Saturday, May 9, 2020

Alan Broadbent - Me Time

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:25
Size: 166,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:33)  1. Reflections
(3:16)  2. Waterfalls
(4:47)  3. Oneness
(5:41)  4. New Horizons
(3:34)  5. Inner Harmony
(6:46)  6. Open Spaces
(5:16)  7. Find Your Space
(6:19)  8. Circles
(5:58)  9. My Time
(6:26) 10. Harmony
(3:58) 11. Be Centered
(6:45) 12. Empathy
(7:01) 13. Simple Things

Alan Broadbent was born in Auckland, New Zealand and in 1966, at the age of 19, received a Downbeat Magazine scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. In 1969 he was asked to join Woody Herman’s band as his pianist and arranger for 3 years. In 1972 he settled in Los Angeles, beginning a musical relationship with the legendary singer Irene Kral (no relation to Diana Krall). Soon he was also invited into the studio scene as a pianist for the great Nelson Riddle, David Rose and Johnny Mandel. In the early 90s he was asked to be a part of Natalie Cole’s famous “Unforgettable” cd, at which time he toured as her pianist and, a little while later, as her conductor. At this time he wrote an orchestral arrangement for her second video with her dad, “When I Fall In Love”, which won him his first Grammy Award for “best orchestral arrangement accompanying a vocal”.

Turning Points:
Shortly after, he became a member of Charlie Haden’s Quartet West, touring the festivals of Europe, UK and the USA. It was while with this group that he won his second Grammy, an orchestral accompaniment written for Shirley Horn of Leonard Bernstein’s “Lonely Town”. As a soloist and with his jazz trio, Broadbent has been nominated for Grammys twice for best instrumental performance, in the company of such artists as Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins and Keith Jarrett. In 2007 he was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit, an honor he holds in high regard.

The Now:
Broadbent is Diana Krall’s conductor for her occasional orchestra concerts and is the conductor on her “Live in Paris” DVD. Recently he has been the arranger on Glenn Frey’s cd with strings, “After Hours”, and wrote six string arrangements for Sir Paul McCartney’s “Kisses On The Bottom” with the London Symphony. He has just returned from solo piano concerts in the UK, Poland and France. It has been his lifelong goal, through his orchestral arrangements and jazz improvisations, to discover, in popular music and standard songs, deeper feelings of communication and love. https://www.alanbroadbent.com/

Me Time

Donald Byrd - At The Half Note Café Vol 1 And Vol 2

Album: At The Half Note Café Vol 1

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1960/1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:34
Size: 146,9 MB
Art: Front

( 1:20)  1. Introduction By Ruth Mason Lion
(10:34)  2. My Girl Shirl
( 9:57)  3. Soulful Kiddy
( 8:46)  4. Child's Play
(11:18)  5. Chant
( 6:49)  6. A Portrait Of Jennie
(14:47)  7. Cecile


Album: At The Half Note Café Vol 2

Time: 58:12
Size: 134,4 MB

(12:52)  1. Jeannine
( 6:11)  2. Pure D. Funk
( 9:55)  3. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
(10:53)  4. Theme From Mr. Lucky
(12:01)  5. Kimyas
( 6:18)  6. When Sunny Gets Blue

This 2004 remastered Rudy Van Gelder edition of Donald Byrd's At the Half Note Cafe (the original double-disc version was only issued for the first time in 2000) appears to add one extra track  "Theme (Pure D. Funk)," which clocks in at 1:51 and is also on the second volume in its full form, and a slightly shorter version of "Cecille." Here it clocks it at 12:52; on the 2000 issue it was 14:46. The sequence has also been altered slightly. The real deal is that, while this is the live date showcasing the Byrd quintet with Pepper Adams (and with Duke Pearson, Lex Humphries, and Laymon Jackson in the rhythm section), there is little here to make this worth purchasing yet again if you have the previous set. The sound is only marginally better and is likely only to be noticed by audiophiles. However, if you don't have the originals, this is one of the most essential hard bop purchases in the canon. 

The performances of Pearson of his own four tunes, five by Byrd, and the standards showcase his improvisational acumen at its height. His soloing on studio records pales in comparison. This was a hot quintet, one that not only swung hard, but possessed a deep lyricism and an astonishing sense of timing, and one need only this set by them to feel the full measure of their worth. Forget the Riverside date that caught them live early on; this is the one. ~ Thom Zurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/donald-byrd-at-the-half-note-cafe-vols-1-2-mw0000594775

Personnel: Trumpet – Donald Byrd;  Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams; Bass – Laymon Jackson; Drums – Lex Humphries; Piano – Duke Pearson