Friday, November 8, 2019

Zoot Sims Quartet - Tenorly

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:18
Size: 160,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:58)  1. Night And Day, Take 1
(2:58)  2. Night And Day, Take 2
(2:58)  3. Night And Day, Take 3
(3:20)  4. Slingin' Hasch, Take 1
(3:30)  5. Slingin' Hasch, Take 2
(2:48)  6. Tenorly, Take 1
(2:50)  7. Tenorly, Take 2
(2:47)  8. Tenorly, Take 3
(3:21)  9. Zoot And Zoot
(3:41) 10. I Understand, Take 1
(3:33) 11. I Understand, Take 2
(3:08) 12. Don't Worry About Me
(3:13) 13. Crystal
(5:52) 14. Toot's Suite
(4:27) 15. The Late Tiny Kahn
(3:18) 16. Call It Anything
(4:12) 17. Zoot's Suite
(3:32) 18. Once A While
(2:42) 19. Great Drums

Throughout his career, Zoot Sims was famous for epitomizing the swinging musician, never playing an inappropriate phrase. He always sounded inspired, and although his style did not change much after the early 1950s, Zoot's enthusiasm and creativity never wavered. Zoot's family was involved in vaudeville, and he played drums and clarinet as a youth. His older brother, Ray Sims, developed into a fine trombonist who sounded like Bill Harris. At age 13, Sims switched permanently to the tenor, and his initial inspiration was Lester Young, although he soon developed his own cool-toned sound. Sims was a professional by the age of 15, landing his first important job with Bobby Sherwood's Orchestra, and he joined Benny Goodman's big band for the first time in 1943; he would be one of BG's favorite tenormen for the next 30 years. He recorded with Joe Bushkin in 1944, and even at that early stage, his style was largely set. After a period in the Army, Sims was with Goodman from 1946-1947. He gained his initial fame as one of Woody Herman's "Four Brothers" during his time with the Second Herd (1947-1949). Zoot had brief stints with Buddy Rich's short-lived big band, Artie Shaw, Goodman (1950), Chubby Jackson, and Elliot Lawrence. He toured and recorded with Stan Kenton (1953) and Gerry Mulligan (1954-1956). Sims was also a star soloist with Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band of the early '60s and visited the Soviet Union with Benny Goodman in 1962. A freelancer throughout most of his career, Sims often led his own combos or co-led bands with his friend Al Cohn; the two tenors had very similar sounds and styles. Zoot started doubling on soprano quite effectively in the '70s. Through the years, he appeared in countless situations, and always seemed to come out ahead. Fortunately, Zoot Sims recorded frequently, leading sessions for Prestige, Metronome, Vogue, Dawn, Storyville, Argo, ABC-Paramount, Riverside, United Artists, Pacific Jazz, Bethlehem, Colpix, Impulse, Groove Merchant, Famous Door, Choice, Sonet, and a wonderful series for Pablo. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/zoot-sims-mn0000228087/biography

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims; Bass – Don Bagley (tracks: 14 to 19), Pierre Michelot (tracks: 1 to 13); Drums – Jean-Louis Viale (tracks: 14 to 19), Kenny Clarke (tracks: 1 to 13); Guitar – Jimmy Gourley (tracks: 14 to 19); Piano – Gerry Wiggins (tracks: 1 to 13), Henri Renaud (tracks: 14 to 19); Trombone – Frank Rosolino (tracks: 14 to 19)

Tenorly

Marilena Paradisi, Kirk Lightsey - Some Place Called Where

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:49
Size: 103,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:10)  1. Portrait
(5:32)  2. Some Other Time
(7:06)  3. Like a Lover
(5:35)  4. Soul Eyes
(4:07)  5. Little Waltz
(6:28)  6. Some Place Called Where
(5:36)  7. Autumn Nocturne
(6:13)  8. Fresh Air

Bunny Mellon, America’s foremost arbiter of superior taste, lived by the motto “Nothing should be seen,” meaning that in order to achieve true aesthetic beauty, nothing must stand out. As a defining principle it perfectly describes octogenarian pianist Kirk Lightsey’s exquisite craftsmanship across each of these seven covers and one original. And Lightsey has found an ideally symbiotic partner in Italian vocalist Marilena Paradisi. On what is only her second album performed entirely in English, Paradisi demonstrates the same captivating ability to fully meld with the songs without dampening their distinct moods. The duo opens with Mingus’ contemplative “Portrait,” sketching deeply personal tonal “pictures” based on lifelong experiences and observations. The gorgeously bittersweet “Some Other Time” connects with a wistful “Autumn Nocturne,” the darkly revelatory “Soul Eyes” and the staccato roil of Ron Carter’s “Little Waltz,” steadily rising in intensity as it progresses from sweet joy to bruised dejection. Exploring more fulfilling romantic sentiments, they add a rapturous “Like a Lover” and a beatific rendering of the Wayne Shorter/Dianne Reeves title track. Paradisi and Lightsey (alternating between piano and flute) close with the co-written “Fresh Air,” a gently flowing venture “into the light,” traveling not to a heavenly reward but toward more earthly and sensual pleasures. ~  By Christopher Loudon  https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/marilena-paradisi-kirk-lightsey/

Some Place Called Where

Dick Hyman - There Will Never Be Another You

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:39
Size: 156,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:55)  1. Here's That Rainy da Again
(6:32)  2. Blue Skies
(9:28)  3. Spring Is Here
(5:54)  4. Sobbin' Blues
(3:51)  5. Jungle Blues
(5:04)  6. Undecided
(3:10)  7. Shine
(9:33)  8. Yesterdays
(4:22)  9. Send in the Clowns
(4:14) 10. Skylark
(6:08) 11. There Will Never Be Another You
(2:23) 12. Boswil Boogie

Dick Hyman not only has one of the largest repertoires of any jazz pianist, but he is equally adept at playing swing, stride, and boogie-woogie, as demonstrated in this 1998 solo concert at Alte Kirche Boswil in Switzerland. With a superb instrument, an attentive audience, and fabulous acoustics, Hyman dazzles the packed church with a stunning performance. His rapid-fire rendition of "Blue Skies" shows the influence of Art Tatum, Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson, and Earl Hines. No one has ever eclipsed Tatum's famous arrangement of "Yesterdays," but Hyman's interpretation is a lyrical, understated masterpiece in its own right. In addition to standards, Hyman revives long-forgotten tunes like "Sobbin' Blues" and currently out of favor songs from the early days of jazz such as "Shine" and Jelly Roll Morton's "Jungle Blues." Hyman's bluesy chord substitutions give new life to the often listlessly played ballad "Send in the Clowns." He leaves the audience smiling with "Boswil Boogie," which was likely improvised on the spot. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/there-will-never-be-another-you-mw0001016067

Personnel:  Piano - Dick Hyman

There Will Never Be Another You

Lionel Hampton and Dexter Gordon - Lionel Hampton with Dexter Gordon

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:06
Size: 90,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:01)  1. Cutie
(7:56)  2. They Say That Falling In Love With You Is Wonderful
(4:20)  3. Lullaby Of Birdland
(5:13)  4. I Should Care
(6:30)  5. Seven Comes Eleven
(8:04)  6. Blues For Gates

One of many impromptu sessions staged in 1977 for Lionel Hampton's Who's Who in Jazz label, this recording features the basic band of Hampton on vibes, Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar, Hank Jones on piano, George Duvivier on bass, Oliver Jackson on drums, and Candido Camero on congas that is common to many of the albums, plus, in this case, Dexter Gordon (an alumnus of the Hampton big band) on tenor and soprano saxophone. The songs are mostly standards like "They Say That Falling in Love Is Wonderful" and "I Should Care," and Hampton and Gordon are given extended solo time in the relaxed arrangements, with Pizzarelli and Jones also taking occasional turns. The charm of all the 1977 Who's Who sessions is their intimacy: they sound more like something overheard after the final set in a club than formal recordings. This is one of the better ones. ~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/lionel-hampton-with-dexter-gordon-mw0000188260

Personnel: Vibraphone, Producer – Lionel Hampton; Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Dexter Gordon; Bass – George Duvivier; Congas – Candido; Drums – Oliver Jackson; Guitar – Bucky Pizzarelli; Piano – Hank Jones

Lionel Hampton with Dexter Gordon

Adam Birnbaum Trio - A Comme Amour

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:37
Size: 149,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:44)  1. Whisper Not
(5:34)  2. All Through the Night
(4:35)  3. Goodby
(5:19)  4. Gabriel's Dance
(5:39)  5. In Your Own Sweet Way
(5:22)  6. A Comme Amour
(6:09)  7. Kate the Great
(6:13)  8. Urgency
(4:35)  9. In Walked Bud
(5:28) 10. New Orleans
(5:10) 11. I Got It Bad
(4:44) 12. Blind Seven

Adam Birnbaum is emerging as one of the top young voices in jazz piano. Since receiving a graduate Artist’s Diploma in jazz studies from The Julliard School in 2003, he has become a presence on the New York City scene as a leader and sideman, performing in such venues as the Village Vanguard, the Blue Note, Birdland, the Jazz Standard and Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola. He has also performed on many national and world stages, including the Gilmore International Keyboard Festival, the Kennedy Center, the Montreal Jazz Festival, The Spoleto Festival, The Red Sea Jazz Festival, The Rockport Chamber Festival, NPR Jazz Christmas, and the Capetown Jazz Festival. As a leader, Birnbaum has released four albums under his name in Japan and the U.S. His first release, Ballade Pour Adeline, received a Gold Disk award from As a leader, Birnbaum has released four albums under his name in Japan and the U.S. His first release, Ballade Pour Adeline, received a Gold Disk award from Swing Journal as one of the top albums of 2006. Adam’s U.S. debut Travels, released in 2009 under the Smalls record label, received enthusiastic reviews in Allmusic.com, All About Jazz and JazzTimes. Birnbaum’s recent release Three of A Mind, featuring bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Al Foster, was hailed as “an eloquent dispatch from the heart of the contemporary piano trio tradition” by the New York Times, and received an Editor’s Pick and four star review in Downbeat magazine. As a sideman, Birnbaum’s wide-ranging versatility and artistry have made him a first call for a wide variety of ensembles. He has performed or toured with established jazz artists such as Al Foster, Greg Osby, Regina Carter, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and Jazz at Lincoln Center with Wynton Marsalis, as well as with young artists such as Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society and Cecile Mclorin Salvant. Birnbaum has appeared as a sideman more than 25 albums. Birnbaum is also recognized as a composer and arranger. Allmusic.com reviewer Ken Dryden said “Birnbaum’s compositions prove immediately infectious, each with a hook that draws the listener along for the ride. 

“A review of Travels in JazzTimes praised the album’s “stellar originals.” In 2009 Birnbaum premiered Dream Songs, a trio suite based on the poetry of John Berryman. The work was commissioned by Chamber Music America. Since 2012 Birnbaum has worked with Chelsea Music Festival each year to arrange Bach, Debussy, Beethoven, etc, for his own trio featuring strings and other guests musicians. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Birnbaum studied at the New England Conservatory of Music before moving to New York City in 2001, one of two pianists selected to participate in the Julliard School’s inaugural jazz studies program. In 2004 he won the American Jazz Piano Competition and became the American Pianists Association's Cole Porter fellow in Jazz. That same year, he became the first jazz pianist to present a recital at the prestigious Gilmore Rising Stars Recital Series. In 2006, he received the first-ever "special mention" prize at the Martial Solal Jazz Piano Competition in Paris. He has toured West Africa and Asia sponsored by Jazz at Lincoln Center and the U.S. State Department. Adam has studied with Danilo Perez, Kenny Barron, and Fred Hersch. Adam Birnbaum is currently an Assistant Professor of Jazz at SUNY Purchase. He is also a Steinway Artist. http://www.adambirnbaum.com/bio

A Comme Amour