Harold Danko - Fantasy Exit

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:17
Size: 141,9 MB
Art: Front

( 9:08)  1. Hi-Fly
( 3:58)  2. Mrs. Parker of Kc
( 8:21)  3. Fantasy Exit
(10:21)  4. Born to Be Blue
( 8:17)  5. Smoke House
( 3:28)  6. Rocker
( 7:16)  7. Tea Time
( 8:00)  8. In and Out
( 2:23)  9. Lullaby

Trio dates are somewhat of a rarity for Harold Danko, but he makes the most of the opportunity on this 2002 session for Steeplechase. With bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Jeff Hirschfield, he chooses a wide range of jazz compositions, starting with a radically different, more free-flowing than usual approach to Randy Weston's "Hi Fly." Danko's arrangement of Jaki Byard's "Mrs. Parker of K.C." (first recorded by its composer on a date as a sideman with Eric Dolphy) adds many twists and turns to an already challenging work. On the other hand, he sticks closer to the beautiful melody of Mel Tormé's ballad "Born to be Blue," while proving that Gerry Mulligan's upbeat "Rocker" can be a successful vehicle without the presence of a horn. The leader's twisting post-bop original "Smoke House" is clearly inspired by Tadd Dameron's "Hot House" (which is in turn based on the chord changes to Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing Called Love?"). This highly recommended date is easily one of the best of Harold Danko's long career. 

~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/fantasy-exit-mw0000990767

Personnel: Piano – Harold Danko; Bass – Michael Formanek; Drums – Jeff Hirshfield

Fantasy Exit

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Florin Niculescu - Plays Stéphane Grappelli

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:47
Size: 110,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:05)  1. Opportunity
(5:05)  2. Hésitation
(5:42)  3. La Chanson Des Rues
(5:21)  4. Automne
(3:26)  5. Light
(3:35)  6. Tournesol
(2:15)  7. Daphné
(3:26)  8. André
(2:28)  9. Eveline
(2:32) 10. Souvenir De Villingen
(5:28) 11. Old Man River
(5:19) 12. Blues For Stéphane

Sometimes, as far as music goes, one record can lead to another. One hearing of Florin Niculescu's homage to Stephane Grappelli sends the listener back to the old recordings of the Quintette du Hot Club de France, where Grappelli worked his magic with his most famous musical partner, guitar wizard Django Reinhardt. What a joy to listen to Grappelli. Not only could he make the violin sing and swing. He played with fire and passion. There are times that Grappelli seems to make a u-turn on his instrument that is so sharp that the strings are in danger of being broken or indeed are burning up. Now that's music that swings. It is no exaggeration to say that Grappelli's music is safe in the hands of Florin Niculescu. Like Grappelli, Niculescu has the ability to make the violin sing. He doesn't just show off with a lot of fast notes, he makes the music flow effortlessly with passion and commitment. Niculescu has a superb technique and his group consisting of Peter Beets on piano, Bruno Ziarelli on drums and Daryl Hall on bass plus guest guitarists Christian Escoudé; and Marc Fosset are doing a very good job of backing him. They swing comfortably and the record is a treat for the ears from start to finish. Highlights include a take on the classic Reinhardt/Grappelli composition "Daphné," where Niculescu really shows his chops. Elsewhere, he performs a stunning version of "Old Man River" that manages to be both wild and sentimental. It is downright impossible not to like music that swings as infectiously as this and Niculescu can play so even the alley cats of Paris must be dancing. An album like Florin Niculescu Plays Stephane Grappelli is proof that the music Grappelli treasured so much is still alive and not just a nostalgic thing of the past. ~ Jakob Baekgaard https://www.allaboutjazz.com/florin-niculescu-plays-stephane-grappelli-florin-niculescu-blujazz-productions-review-by-jakob-baekgaard.php

Personnel: Florin Niculescu: violin; Peter Beets: piano; Brune Ziarelli: drums; Daryl Hall: bass; Christian Escoud

Plays Stéphane Grappelli

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Yves Theiler Trio - Out of the Box

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:57
Size: 155,9 MB
Art: Front

(10:13)  1. Rasant
( 9:03)  2. Rise
(11:58)  3. Escape 01
( 8:55)  4. Square
( 8:27)  5. Yesterday, Tomorrow
( 6:02)  6. Ballad for Three
(13:15)  7. Eastern Back Yard

Yves Theiler (born December 23, 1987 in Zurich ) is a Swiss jazz musician ( piano , synthesizer , keyboard ), composer and arranger.  Theiler began his musical studies as a pianist in the main compartment and drummer minor in the age of 17 years at the Zurich University of the Arts , mainly with Chris Wiesendanger and Tony Renold (minor percussion ), followed by a study in Leipzig, where he studied with Richie Beirach had and earned the master's degree in education. He then completed the Master in Performance with Nat Su and Christoph Baumann at the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences .  From the mid-2000s he worked and in the Swiss jazz scene. a. with Omri brick , Rätus Flisch, Luca Sisera and Matthias Tschopp . In recent years he played in the formations Yves Theiler Trio, Things to Sounds (with David Meier , Tobias Meier), Where's Africa (with Omri brick and Dario Sisera), Duo Omri brick and Yves Theiler, Theiler - Flisch - Renold, Duo Theiler - Flisch plays Wagner , Matthias Tschopp Quartet, Colliding Particles and Roofer . Yves Theiler also repeatedly worked on projects with musicians from various countries, including Terrence McManus ( USA ), Alexey Kruglov ( Russia ),Uli Kempendorff ( Germany ), Robert Lucaciu (Germany) and Philipp Scholz (Germany). With his trio with Lukas Mantel and Valentin Dietrich in 2012 his debut album Out of the Box ( Unit Records ) was created; in 2013, Theiler presented the album Inside Innocence ( Intakt Records ) in a duo with Omri Ziegele . 2016 presented Theiler with his trio the second album Dance in a Triangle (MGB Musiques Suisse), which appreciable reviews, inter alia, in the jazz magazines Jazz Thing and Salt Peanutsearned. In jazz, he was involved in seventeen sessions and CD productions between 2007 and 2017. His "dedicated and ambitious game, in which the pathos of the existential vibrates", evaluated the Neue Zürcher Zeitung , "is bursting with surprises and always mindful of energetic interaction." In 2017, Yves Theiler was awarded the Year of the City of Zurich and is a grant winner of the Friedl Wald Foundation. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yves_Theiler

Personnel: Piano, Composed By – Yves Theiler; Bass – Valentin Dietrich; Drums – Lukas Mantel. 

Out of the Box

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