Saturday, September 28, 2019

Wallace Roney - Misterios

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:12
Size: 136,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:17)  1. Meu Menino
(4:47)  2. In Her Family
(6:32)  3. Michelle
(6:30)  4. Cafe
(4:52)  5. Misterios
(6:49)  6. Last to Know
(5:18)  7. Memoria E Fado
(6:53)  8. 71+
(5:50)  9. Muerte
(5:19) 10. I Will Always Love You

Trumpeter Wallace Roney avoids the standard repertoire altogether on this CD, playing pieces by Pat Metheny, the Beatles, Egberto Gismonti, Jaco Pastorius and even Dolly Parton among others but, try as hard as he may, he still sounds like Miles Davis every time he hits a long tone or plays a doubletime passage. Backed by a small orchestra that mostly interprets Gil Goldstein arrangements, Roney is the main soloist throughout this interesting ballad-dominated set. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/misterios-mw0000117814

Personnel: Trumpet – Wallace Roney; Bass – Clarence Seay; Drums – Eric Allen; Keyboards – Gil Goldstein; Piano – Geri Allen; Tenor Saxophone – Antoine Roney, Ravi Coltrane

Misterios

Joanie Sommers - 'Round Midnight

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:56
Size: 162,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:25)  1. Out of This World
(2:13)  2. There's No Such Thing
(2:22)  3. Seems Like Long, Long Ago
(2:38)  4. Shake Hands with a Fool
(2:29)  5. Hey! Jealous Lover
(2:13)  6. I Don't Want to Walk Without You
(2:30)  7. Mean to Me
(3:48)  8. Make the Man Love Me
(2:37)  9. Ev'rything I've Got
(2:06) 10. The Piano Boy
(2:31) 11. Till There Was You
(2:21) 12. (Theme From) A Summer Place
(2:35) 13. Kiss and Run
(2:14) 14. You Came a Long Way from St. Louis
(3:07) 15. Blues in the Night
(2:31) 16. I Feel Pretty
(3:15) 17. I'll Never Stop Loving You
(3:50) 18. 'Round Midnight
(2:31) 19. Let's Talk About Love
(2:35) 20. I Feel a Song Coming On
(4:45) 21. My Ship
(2:33) 22. Johnny Get Angry
(2:23) 23. Something's Coming
(2:52) 24. A Lot of Livin' to Do
(3:22) 25. After the Lights Go Down Low

Joanie Sommers scored her biggest chart success with "Johnny Get Angry" in 1962. The single, her second solo release, peaked at the number seven spot and charted for more than two months. Her first solo record, "One Boy," was a number from the musical Bye Bye Birdie and only hit number 54 in 1960. She continued to record through the decade, but never had another winner that rose as high on the charts as "Johnny Get Angry." She later achieved a different kind of success in commercials with several different jingles that she sang for Pepsi during the '60s and again two decades later. (The title of one of her later albums, Come Alive, was even derived from one of the Pepsi ad campaigns.) Sommers, whose real name is Joan Drost, was born in New York but grew up in California. During her high school and college years, she sang in school bands. She was 18 years old when Warner Bros. signed her to a contract in 1959 and paired her with Edd Byrnes on one of his singles. She also had a small role in 77 Sunset Strip, the television series that featured Byrnes in the role of Kookie. In addition, she sang on Byrnes' "I Don't Dig You" and "Hot Rock," which appeared on one of his albums. Sommers released an album of her own, the jazz-oriented Positively the Most, and it helped establish her presence in easy listening and adult circles.

Fans and critics often cite her 1965 album, Softly the Brazilian Sound, as one of her best efforts. In 1966, the singer signed with Columbia Records. One of her following recordings was a version of "Alfie," which both Cher and Dionne Warwick also covered it. While Sommers' version didn't get the notice that the other two did, she had the satisfaction of placing in the Top Ten in the easy listening category. She also appeared in On the Flip Side, a television special that starred Rick Nelson. The show's soundtrack contains two versions of "Try to See It My Way," one of which is a duet with Nelson while the other is a Sommers solo. The singer, married with three children, stepped out of the spotlight as the '70s approached. Before retiring, she made numerous television appearances on the shows of Johnny Carson, Dinah Shore, Dean Martin, Mike Douglas, Bobby Darin, and others. Sommers started singing and making appearances again during the '80s. ~ Linda Seida https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joanie-sommers-mn0000784759/biography

'Round Midnight

Teddy Edwards, Houston Person - Close Encounters

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:02
Size: 110,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. Twisted
(4:59)  2. Blue and Sentimental
(9:44)  3. Pennies from Heaven
(5:46)  4. Night Train
(6:16)  5. I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance
(7:00)  6. The Breeze and I
(8:53)  7. Little Girl Blue

A follow-up to their previous excellent CD Horn To Horn has the two veteran tenor saxophonists with the same drummer, Kenny Washington, joined by pianist Stan Hope and bassist Ray Drummond. They swing and stroll through another seven standards, Edwards with his lithe, breezy, matter-of-fact tone, Person displaying the bluesy, street smart literate, fluid approach that always holds him in good stead. There are two selections where Edwards and Person play in lock step, note for note before trading solos. "Twisted" and "The Breeze & I" echo a collective century of jazz friendship, both knowing the tune so well, no stumbling at all. They play in harmony for the old rugged "Night Train," alternate during the easygoing "Pennies From Heaven," and the even smoother "Blue & Sentimental." Each also gets a feature, Edwards consummately punctuating his flattened interpretation of "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance," while Person goes a little over the top putting his soulful stamp on "Little Girl Blue." Hope does get a smidgen of solo space here and there, while Drummond and Washington do their rhythmic duties admirably, as always. The beautiful thing is that while Edwards continually refines, picking notes even more carefully, and Person digs deeper into his blue gutbucket, there's no stepping on toes. The late Gene Kalbacher, on his liner notes for Horn to Horn called it a mutual "caress" rather than a tenor duel. There's a bit of flailing, but the respectful attitude of these two present-day jazz giants is clear and admirable. This CD is easily as good as the first collaboration, albeit clocking in at only 48 minutes or so. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/close-encounters-mw0000243147

Personnel:  Teddy Edwards, Houston Person – tenor saxophone; Stan Hope – piano; Ray Drummond – bass; Kenny Washington – drums

Close Encounters

Bruce Barth - Hope Springs Eternal

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:22
Size: 154,9 MB
Art: Front

(8:48)  1. Hope Spring Eternal
(8:10)  2. Wondering Why
(9:20)  3. The Hour of No Return
(7:17)  4. Darn That Dream
(9:08)  5. The Epicurean
(8:16)  6. Up and Down
(7:58)  7. Full Cycle
(8:23)  8. The Revolving Door

On “Hope Springs Eternal” veteran East Coast pianist Bruce Barth is supported by a fine entourage consisting of Steve Wilson: alto/soprano saxophones/flute; Ed Howard: bass and Adam Cruz drums. The title cut leads off with Barth’s melodic touch and Wilson’s lush lyrical soprano. Barth is the pilot here as he’s prone to shift gears and investigate various avenues of melodic development while displaying enviable chops. Steve Wilson is a fine player and meshes well with Barth’s stylistic approach. Another Barth original composition “Hour Of No Return” is an up tempo burner. The rhythm section of Cruz and Howard are in superb form. They will jab and spar with Barth’s ever-evolving inventions. On “Hour Of No Return” Barth is the painter of colorful imagery. The pace is frenetic and eventually Wilson and Barth regroup to calm things down. Barth’s right hand is poetry in motion complimented by huge block chords. Steve Wilson cuts his alto to shreds in Barth’s “The Revolving Door” which is a bright, cheerful tune with a strong melody line. Barth’s “Up and Down” swings from the bottom up. Barth’s expressive and sweeping execution is at times reminiscent of McCoy Tyner; although, Barth’s identity is firmly established. Bruce Barth is a fine pianist and should benefit from Double-Time Records esteemed producer/educator Jamey Aebersold. I look forward to hearing more from Barth in the near future. ~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/hope-springs-eternal-bruce-barth-double-time-jazz-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel: Bruce Barth - piano, composer;  Steve Wilson - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, composer;  Ed Howard - Bass;  Adam Cruz - drums, composer

Hope Springs Eternal

Harold Betters - At the Encore

Styles: Trombone Jazz 
Year: 1962/2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:46
Size: 98,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:28)  1. Blow Your Horn
(4:50)  2. Moanin'
(2:54)  3. One Mint Julep
(4:19)  4. Stella by Starlight
(3:35)  5. When My Dreamboat Comes Home
(2:33)  6. Hold It
(2:02)  7. Stand by Me
(3:49)  8. My Funny Valentine
(3:40)  9. Ram-Bunk-Shush
(3:30) 10. When You And I Were Young Maggie
(4:17) 11. Ebb Tide
(3:43) 12. Georgia On My Mind

The beginning of a great side-stream tradition in jazz a series of recordings done by trombonist Harold Betters for the Pittsburgh-based Gateway label! Betters was a heck of a player with a sound that could have rivaled Bennie Green, had he stayed in New York but he was a family guy by nature, and determined to return to his local Pennsylvania roots. Fortunately, the team at Gateway were smart enough to document Betters work on the Pittsburgh scene with a series of great albums this being the first of a very successful run in the 60s. 

The tunes are short, tight, and to the point with a very soulful style of gutbuckety trombone work, laid out over piano trio backing. Lots of hard-hitting numbers with an R&B influence, and titles include "Hold Hit", "Moanin", "Stand By Me", "Ebb Tide", and "One Mint Julep".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/75744

Featuring : Harold Betters (trombone), Joe Ashliman (drums), Joe Hughes (guitar), Al O'brien (bass)

At the Encore