mike Cottone. Billy Strayhorn "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing" is given a sumptuous treatment by Sheppard and the Rodgers, and Hart standard "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" sees Sheppard soloing on soaring soprano. One oddity, rarely heard in a jazz context, but nonetheless a winning version here, is Ralph Rainger's "Thanks For The Memory," which became Bob Hope's signature tune on which Sheppard imparts some evocatively glissando-rich slinky tenor with Somsen delivering a fluid pizzicato bass solo. Sheppard's languid Latine-esque title track benefits from some subtly dulcet wordless vocals from Maria Puga Lareo. With The Fine Line Sheppard has succeeded once more in producing an album populated by vibrant, memorable tunes that invite constant and frequent replays. ~ Roger Farbey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-fine-line-bob-sheppard-challenge-records-review-by-roger-farbey.php

Personnel: Bob Sheppard: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, alto flute; John Beasley: piano; Jasper Somsen: double bass; Kendrick Scott: drums. Plus guests: Mike Cottone (2): trumpet; Simon Moullier (1,6,8): vibraphone; Maria Puga Lareo (3): vocals; Benjamin Shepherd (2,4): electric bass; Aaron Safarty (3,6): shaker.

The Fine Line

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