Monday, September 16, 2019

Katie Thiroux - Introducing Katie Thiroux

Styles: Vocal, Post Bop
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:34
Size: 106,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:19)  1. There's A Small Hotel
(3:59)  2. Don't Be On The Outside
(3:43)  3. A Beautiful Friendship
(3:48)  4. Wives And Lovers
(4:16)  5. I'm Old Fashioned
(5:33)  6. Ray's Kicks
(4:17)  7. The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else)
(4:09)  8. RoseBird
(4:25)  9. Can't We Just Pretend
(4:01) 10. Shiny Stockings
(4:00) 11. Oh What A Beautiful Morning

It seems that nearly every jazz album made today comes with ringing endorsements from jazz greats, PR-driven plaudits, and the participation of one or two (or more) heavy hitters. So how do you separate hype from reality? Simply open your ears and listen. That's how you separate the wheat from the chaff, and that's how you discover true talent like Katie Thiroux. This bassist-vocalist-composer is flat out phenomenal. On her Jeff Hamilton-produced debut, Thiroux walks the classy-and-swinging line favored by Ray Brown and his ilk. She provides in-the-pocket, full-bodied bass lines, warm and inviting vocals that demonstrate a real understanding of a lyricist's intent, and original compositions that place her firmly in the tradition. Across eleven tracks, Thiroux shows that she's the complete package. There's a winning solo bass-and-voice number to admire ("Wives And Lovers"), a smoky and attractive original ballad that operates with a "Mood Indigo"-esque demeanor ("Can't We Just Pretend?"), a bluesy ode to Brown ("Ray's Kicks"), and a swinging Frank Foster classic ("Shiny Stockings") that features Thiroux's sly yet direct vocals. Not enough for you? Then there's also a beautifully-shaped Rodgers and Hart classic ("There's A Small Hotel"), some burning double-time work ("The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else)"), and a smile-inducing solo bass capper ("Oh What A Beautiful Morning"). Young guitar phenom Graham Dechter, Hamilton protégé Matt Witek, and veteran saxophonist Roger Neumann join Thiroux here, and all are fully engaged in the music at hand. Neumann cooks on the spry "Rosebird," Dechter burns on "The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else)" and wafts along behind Neumann on "Can't We Just Pretend?," and Witek proves to be a model of taste, coating a song's underbelly with gentle brushwork and providing the requisite swing feel in numerous places. Thiroux couldn't have asked for a better set of band mates for a project like this.  Introducing Katie Thiroux may be a first step for this young triple-threat talent, but it plays like the work of a well-seasoned veteran. ~ Dan Bilaswky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/introducing-katie-thiroux-katie-thiroux-basskat-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Katie Thiroux: bass, vocals; Roger Neumann: tenor saxophone; Graham Dechter: guitar; Matt Witek: drums.

Introducing Katie Thiroux

Brian Bromberg - A New Day

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:11
Size: 108,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:35)  1. Summertime
(6:23)  2. Sunrise
(7:09)  3. Take A Walk In The Park With Me
(5:25)  4. Shana
(6:02)  5. Mushy Tushy
(5:08)  6. It's A New Day
(6:03)  7. My Funny Valentine
(6:24)  8. Oriental Ho-Down

Bassist Brian Bromberg's debut as a leader finds him alternating between acoustic and electric and welcoming such guests as tenorman Ernie Watts, Joe Farrell (on his final recording date) and, during "Take a Walk in the Park With Me," flugelhornist Freddie Hubbard. This diverse LP (which has not yet been reissued on CD) ranges from fairly straight-ahead to some funk and fusion; Bromberg performs six originals, plus "Summertime" and "My Funny Valentine." An enjoyable set, although not essential. 
~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/new-day-mw0000947779

Personnel: Brian Bromberg - keyboards, fretless bass, producer, executive producer; Ernie Watts - tenor saxophone; Greg Armstrong - soprano saxophone; Joe Farrell - flute; Freddie Hubbard - trumpet; Arthur Statman - keyboards;  Kei Akagi - keyboards; Guy Moon - keyboards; Carl Cherry - drums; Alex Acuña - percussion, drums.

A New Day

Jimmy Cobb Italian Trio - With Respect to Bill Evans

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:31
Size: 116,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:34)  1. Show Type Tune
(4:11)  2. We Will Meet Again
(4:53)  3. Time Remembered
(4:06)  4. Peri's Scope
(4:25)  5. Very Early
(5:12)  6. Funkallero
(4:02)  7. The Opener
(5:18)  8. Bill's Hit Tune
(6:44)  9. Theme for Basie
(2:31) 10. I Just Can't Stop Loving You
(3:29) 11. After the Love Has Gone

Legendary jazz drummer, Jimmy Cobb, was born in Washington, D.C. on January 20, 1929. A superb, mostly self-taught musician, Jimmy is the elder statesman of all of the incredible Miles Davis bands. Jimmy's inspirational work with Miles, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderly and Co. spanned 1957 until 1963, and included the masterpiece “Kind of Blue”, the most popular jazz recording in history. He also played on “Sketches of Spain”, Someday My Prince will Come”, “Live at Carnegie Hall, “Live at the Blackhawk”, “Porgy and Bess”, and many, many other watermark Miles Davis recordings. The Miles recordings and live performances are not the only high points of Jimmy's quiet, but truly outstanding career. Jimmy did his first recording with Earl Bostic. Known from an early age as a great accompanist, Jimmy played extensively with Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Pearl Bailey, Clark Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Cannonball Adderly, before joining Miles in 1957. Tony Williams took over the Miles drum chair in 1963 and Jimmy left Miles to continue to work with Miles' rhythm section, Winton Kelly and Paul Chambers behind Wes Montgomery. In addition to several Winton Kelly Trio Albums, the three did albums with Kenny Burrell, and J.J. Johnson, among others, before disbanding in the late 60's. Mr. Cobb then worked with Sarah Vaughn for 9 years. Jimmy then continued to freelance with several great groups throughout the 70's 80's and 90's including, Sonny Stitt, Nat Adderly, Ricky Ford, Hank Jones, Ron Carter, George Coleman, Fathead Newman, The Great Jazz Trio, Dave Holland and Warren Bernhardt, and many, many others worldwide. (see list on succeeding pages). 

Eleana Tee produced a Television Special “So that Nobody Else Can Hear”, which aired on AandE in the early 90's featuring Jimmy playing and hangin' with Freddie Hubbard, Gregory Hines, Bill Cosby, Dave Leibman, Pee Wee Ellis, and others. Jimmy has played around the world from Newport to Monte Carlo, from LA to Japan. He has performed for President Carter, the Shah of Iran and many other dignitaries in his storied career and is quoted extensively in “Kind of Blue”, the Documentary of those legendary recording sessions. Now: Currently, Jimmy is not slowing down even a little. He splits any downtime between his New York City “digs” and his home in Woodstock, NY with his two children, Jaime and Serena, and long time partner and collaborator, Eleana Tee. However, he still tours with his own band, “Cobb's Mob” and combines with many incredible artists both old and new. Jimmy has just completed a “Four Generations of Miles” album with guitarist, Mike Stern, Ron Carter (bass), and George Coleman (tenor) for Chesky records. Jimmy is about to release his newest and long awaited solo album, “Yesterdays”, produced by Eleana Tee for Rteesan Productions. It features Michael Brecker on tenor, Marion Meadows on soprano, Roy Hargrove, trumpet and flugelhorn, Jon Faddis, trumpet, Eric Lewis, electric piano, Peter Bernstein, guitar, Jerry Mall, percussion and John Weber on bass. This album was done in Jimmy's two adopted home towns; recorded and shot in New York, and mixed and edited in Woodstock, NY. It includes a wide variety of arrangements ranging from a unique interpretation of Jimi Hendrix “Purple Haze” to ballads “Yesterdays” and blues (All Blues, Faddis, Monk) and standards, “Without a Song” and “Love Walked Right In”. This major musical statement will include several music videos and a complete television documentary. And as usual with Jimmy Cobb, you won't believe what's up next! https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/jimmycobb

Jimmy Cobb Italian Trio with Jimmy Cobb (drum), Massimo Faraò (piano) and Aldo Zunino (db) : a tribute to Bill Evans

With Respect to Bill Evans

Herlin Riley - Perpetual Optimism

Styles: Vocal, Post Bop
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:23
Size: 137,0 MB
Art: ront

(6:54)  1. Rush Hour
(5:50)  2. Be There When I Get There
(4:49)  3. Borders Without Lines
(5:40)  4. You Don’t Know What Love Is
(7:06)  5. Perpetual Optimism
(7:20)  6. Touched
(6:23)  7. Wings and Roots
(6:34)  8. Wang Dang Doodle
(4:05)  9. Stella By Starlight
(4:38) 10. Twelve’s It

Herlin Riley, a drummer from New Orleans, is a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, led by Wynton Marsalis. Indeed, he played a large part in developing the drum parts for the Pulitzer Prize-winning album by Marsalis, Blood on the Fields (Columbia, 1997). On his own album, Riley leads a mainstream quintet playing five of his own numbers, Gene de Paul's lovely ballad "You Don't What Love Is," Victor Young's "Stella By Starlight," Ellis Marsalis' "Twelve's It" and Willie Dixon's knockabout "Wang Dang Doodle," on which he takes a joyous and highly competent vocal. It's a wonderfully relaxed mixture, a reminder of what mainstream jazz is all about, or should be having fun yet being creative. There's some great music here, notably Godwin Louis' alto on "Touched," the stand-out track, which also features fine bass by Russell Hall. Then there's Bruce Harris' trumpet on the choppy "Rush Hour." Throughout, Emmet Cohen's piano and the leader's drums hold everything together. The Latin-tinged title track is a light-as-air foot-tapper, with Godwin Louis doing a fine job on saxophone before Cohen takes over. Add some words and it could be a show tune. Riley's drumming propels the number along but without ever drowning out the others. "Wings and Roots" features more fine saxophone and some excellent ensemble passages. Louis gets down to it on "Wang Dang Doodle," where Riley's vocal is suitably low down and funky. He returns for an encore on "Twelve's It," in which he pays a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the song's author. If more albums like this were being made today, the world wouldn't be in the terrible state it's in. People would be far too happy to want to do the dirty on one another. ~ Chris Mosey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/perpetual-optimism-herlin-riley-mack-avenue-records-review-by-chris-mosey.php

Personnel: Herlin Riley: drums and vocals; Emmett Cohen: piano; Russell Hall: bass; Godwin Louis: alto saxophone; Bruce Harris: trumpet.

Perpetual Optimism