Tuesday, July 6, 2021

Rebecca Kilgore, Andy Brown - Together - Live

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:56
Size: 112,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:20) 1. The Touch of Your Lips (Live)
(3:33) 2. Better Than Anything (Live)
(4:26) 3. Can't Get out of This Mood (Live)
(4:00) 4. Nobody Else but Me (Live)
(4:31) 5. A Woman's Intuition (Live)
(3:20) 6. Rock Me to Sleep (Live)
(5:20) 7. The Gentle Rain (Live)
(3:27) 8. Give Me the Simple Life (Live)
(4:33) 9. Where Can I Go Without You (Live)
(3:43) 10. Destination Moon (Live)
(3:34) 11. Any Old Time (Live)
(4:03) 12. You Are There (Live)

Sometimes I hear music so touching that it leaves me rarely at a loss for words nearly speechless. The new duo CD by two of my heroes, Rebecca Kilgore and guitarist Andy Brown, did and does just that. It was recorded in performance fourteen months ago for Heavywood Records, and it is memorably intimate. But before I get my verbalizing together, perhaps you should hear what I hear, at least two delicious offerings. Listen to this (a song new to me, music by Victor Young, lyrics by Peggy Lee): or this, music by David “Buck” Wheat, lyrics by Bill Loughborough: Those performances should answer the question of why this disc is remarkable, but perhaps some words might be appropriate, like extra dressing on the already delicious salad. I think, first, that “TOGETHER” and “LIVE” are beautifully candid descriptions of what you will hear.

Rebecca and Andy have a wonderful unity, even though their respective individualities shine through it is as if they are wondrous listeners, the most sensitive and knowing musical conversationalists, who are both expert and eager to make something larger than their solitary selves spring into being. What results is warm, personal, and full of small sweet surprises. The fact that this lovely music came out of a live performance is both understandable and a triumph. Jazz clubs are full of people who, even if they are not dropping cutlery (something I have been guilty of in capital letters) are busy shifting in their chairs, inhaling and exhaling so many live recordings sound as if one is listening through a haze of low-level background noise, like looking at the beautiful landscape through eyeglasses that need a good cleaning.

Not here: the sound is warm but not clinical. And both Rebecca and Andy are professionals who create memorable music under the least happy circumstances the chilly isolation and pressure of the recording studio, and in Rebecca’s case, sometimes the “vocal booth,” which has all the physical ease of a coffin they sound happy and free here, making spacious music. There you have it. Two rewarding artists, a delightfully unhackneyed repertoire, a lovely intimacy. My only objection to this otherwise flawless CD is that I think the title needed an exclamation point. But no one asked me. You can read a little more about it in the liner note, but I urge you to go right into the deep end of the pool and (whisper it) make a purchase. It will reward your ears and heart. The music can be downloaded through Amazon, Apple, Spotify, and I think other sources. https://jazzlives.wordpress.com/2020/05/02/together-%E2%80%A2-live-rebecca-kilgore-andy-brown/

Together - Live

Alexa Tarantino - Clarity

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:26
Size: 107,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:13) 1. Through
(4:06) 2. A Race Against Yourself
(4:42) 3. La Puerta
(5:14) 4. A Unified Front
(4:58) 5. Gregory Is Here
(6:06) 6. Karma
(4:44) 7. Breaking Cycles
(5:00) 8. Thank You For Your Silence
(6:20) 9. My Ship

Alto saxophonist Alexa Tarantino is an indefatigable spirit, plain and simple. In the past two years alone she's worked with everybody from trumpeter Wynton Marsalis to vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant, held down the lead alto chair in The DIVA Jazz Orchestra, co-led the fiery LSAT quintet with baritone saxophonist Lauren Sevian, directed her self-founded Rockport Jazz Workshop, and appeared on more than a half dozen albums, including three collective-minded gatherings on the Posi-Tone imprint and her own debut for the label. Even homebound, in the age of COVID-19, she remains one of the busiest musicians on the scene. In the short span between late March and June of 2020 she launched a themed online concert series with pianist Steven Feifke, a Zoom chat called 'The Well-Rounded Musician" through Jazz at Lincoln Center, the musically-minded Alexa Abroad travel blog, and an online summer camp also in partnership with Feifke called A Step Ahead Jazz.

The aforementioned list is just a partial breakdown of what Tarantino's been up to, so to say she's busy and call her a rising star is a gross understatement. But to what does she owe all of that success and demand? Strong musical skills? Absolutely. A positive attitude toward work and personal improvement? Without a doubt. But it's more than that. If you boil it down to one word, it's clarity. There's clear understanding and meaning behind every artistic endeavor she creates and every job she takes on, and that most certainly includes the mantle of leadership. On Winds of Change (Posi-Tone, 2019) Tarantino demonstrated that by serving up a cross-section of material from different stages of her development, and with this follow-up date she changes gears by focusing on the now. Her originals, which account for about half of the playlist, were all penned within the year prior to this album's release, and the program in its entirety speaks to her strengths as a front figure, collaborator, composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist.

Leading a well-built quartet that includes Feifke, bassist Joe Martin and drummer Rudy Royston, Tarantino toggles between instruments and moods like nobody's business. The album opens on "Through," a modal vehicle for her flute. Presenting with both cool traces and hard edges, it proves to be an alluring entrance to the set. "A Race Against Yourself," Tarantino's nod to her own internal drive and the difficulties inherent in keeping pace, follows. Providing the expected burn and a marked contrast to the opener, it also offers strong statements from the leader, Feifke and a rumbling Royston. Her two additional originals, spaced out across the album, further the picture of a musician who's both a team player and confident leader. "A Unified Front," which sourced the melody line of its first four bars by having each person in a group of friends provide one note apiece, rides an appealingly swinging line, and "Thank You For Your Silence," a groove-morphing vehicle that serves as a statement of self-trust, charms with its surprises.

The remaining material points to a variety of inspirations and ideals. Luis Demetrio's "La Puerta," a mellow and melodious vehicle which came to Tarantino through her work with Arturo O'Farrill's Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, is capped by a gorgeous alto cadenza. Horace Silver's "Gregory is Here," from In Pursuit of the 27th Man (Blue Note, 1973), finds a light Fender Rhodes glaze supporting a seductive soprano. Feifke's "Karma," with pivoting rhythmic posts guiding (or matching) the melody's direction, and saxophonist Levi Saelua's "Breaking Cycles," drawing from a bright harmonic palette, were both commissioned by Tarantino. And Kurt Weill's "My Ship," a balladic sendoff for the leader's alto flute, floats the album across its finish line. There's a good chance that Tarantino will have moved on to 10 other ideas or projects by the time these words are published, but that likelihood doesn't lessen the impact surrounding what she's accomplished here. Channeling personal resolve, passion and determination into a single statement, Alexa Tarantino provides a direct look at what clarity is all about.~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/clarity-alexa-tarantino-posi-tone-records

Personnel: Alexa Tarantino: saxophone, alto; Steven Feifke: piano; Joe Martin: bass; Rudy Royston: drums.

Clarity

Bill Ramsey - Ballads, Streets & Blues

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:57
Size: 148,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:32) 1. Skylark
(5:32) 2. Tobacco Road
(3:32) 3. Moanin'
(4:03) 4. Old Roads
(3:52) 5. Wade in the Water
(5:38) 6. Understand
(2:52) 7. Route 66
(5:53) 8. All Blues
(4:21) 9. Wht You Don't Know Won't Hurt You
(4:18) 10. Windmills of My Mind
(5:24) 11. Doch of the Bay
(3:34) 12. Some Mornin's
(5:49) 13. There's a Lull in My Life
(3:30) 14. True Blue

Though born in the United States, vocalist/pianist Bill Ramsey became one of the most popular jazz and pop vocalists in Germany during the '50s and '60s. Born in Cincinnati, OH, on April 17, 1931, Ramsey first became interested in music via his amateur pianist father, who introduced him to such artists as Meade "Lux" Lewis and Albert Ammons. Consequently, inspired by those artists, as well as his hometown's eclectic music scene -- centered around the R&B, soul, and jazz coming out of Cincinnati-based King Records the young Ramsey taught himself how to play boogie-woogie piano by ear and began absorbing the sounds of such legendary blues and jazz artists as Big Bill Broonzy, Louis Jordan, Fats Waller, and Joe Williams.

Although he entered Yale University to study sociology, after the Korean War broke out he joined the Air Force and was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany. Ramsey's musical abilities soon came in handy as he acquired the position of "chief producer" for the American Forces Network in Frankfurt. Fortuitously, his program director at the station was Johnny Vrotsos, who himself was famed producer Norm Granz's connection in Germany. Subsequently, jobs recording any and every jazz artist that traveled through Frankfurt fell to Ramsey.

Eventually, Vrotsos caught on that his assistant was more than a good producer and began helping Ramsey book gigs singing and playing piano often at jazz festivals around Germany. These performances were wildly successful and Ramsey was even voted the number one jazz singer in Germany in a poll in a German jazz magazine.

After leaving the Air Force, Ramsey spent much of the mid-'50s studying music off and on at Frankfurt University, performing jazz throughout Europe and even appearing in some films. Such was his growing popularity in Germany that around 1957 he was approached by German producer Heinz Giezt to record some more pop and novelty-oriented material. The move paid off and a list of hit recordings followed, including a German version of "Purple People Eater," which became somewhat of a trademark song for Ramsey. Since the '60s, Ramsey has remained a popular performer and radio personality in Germany.~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bill-ramsey-mn0000492719/biography

Personnel: Vocals Bill Ramsey; Bass Hervé Jeanne; Drums Ralf Jackowski; Piano Achim Kück; Saxophone Peter Weniger

Ballads, Streets & Blues

The Syd Lawrence Orchestra - Serenade In Blue

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:52
Size: 153,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:34)  1. Perfidia
(4:00)  2. Moonlight Serenade
(2:50)  3. Pennysylvania-6500
(3:13)  4. Adios
(3:42)  5. Stardust
(2:52)  6. Elmer's Tune
(2:40)  7. Caribbean Clipper
(4:26)  8. Tuxedo Junction
(4:14)  9. I've Got A Gal In Kalamazoo
(3:39) 10. American Patrol
(3:42) 11. Frenesi
(3:19) 12. String Of Pearls
(4:50) 13. Serenade In Blue
(3:02) 14. Little Brown Jug
(3:43) 15. Chattanooga Choo Choo
(3:34) 16. In The Mood
(4:25) 17. At Last
(3:59) 18. St. Louis Blues

Founded in 1967 by trumpeter and arranger Syd Lawrence, The fabulous SYD LAWRENCE ORCHESTRA has been thrilling audiences in Concert Halls, Theatres, TV Shows and Music Festivals all over Great Britain and Continental Europe for over 40 years. Renowned for it’s exciting blend of high octane Big Band Swing and Classic Dance Music, the Orchestra’s repertoire ranges from the wartime million sellers of the legendary Glenn Miller through the era of the great Count Basie Orchestra to the hit songs of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald. Count Basie himself described the Syd Lawrence Orchestra as “So good it should be BANNED!” and it has recently been voted “Best Big Band in the Land” for the eighth consecutive year. The Orchestra, directed since Syd’s retirement in 1996 by Chris Dean, has a repertoire of  over 1,200 classic Big Band titles including Glenn Miller´s “Moonlight Serenade” and “In the Mood”, Tommy Dorsey´s “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You” and “Opus One”, Benny Goodman´s “Sing, Sing, Sing”, Artie Shaw´s “Begin The Beguine”, Woody Herman’s “Blues on Parade”, Ray Anthony’s “Mr Anthony’s Boogie” , Duke Ellington’s “Satin Doll”, Bert Ambrose’s “Night Ride”, Count Basie´s “April in Paris” and “Splanky”, Charlie Barnet´s “Skyliner”, Stan Kenton´s “Peanut Vendor”, the “Trumpet Blues” of Harry James, “I’ve Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” of Les Brown, the hits of Billy May and Ted Heath’s “Hot Toddy”.

Hits from the Great American Songbooks of George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Harold Arlen, Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Berlin and singers Frank Sinatra, Nat ‘King’ Cole, Sammy Davis Jr, Bing Crosby, Tony Bennett, Matt Monro, Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Barbara Streisand etc are also featured in the programme.Chris Dean believes in leading the Orchestra with pace and good humour, performing the classics of the swing era in a way that entertains the audience. “The music is what people want to hear” says Chris, “information they can get in books, they come to a concert to be entertained, not to hear a lecture”. Chris’s aim has been to increase the number of young musicians playing Big Band Swing. Recent changes in personnel of the Orchestra have proved the worth of this ambition. The “new blood” of some of today’s finest young jazz musicians has brought a new fire and drive to the Orchestra’s performances which has been reflected in rave reviews and numerous Sold Out concerts.In Concert in addition to roaring Big Band numbers and Suites and Overtures no longer performed by any other orchestra, there are vocals from Bandleader Chris Dean and from Star guest vocalists. Also featured within the show is the wonderful close harmony singing of The Serenaders recreating the sound of vocal groups such as The Modernaires, The Pied Pipers and The Sentimentalists. A further attraction is the “Band within a Band” showcasing the jazz talents of soloists within the orchestra and adding yet another dimension to the performances. All concerts have to have a “big finish” and the Syd Lawrence Orchestra is no exception invariably finishing in traditional big band style with a spectacular Solo from star Drummer Dave Tandy.When playing for Dances the orchestra’s huge repertoire really comes into it’s own. The music of the Big Bands was originally written as dance music and its life and soul stems from its origin in dance. The Syd Lawrence Orchestra playing for dancing revives the romance, style and poetry of a bygone era, returning these beautifully constructed tunes to their original purpose. All these elements combine to make the Syd Lawrence Orchestra the most enduringly popular Big Band in Britain today. http://www.syd-lawrence-orchestra.com/index.php/about-us

Serenade In Blue

Diana Panton - Yesterday Perhaps

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:17
Size: 134,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. That Old Feeling
(5:05)  2. Dindi
(3:21)  3. Plus Je T'embrasse
(5:23)  4. I'm A Fool To Want You
(4:37)  5. Isn't This A Lovely Day?
(4:04)  6. Summer Me, Winter Me
(4:18)  7. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(2:48)  8. Les Feuilles Mortes
(4:11)  9. This Is Always
(3:37) 10. You Hit The Spot
(3:42) 11. I Get Along Without You
(4:52) 12. For All We Know
(3:08) 13. Stars Fell On Alabama
(2:27) 14. You'd Better Go Now
(3:21) 15. In The Wee Small Hours

2005 was a great year for “…yesterday perhaps”! The album was named one of the TOP 10 releases of the year by Len Dobbin (Montreal Mirror), Tim Perlich (Toronto’s NOW Magazine) and Dan Sich (!earshot). It was a highlight in year-end reviews by Ric Taylor (VIEW Magazine) and Leonard Turnevicius (Hamilton Spectator). Diana was nominated for four Hamilton Music Scene Awards and won for “Best Jazz Recording” and the People’s Choice Award for “Best Live Performance” (thanks to all who voted). In 2011, ...yesterday perhaps was awarded a Silver Disc Award by Jazz Critique Magazine upon its release in Japan.

Canadian jazz vocalist Diana Panton has already released three albums in Japan. She is not an overdramatic singer. The charm of her singing style can be found in its unique soft expressiveness. Her music can soothe you even when listening in a casual way. This comforting quality found in her singing is one of the causes of her popularity. I'm happy that her previously unavailable debut album has finally been released in Japan, and above all, I am very satisfied with the quality of the album. Reg Schwager's guitar is very beautiful and Diana has a great chemistry with Don Thompson's piano too. The album gives warmth to a cold winter's night. ~ Hijiri Kanno, Jazz Life  http://www.dianapanton.com/releases-yesterday.html

Personnel:  Diana Panton - vocal;  Reg Schwager - guitar;  Don Thompson - bass, piano, vibes

Yesterday Perhaps