Tuesday, August 11, 2020

Della Reese - You Don't Know What Love Is

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:09
Size: 81,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:21)  1. I'm Through With Love
(3:45)  2. I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good
(2:09)  3. I'll Never Be the Same
(3:13)  4. I'm Nobody's Baby
(3:31)  5. Something I Dreamed Last Night
(2:32)  6. And That Reminds Me
(2:56)  7. What Do You Know About Love
(5:54)  8. When I Fall In Love
(3:09)  9. You Better Go Now
(4:36) 10. You Don't Know What Love Is

Renowned as both a television star and a top-flight interpreter of jazz, blues, R&B, gospel, and straight-ahead pop music, Della Reese's many talents ensured a long, varied, and legendary show biz career. In addition to being nominated for both an Emmy and a Grammy and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Reese was also an ordained minister in the Universal Foundation for Better Living, an association of churches she helped found in the early '80s.

Born Deloreese Patricia Early on July 6, 1931, the young Reese began singing in the Baptist church choir in her hometown of Detroit at age six. In 1945, having developed quite rapidly, she caught the ear of legendary gospel queen Mahalia Jackson, who invited Reese to join her touring choir; Reese did so for the next five summers. Upon entering Wayne State University to study psychology, Reese formed a women's gospel group, the Meditation Singers, but her college career was cut short by the death of her mother and her father's serious illness. Reese worked odd jobs to help support the rest of her family; she also continued to perform with the Meditation Singers and various other gospel groups. Encouraged by her pastor, Reese began singing in nightclubs in hopes of getting a singing career off the ground; recently married to a factory worker named Vermont Adolphus Bon Taliaferro, her name was too long to fit on marquees, and she eventually arrived at her performing alias by splitting up her first name. After impressing a New York agent, who promptly signed her, Reese moved to New York and joined the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra in 1953. A year later, she had a recording contract with Jubilee, for whom she scored hits like "And That Reminds Me," a 1957 million-seller. Switching to RCA Victor, Reese landed her biggest hit in 1959 with "Don't You Know?," a song adapted from Puccini's La Bohème; this cemented her career, leading not only to plentiful appearances on variety shows, but successful nightclub tours of the country and eventually nine years of performances in Las Vegas, as well as recording contracts with a variety of labels over the next few decades.

Building on her previous variety show experience, Reese made a small bit of television history in 1969 when she became the first woman to guest-host The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Later that year, she became the first black woman to host her own variety show, the syndicated Della, which ran until 1970. Following its cancellation, Reese returned to her nightclub tours, often putting in guest appearances on television shows like The Mod Squad, Sanford and Son, and Chico and the Man; after three prior failed marriages, Reese also found a lasting relationship with producer Franklin Lett, whom she married in 1978. On October 3, 1980, while taping a song for The Tonight Show, Reese suffered a brain aneurysm that nearly proved fatal; however, thanks to a successful operation, she was able to make a full recovery. She kept up her singing career and appeared on television shows like Designing Women, L.A. Law, and Picket Fences, as well as the Eddie Murphy films Harlem Nights and The Distinguished Gentleman. Reese also starred in the Redd Foxx sitcom The Royal Family from 1991-1992, and garnered what was undoubtedly her highest level of recognition in the inspirational drama series Touched by an Angel, a quite popular program that ran for nine years, between 1994 and 2003, on the CBS network. After Touched by an Angel finished its run, Reese continued to act intermittently on television through to 2014. She died at her home in Encino, California in November 2017 at the age of 86. ~ Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/artist/della-reese-mn0000196544/biography

You Don't Know What Love Is

Jimmy Heath - Love Letter

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:19
Size: 102,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:16)  1. Ballad From Upper Neighbors Suite
(4:26)  2. Left Alone
(4:50)  3. Inside Your Heart
(7:12)  4. La Mesha
(5:32)  5. Don't Misunderstand
(5:12)  6. Con Alma
(5:37)  7. Fashion Or Passion
(7:11)  8. Don’t Explain

Often nicknamed "Little Bird," Jimmy Heath began on the alto saxophone acquiring this informal title by dedicating his studies to Charlie Parker and his wee stature. Although not a familiar name to many outside of the devoted jazz community, Heath would go on to pursue a remarkable 76-year career sadly passing away in January, 2020. A fabled musician to many tenor players, Heath presents us with his final testament, a collection of formative ballads. Enhancing the already prolific status that Love Letter features, guest appearances are warmly welcomed that include trumpeter Wynton Marsalis with vocalists Gregory Porter and Cecile McLorin Salvant. The robust rhythm section that accompany Heath are: NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron on piano, Russell Malone on guitar, vibraphone veteran Monte Croft, bassist David Wong and longstanding jazz drummer Lewis Nash.

Whilst serving his four-and-a-half-year internment, Heath would manage the prison big band and also write for them. It was only the day after his discharge in 1959 when he met his lover, Mona Brown, a marriage which would span sixty years. Due to his parole restrictions, Heath was restricted to staying in Philadelphia which precluded him from embarking on an opportunity to succeed John Coltrane in Miles Davis' group. After being prompted by Cannonball Adderley and Philly Joe Jones, he signed with Riverside Records where he served as an arranger and releasing notable tracks such as "Gemini" and "Gingerbread Boy."  The opener, written by Heath more than twenty-five years ago, is named "Ballad from Upper Neighbors Suite" and makes use of brilliant bassist David Wong with an arco introduction. "Left Alone" is written by Mal Waldron and words originally by Billie Holiday, although she never recorded it. Salvant gives an intrinsic display of quality showing true justice to Holliday's lyricism. "Inside Your Heart" demonstrates Heath's idiomatic ability on soprano saxophone while "La Mesha" is proudly driven by Wynton Marsalis in honour of Kenny Dorham who wrote the tune.

"Don't Misunderstand" falls to Gregory Porter with "Con Alma" following, a composition by Dizzy Gillespie who was both a mentor and friend to Heath. The penultimate track on Love Letter is the third tune composed by Heath, "Passion or Fashion." It was originally composed to guide Lyndon B Johnson's civil rights address, "The American Promise." The final track named "Don't Explain" was a suggestion from Barron, Heath allowed it on the album commenting that he only permitted tunes that he knew the lyrics to. Jimmy Heath brings forward his final chapter where we experience melodic artistry. In 2001, Benny Golson said Heath "moved through chords, not scientifically, but melodically. He plays ideas. It's like a conversation, but musical, not linguistic. He has a story to tell, and it's right in tune with those chords" .~ Thomas Fletcher https://www.allaboutjazz.com/love-letter-jimmy-heath-verve-music-group__347

Personnel: Jimmy Heath: saxophone, tenor; Kenny Barron: piano; Russell Malone: guitar, electric; Monte Croft: vibraphone; David Wong: bass; Lewis Nash: drums.

Love Letter