Melvin Sparks - I'm Funky Now

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:31
Size: 80,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:34) 1. I'm Funky Now
(4:25) 2. Disco Booty
(5:02) 3. Make It Good
(3:33) 4. Love Tones
(7:09) 5. The Truth Hurts
(3:47) 6. You're Gonna Make It
(5:57) 7. I'm Gonna Funk You Up

Melvin Sparks (1946–2011) was a talented American Soul Jazz, Hard Bop, Blues and Funk guitarist. The Texas native picked up a guitar at age 11 and was only 13 when he sat in with B.B. King. As a high school student he first joined Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, and then the Upsetters (a touring band formed by Little Richard, which also backed Curtis Mayfield, Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye). Sparks and his guitar were very much in demand during the 60ies-70ies and he was featured on sessions by Idris Muhammad, Lonnie Smith, Charles Earland, Ceasar Frazier, Bernard Purdie…and many others.

During his career Mr. Sparks recorded multiple albums for renowned labels such as Prestige, Muse & Savant and worked as a session musician for Blue Note Records. Melvin Sparks’ songs were sampled countless times by DJ’s and Hip-Hop outfits (including Grandmaster Flash) over the decades.In 1973 Sparks moved into funkier directions and joined the Westbound/Eastbound family where he recorded some of his all-time classics (‘Texas Twister’ & ‘75’). A third record with Westbound was planned for 1976 (called I’m Funky Now) but was never released (although a sequenced production master & and a limited number of acetates were produced) because of the major changes that took place in the music industry at that particular time…clubs were suddenly going for DJ’s instead of bands and the much loved (but less obvious) genre/scene that Melvin Sparks was part of suddenly fell out of grace.

For the I’m Funky Now album Melvin Sparks recorded seven new tracks in Detroit with some of the finest session musicians. Very little is known about the band that backed up Sparks on these recordings, but it’s thought that some of the musicians were from the Funkadelic and Parliament family. The producing credit on this album goes to Westbound/Eastbound veteran Bernie Mendelson, known for his work with Houston Person, Donald Austin and Albert Washington. Over the seven tracks, Melvin Sparks and his band flit seamlessly between soul-jazz, proto-boogie, disco and funk. There are some über-funky dancefloor tracks on this album which would have been destined to become DJ favorites. I’m Funky Now pays lip service to the then-current success of disco-music but doesn’t pander…what you get here is a heavily funky and orchestrated version of his trademark style, with some sweet JB styled basslines and beautiful mellow moments thrown in the mix. Tight rhythm sections, dueling horns, dreamy smooth jazz…Melvin Sparks truly unleashes a genre-melting musical masterclass here. A CD version was produced in 2017 and now after a 45-year wait, Tidal Waves Music is proud to be releasing it for the very FIRST TIME on vinyl.https://lightintheattic.net/releases/6973-i-m-funky-now

I'm Funky Now

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Supersax - Supersax Plays Bird

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:54
Size: 85,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:23) 1. Ko Ko
(3:20) 2. Just Friends
(3:31) 3. Parker's Mood
(4:11) 4. Moose The Mooche
(3:36) 5. Star Eyes
(3:43) 6. Be-Bop
(3:05) 7. Repetition
(4:23) 8. A Night In Tunisia
(2:55) 9. Oh, Lady Be Good!
(4:44) 10. Hot House

Supersax's debut recording is still their best. The unusual group, who plays Charlie Parker solos harmonized for a five-piece saxophone section but with no individual sax solos (at least not on record; live they always did stretch out), found their own niche. With Conte Candoli as the trumpet soloist and a rhythm section comprised of pianist Ronnell Bright, bassist Buddy Clark (who along with altoist Med Flory was the original co-leader), and drummer Jake Hanna, on this recording they brought back quite a few of Bird's classic solos, including "Just Friends," "Parker's Mood," "Lady Be Good," "Hot House," and most notably the rapid "Ko-Ko."

Personnel: Alto Saxophone – Joe Lopes , Med Flory; Baritone Saxophone – Jack Nimitz; Bass – Buddy Clark; Drums – Jake Hanna; Piano – Ronnell Bright; Saxophone – Jay Migliori, Warne Marsh; Trombone – Charley Loper, Ernie Tack, Mike Barone; Trumpet – Conti Candoli, Larry McGuire, Ralph Osborn, Ray Triscari

Supersax Plays Bird

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Danish Radio Big Band, The - Charlie Watts Meets The Danish Radio Big Band

Size: 119,9 MB
Time: 51:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Rock
Art: Front

01. Elvin Suite Pt. 1 (9:16)
02. Elvin Suite Pt. 2 (5:53)
03. (Satis) Faction (6:10)
04. I Should Care (8:00)
05. You Can't Always Get What You Want (7:10)
06. Paint It Black (7:43)
07. Molasses (7:36)

A film director once said that you can't make a great film with a weak script. The same goes for bands of any kind be it jazz or rock or any kind. You can't have a great band without a great drummer. A band can get by with an average bassist or guitarist, but not with an average drummer. It's the heartbeat of any band. One of the things that has made the band Rolling Stones what they are is drummer Charlie Watts and his exceptional and unusual drumming skills. For more than 50 years, Watts has been the propulsive engine that has driven this juggernaut. Few other drummers were as integral to the development of rock and roll music by creating rollicking grooves that were executed with an unhurried elan. Watts is a player you can listen to for his sound alone as he balances the smooth and the jagged with great ease. Contemporary musicians don't come much more graceful in sound or execution than that.

Apart from his long stint as the drummer of one of the most successful and certainly the longest running rock and roll band in the world, it's not a secret Watts's true love has always been jazz and that he has always had a deep appreciation and admiration for this music which hasn't been that much exploited by the press. During the '50s and '60s, Watts fell in love with jazz music through 78 rpm vinyls and the music of musicians like saxophonists Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Gerry Mulligan, trumpeter Miles Davis, to name but a few as well as the drummers they employed. Since then, he has been a passionate jazz aficionado whose knowledge about this music sits between the reverential and encyclopedic. During his sojourn with a marketing agency, he even penned an illustrated book about Charlie Parker as a tribute to him and has been collecting old drum sets used by drumming legends. During the day he would work at the agency and during the night he would play local gigs. And as many of his generation, he has learnt his trade both by listening to record and by observing jazz drummers in the London's London's jazz circles.

As a result, his drumming style has always been unorthodox and original. When he joined the Rolling Stones he used his jazz chops in order to invent his style of playing rock and blues rock that the Stones became known for and is the reason why he is so revered these days. When the Stones played in New York for the first time during their first American tour, he went to Birdland to see performances by his bassist Charles Mingus and saxophonist Sonny Rollins, and the latter would play years later with the Stones on a song named "Waiting on a Friend."

So it wasn't until the '80s and the '90s that Watts began fronting his own jazz bands whenever the demanding tours and work with the Stones would let him. Since then he has formed a number of jazz, boogie-woogie and big band outfits, including Rocket 88, the Charlie Watts Quintet and the Charlie Watts Tentet. Probably that is best portrayed in the thriller movie "Blue Ice" with actor Michael Caine playing a jazz club owner and Watts' band was the house jazz combo that brilliantly rocked the house. Charlie Watts meets the Danish Radio Big Band was instigated in 2009 by English trumpeter Gerard Presencer, who is also a member of the band. The Band had four days of rehearsals and then had a performance at the then newly opened Danish Radio Concert Hall in Copenhagen. All but two of the pieces here are rewrites of earlier, previously recorded selections either with the Rolling Stones or a selection of suits from his duet record with another drumming legend Jim Keltner. But to make a big band work has really very little to do with "star power" and has really everything to do with hard work. If it is played too conservative then everything will sound predictable and everyone will get bored. For a start, this record doesn't break any new ground. The emphasis is more on moods, harmonies and at moments the arrangements do nod at Gil Evans' or Mingus' styled approaches.

The date opens with two parts of "Elvin Suites" which as an original tune from the project with Kelter is a single composition. The original is an African styled piece with African harmonic voices meshed with piano flashes and cymbals. All of that is beautifully arranged here with dry hissing of Watts' brushes that drives the first part. It is indeed difficult to discern between what's arranged and what is spontaneous. The band's rapport is impressive and everything it plays sounds right. The second part emphasizes the drums and there are polyrhythmic runs that drive this piece with saxophonist Uffe Markussen taking the lead and soon the band steps on the gas and ups the game loud.

The Rolling Stones classics are beautifully rearranged and reharmonized. Nothing in these arrangements would hint at the original songs but a solo instrument would take a lead and directly reference the original melody. Even though named as "Faction" as soon as one hears the melody on the flugelhorn it becomes clear that this is "Satisfaction." Watt's subtle and non-flashy rhythm playing is utterly flawless and galvanizes the band. The same goes for the other two Stones classics "You Can't Always Get What You Want" and "Paint it Black." By no means is this a tribute of faithful recreations of these songs. The arranger shows a daring flair for reimagining these songs. Each of them is rethought and remodeled in order to come out with a vibrant new music. With its imaginative blend of melodies and grooves and colorful textures and timbres, these songs are a launchpad for the big band and its soloists to shine.

"I Should Care" is one of the hidden gems in this collection. There is a certain easiness and flow in this composition, but no blandness at all. The various soloists are stimulating and attentive conversationalists, always listening and often picking up on each other's quips. The album closes on a high note with a beautiful stomp "Molasses." Everything here is filled with movement. It's rich and sticky in rhythm and harmony and is exciting and boiling with energy.

This project feels good in the body and soul. The collaborative energy of this band is exhilarating and a joy to listen. More of this, please. ~by Nenad Georgievski

Personnel: Charlie Watts: drums; Per Gade: guitar,Anders Gustafsson: trumpet; Vincent Nilsson: trombone; David Green: acoustic bass; Peter Jensen: trombone; Steen Rasmussen: fender rhodes, piano; Uffe Markussen: tenor sax; Gerard Presencer: flugelhorn; Lars Møller: tenor sax; Steen Nikolaj Hansen: trombone; Nicolai Schultz: flute

Charlie Watts Meets The Danish Radio Big Band

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Paul Desmond - Play Me Again

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 136:59
Size: 314,7 MB
Art: Front

( 5:49) 1. All the Things You Are
(11:44) 2. Balcony Rock
( 9:00) 3. Blues In Time
( 9:37) 4. Body and Soul
( 3:37) 5. Desmond Blue
( 2:37) 6. Down In Honky Tonk Town
( 5:47) 7. Fall Out
( 5:30) 8. For All We Know
( 9:02) 9. How High the Moon
( 3:06) 10. How Long Baby, How Long (Part 1)
( 6:25) 11. You Go To My Head
( 6:29) 12. These Foolish Things
( 7:43) 13. The Way You Look Tonight
( 2:50) 14. The Man I Love
( 6:22) 15. Stardust
( 7:50) 16. Perdido
( 2:49) 17. How Long Baby, How Long (Part 2)
( 2:51) 18. I May Be Wrong
( 3:48) 19. I Should Care
( 4:29) 20. I've Got You Under My Skin
( 4:06) 21. Late Lament
( 3:07) 22. Line For Lyons
( 3:49) 23. My Funny Valentine
( 3:24) 24. My Heart Stood Still
( 4:59) 25. Over the Rainbow

Paul Desmond is widely recognized for his genius as a melodic improviser and as the benchmark of cool jazz sax players. His warm, elegant tone was one that he admittedly tried to make sound like a dry martini. He and Art Pepper were virtually the only alto players of their generation not directly influenced by Charlie Parker. Desmond was influenced by Lester Young, but took it further, into melodic and harmonic worlds never before traveled by reedmen especially in the upper registers. Desmond is best known for his years with the Dave Brubeck Quartet (1959-1967) and his well-known composition "Take Five." He met Brubeck in the late '40s and played with his Octet. The Quartet formed toward the end of 1950 and took final shape with Eugene Wright and Joe Morello a few years later. Jazz at Oberlin and Take Five were considered essential purchases by college students of the era, but Jazz Impressions of Japan was its most innovative recording. Desmond played his loping, slow, ordered, and intricate solos in direct contrast to the pianist's obsession with large chords, creating a myriad of textures for melodic and rhythmic counterpoint unlike any heard in jazz. His witty quotations from musicals, classical pieces, and folk songs were also a watermark of his artistry. When the Quartet split in 1967, Desmond began an intermittent yet satisfying recording career. It included dates with Gerry Mulligan for Verve, various sessions with Jim Hall, and a concert with the the Modern Jazz Quartet. He played his last gigs with the Brubeck Quartet at reunions before dying of lung cancer. Desmond's recordings for RCA have gotten box-set treatment and Mosaic issued one of the complete sessions with Hall. There are also reissues from A&M and CTI, though recordings on Artist House and Finesse remain regrettably out of print.~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-desmond-mn0000069348/biography

Play Me Again

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