Randy Brecker - Trumpet Summit Prague: The Mendoza Arrangements Live

Styles: Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:06
Size: 109,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:02)  1. Village Dawn
(6:31)  2. Rhumba Alias
(8:19)  3. Lost in the Stars
(6:47)  4. Caravan
(7:18)  5. Creature of Many Faces
(7:15)  6. Three and One
(3:52)  7. Caravan - Encore

“High-brass firepower is the theme of Trumpet Summit Prague, and there’s plenty of the good stuff to go around, thanks to the on-point playing and improvising of a trio of trumpeters. Here, American players Randy Brecker and Bobby Shew, and Jan Hasenöhrl, founder of the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, join forces with the CSNO and St. Blaise’s Big Band in a 2012 concert at the celebrated Smetana Hall. But this project is less about a long-form cutting contest than it is about high-level sparring and appealing playfulness.  Take Thad Jones’ “Three and One”, where the trumpeters open with round robin volleys followed by unison lines and tangy three-part harmonies.  A short time later, Vince Mendoza’s arrangement has Hasenöhrl going baroque for a bracingly agile exchange with drummer Martijn Vink, followed by the big band’s return in full swing, underscored by the orchestra.  Brecker steps in for a similarly agile solo before the three recombine to restate the melody. Shew, a virtuoso player too often taken for granted, is center stage on a lush version of Kurt Weill’s “Lost in the Stars”; his flugelhorn, whether stating the melancholy melody or sailing in flights of improvisation, is a thing of beauty, expertly cushioned by the large ensemble.  Brecker is featured on two of his originals:  the album-opening “Village Dawn”, with its hopscotching melody and a bracing solo spiced with smears, high-speed runs and high-register forays; and the bluesy, hard-grooving “Creature of Many Faces”, which offers solo space for several other players.  The program, recorded for Czech television, also offers Mendoza’s own “Rhumba Alias” and a wild and wooly version of Ellington’s “Caravan”, with even more space for three part trumpet harmonies and round-robin soloing.  Three’s a crowd?  Not this time.” 

~ Philip Booth, JazzTimes

Personnel: Randy Brecker: trumpet; Bobby Shew: trumpet; Jan Hasenöhrl: trumpet; Czech National Symphony Orchestra; St. Blaise’s Big Band; Vince Mendoza: conductor

Trumpet Summit Prague: The Mendoza Arrangements Live

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Jim Hall - Jim Hall's Three

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:56
Size: 94,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:09)  1. Hide and Seek
(7:14)  2. Skylark
(4:37)  3. Bottlenose Blues
(5:06)  4. And I Do
(5:02)  5. All the Things You Are
(6:00)  6. Poor Butterfly
(8:46)  7. Three

The Jim Hall Trio, on this occasion, finds the guitarist joined by two veterans, bassist Steve LaSpina (a veteran of many of Hall's sessions) and drummer Akira Tana. Hall, as usual, solos in his unique economical style and leaves plenty of breathing room for the music. "Skylark" is initiated with a very sparse yet lyrical Hall solo before LaSpina and Tana eventually join him; he takes a similar approach to "Poor Butterfly," but he remains unaccompanied throughout this masterful performance. A time tested standard like "All the Things You Are" is given a facelift with the leader's roller coaster arrangement, which is full of sudden turns. But it is the leader's originals that demand the most attention; the lively "Bottlenose Blues" marks Hall's recording debut on a 12-string guitar, while the playful "Hide and Seek" darts in and out much like its title implies. "And I Do," which is based somewhat on the changes to "I Should Care," is yet another intricate chart, while "Three" is a captivating waltz. This is another gem from one of the deans of modern jazz guitar. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/jim-halls-three-mw0000191927

Personnel: Guitar – Jim Hall; Bass – Steve LaSpina; Drums – Akira Tana

Jim Hall's Three

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Heather Bambrick - Fine State

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:01
Size: 124,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:56)  1. You've Got to Be Carefully Taught
(2:51)  2. Take the B Train
(4:10)  3. It's Beautiful
(4:15)  4. It Never Entered My Mind
(4:24)  5. Wave over Wave
(4:29)  6. Off My List
(3:57)  7. Homeland
(4:57)  8. Bridges
(4:15)  9. I Don't Care Anymore
(3:10) 10. The Right to Love
(2:42) 11. Walk Between the Raindrops
(5:20) 12. Pat Murphy's Meadow
(5:30) 13. Fine State of Afairs

Heather Bambrick follows up her last JUNO-nominated recording with a brand new release. Fine State is a personal look at the music and sounds that have shaped Heather’s own brand of music, as well as a commentary on the world around her. Produced by renown musician / arranger / producer Ben Wittman (Sting, Paula Cole, New York Voices, Laila Biali) and composer / producer / multi-instrumentalist Jono Grant (Shuffle Demons, Kim Stockwood, Tea Party, Richard Underhill), Fine State features Canadian-heavy compositions as well as Canadian musical heavy-hitters Chase Sanborn (flugelhorn), Kelly Jefferson (saxophones), Adrean Farrugia (piano), Michael Shand (piano), Eric St. Laurent (guitar), Ross MacIntyre (bass), Ben Wittman (drums and percussion), and guest Carlos del Junco (harmonica). Once again, the technical team working with Heather is second to none, including award-winning engineers John “Beetle” Bailey and Jono Grant. Where Heather’s last release was personal to her in a familial manner, Fine State is thematically personal in areas of emotion and consciousness. In her song selections and songwriting, Heather tackles subjects such as racism, homophobia, and the feelings of divisiveness happening in the world. “As an artist, it’s sometimes easier to express myself through what I make. There have been some incredible creations that I’ve been able to interpret in order to make certain statements. As I was putting these songs together, I realized there was a theme of stating certain negative elements, but then presenting positive sides to them. I think a sense of action and hopefulness is important to present to the world, right now.” Also evident is Heather’s strong ties to Newfoundland, with sophisticated interpretations of traditional folk songs, as well as a sort of “love song” she’s written to her Newfoundland home, co-written by fellow Newfoundlander, award-winning LA-based composer Keith Power. Canada shows strongly on Fine State with material from some of the country’s finest composers and lyricists, including Burton Cummings, Gene Lees, the Breithaupt Brothers, and others, including Heather, herself. Stylistically, Fine State takes on more of a pop/rock-influenced sound, moving away from the somewhat “traditional” tones of her previous recordings. “This album is more of a departure from the traditional sort of records I’ve made in the past. It brings together more of the things that inspire me overall, not just in jazz and not just in music. The arrangements show influences from rock, pop, and folk music, and the tunes we’ve chosen have a strong connection to the events of the world around me, and the roots of who I am as a musician and a person.” https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/heatherbambrick2

Fine State

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