Sammy Davis Jr.- A Man Called Adam

Styles: Soundtracks, Jazz 
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:56
Size: 105,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. Main Title - All That Jazz
(3:22)  2. I Want To Be Wanted (Song)
(2:06)  3. Go Now
(3:09)  4. Someday Sweetheart (Song)
(3:17)  5. Ain't I
(3:55)  6. Soft Touch
(2:57)  7. Claudia
(3:06)  8. All That Jazz (Song)
(5:09)  9. Back Of Town Blues (Song)
(3:57) 10. Night Walk
(3:16) 11. Whisper To One (Song)
(3:55) 12. Claudia
(2:54) 13. Crack Up (Playboy Theme)
(1:46) 14. All That Jazz (Song)

FSM revives the "Retrograde Records" label for its first new release since 1998: A Man Called Adam, a classic jazz album as well as movie soundtrack. A Man Called Adam (1966) was an independent production starring Sammy Davis Jr. as a troubled jazz trumpet player, costarring Cicely Tyson, Ossie Davis and ratpacker Peter Lawford. Louis Armstrong and Mel Torme appear in the film and on the soundtrack album as does the famously versatile Davis. Adam was notable for its prominence of African Americans both in front of and behind the camera (it was produced by Ike Jones, an associate of Nat "King" Cole). The film's composer was Benny Carter (1907-2003), who may be little-known to soundtrack collectors, but was a hugely respected jazz artist as well as a pioneering figure for African Americans in fact, the first black composer to receive screen credit for an original score for television (on M Squad). Carter worked on numerous classic musicals of the 1940s and '50s and became, on A Man Called Adam, one of only a small number of African Americans to score a motion picture.

The musical requirements of A Man Called Adam called almost entirely for jazz source music, particularly that for the lead character's band (the reason we are issuing it on our Retrograde label). Carter composed and arranged a variety of small band numbers, taking care to achieve not only musical excellence but story appropriateness in reflecting the on-screen performers. ("Night Walk," track 10, is the only score cue on the CD.) The studio musicians include Nat Adderley (who "ghosted" Davis's trumpet performances), Bill Berry, Kai Winding, Tyree Glenn, Junior Mance, Billy Kyle, Buster Bailey, Danny Barcelona and Jo Jones. Original lyrics are by Al Stillman. Unavailable since the Reprise Records LP in 1966, A Man Called Adam is a jazz classic soundtrack with historical significance, and has been remixed here from the three and four-track master tapes for excellent stereo sound. Liner notes are by Jon Burlingame, documenting the film, Carter's importance, and the various selections. https://www.filmscoremonthly.com/cds/detail.cfm/CDID/382/Man-Called-Adam-A/

A Man Called Adam

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Wolfgang Muthspiel, Scott Colley, Brian Blade - Angular Blues

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:54
Size: 124,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:20)  1. Wondering
(5:55)  2. Angular Blues
(5:15)  3. Hüttengriffe
(7:42)  4. Camino
(3:50)  5. Ride
(6:52)  6. Everything I Love
(7:41)  7. Kanon in 6/8
(3:34)  8. Solo Kanon in 5/4
(5:41)  9. I'll Remember April

Guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel's fourth leader date for ECM Records and his second trio outing for that storied imprint, following Driftwood (ECM Records, 2014) is a marvel of ingenious interplay, musical sensitivity and absolute sincerity. Joining forces with drummer Brian Blade, a longtime band mate, and bassist Scott Colley, a playing partner from the '90s, Muthspiel delves into the deepest recesses of his mind and sound, delivering a program which is as absorbing as it is refreshing.  Recorded in Tokyo after a three-night, six-set run at that city's Cotton Club, Angular Blues provides a picture of an outfit which is at once relaxed and attentive. The opener "Wondering," with Colley's warm and wide bass in a featured role is marked by gossamer graces and substantial suggestions, as all three parties weave and dance in five while taking to shadows and light. Switching gears with the title track, Muthspiel and company actively engage in somewhat evasive maneuvers, which have a quirky brilliance and mercurial character all their own, while owing acknowledged debts to both Chick Corea's Three Quartets (Warner Music, 1981) and the music of Thelonious Monk. Then, trading in shifty ideals for pure beauty, the trio delivers the soothing "Hüttengriffe." With gorgeous slow-flow aesthetics and a less-is-more outlook, it's easily one of the most attractive tunes on the record (and in Muthspiel's entire catalog).

Muthspiel works with acoustic guitar on that opening third of the album a choice which adds to the quiet and nuanced draw of the music but electric guitar owns the remainder of the program. In some places when he comps behind Colley on "Camino," for example the difference is almost unnoticeable. But the subtle boost in presence, timbre and tonal sustain all become a bit more apparent when he's out front there and in feistier settings, like "Ride." Ultimately, though, Muthspiel's personality remains intact and persuasive, regardless of which instrument he chooses to use. While Angular Blues focuses on original music with those first five numbers, the dynamic "Kanon in 6/8" and the mesmerizing "Solo Kanon in 5/4" all originating from Muthspiel's pen and mind the guitarist breaks from the norm of his previous ECM efforts by including a pair of standards in this set. "Everything I Love," with one of Colley's most memorable solos and some playful trading with Blade, and the album-ending "I'll Remember April," prioritizing melody and vibe, both prove to be standouts and complementary inclusions.
 

Calling this Muthspiel's strongest set for Manfred Eicher's lauded label may downplay the strengths of its forerunners, but that doesn't make it any less true. Angular Blues, both aligned with and apart from that which precedes it, is a winner through and through. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/angular-blues-wolfgang-muthspiel-ecm-records

Personnel: Wolfgang Muthspiel: guitar; Scott Colley: bass, acoustic; Brian Blade: drums.

Angular Blues

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