Alex Mendham and His Orchestra - Whistling in the Dark

Styles: Vocal, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:54
Size: 156,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:56) 1. Choo Choo
(2:29) 2. Let's Fly Away
(4:35) 3. Home
(2:40) 4. Red Lips, Kiss My Blues Away
(3:17) 5. Treat Me Like a Baby
(3:23) 6. Tain't No Sin (To Dance Around in Your Bones)
(2:41) 7. Bend Down, Sister
(4:42) 8. Lullaby of the Leaves
(2:44) 9. Roll On, Mississippi, Roll On
(2:53) 10. Keep Your Undershirt On
(2:28) 11. South American Joe
(4:03) 12. Our Big Love Scene
(1:58) 13. Going Hollywood
(2:50) 14. Little Girl
(3:19) 15. I'll Never Have to Dream Again
(2:22) 16. I Heard
(4:14) 17. Weep No More My Baby
(3:37) 18. Love Thy Neighbor
(2:35) 19. Bugle Call Rag
(5:59) 20. Whistling in the Dark

Can a recreation of an original replicate it? The short, quick answer is NO!, especially for popular and improvised music. However, the longer, more thoughtful, answer is YES!, especially this music from the twenties and thirties as performed by leader Alex Mendham and his Orchestra. Whistling In The Dark is that rare creation where everyone involved has taken extraordinary measures, from recording techniques used, to the use of original arrangements to bring to the listener something approaching the feeling of being in a dance hall in 1929 (or so). Yes, there are issues: the performers and the music in some sense cannot be separated from the time. Jazz, hot or not, was in extraordinary ferment in the years of 1920 through 1940. One can hear it change almost month to month, as players were experimenting, listening to each other and gaining experience in improvising, while at the same time entertaining the paying audience. The usual lens through which this music is discovered is CD reissues of 78 rpm, three-minute-per-side recordings, and, to tell the truth, part of the charm is to hear the music through the pops and crackle and the primitive acoustical (and early electrical) recording techniques. There was no post-processing either the performance was accepted or rejected (and to possibly try again). What you hear is what happened then and there, with any chances taken exposed for everyone to hear.

It is in this feeling that Mendham and his Orchestra (NOT a band!) shine. The use of but two microphones in a live space allow each note to come alive with a thrust and forward momentum that carries their energy directly to the soul. Every player obviously loves this music and has gotten inside of it, to the extent that anyone who didn't live through the period can. The pace of the show is wonderful, using mostly lesser-known tunes, each of which has its own charms, as do the interspersed announcements. Two achingly beautiful tunes, "Home," and "Lullaby of the Leaves" are standouts and ought to become better known. There are light-hearted tunes like "'Tain't No Sin (To Dance Around in Your Bones)" as well as hot tunes like the driving opener, "Choo Choo," and "Bugle Call Rag." The arrangements give room for improvising here and there, all of which is quite admirable. Get out from in front of your TV, put on your tuxedo, get into your ballroom gown, place Whistling In The Dark in your player, and fox trot around the floor, smiling all the while.~ Budd Kopman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/whistling-in-the-dark-alex-mendham-and-his-orchestra-rivermont-records-review-by-budd-kopman

Personnel: Alex Mendham (leader, vocals, alto saxophone); Angus Moncrieff (trumpet); Geoff Bartholomew (trumpet); Chris Lowe (trombone); Nick Charles (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet); Simon Marsh (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Orpheus Papafilippou (violin); Matt Redman (banjo, guitar); Tevor Wensley (piano); Marc Easener (tuba, string bass); Nicholas D. Ball (percussion); Mark Phillimore (Announcer).

Whistling in the Dark

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Pierluigi Balducci - Blue From Heaven

Size: 100,5 MB
Time: 42:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz: Modern Jazz, Post Bop
Art: Front

01. Introduction (1:18)
02. The Light Of Seville, Pt. 1 (4:09)
03. Fin De Siecle (4:28)
04. Unrequited (5:37)
05. Life In Three Sketches (5:04)
06. Blue From Heaven (4:27)
07. The Sky Over Skye (4:59)
08. L'equilibrista - To Ernst Reijseger (3:47)
09. Our Spanish Love Song (4:44)
10. The Light Of Seville, Pt. 2 (4:17)

Traveling the world from South Africa to Svalbard, a harsh truth is revealed: despite challenges facing recorded music—and, paradoxically, the sheer volume being released—an increasing number of musicians deserving broader recognition are unable to transcend their native countries. Hiring internationally renowned players might seem a good tactic, but the result too often reflects exactly what it is: unknown musicians playing with ringers. The music may be well-played—as it better be from such musicians of caliber—but does it actually feel like a group, players actually engaged together?

With four previous recordings, and a number of film scores and live European appearances behind him, the answer for Pierluigi Balducci is a resounding yes. An electric bassist clearly informed by Steve Swallow but never sounding like the American four-stringer, Balducci's all-star cast includes Oregon's reed/woodwind multi-instrumentalist Paul McCandless, the vastly influential pianist,John Taylor, and Michele Rabbia, the Italian percussionist whose profile has, most certainly grown through his series of ECM recordings with pianist Stefano Battaglia, including their 2010 duo session Pastorale.

A recording of unrepentant lyricism suggesting, at times, how Oregon might sound, had it originated in a Mediterranean country rather than the American Northwest, seven Balducci originals—one, the breezy 6/8 "The Light of Seville," bookending the record: first, as its de facto opener following the rubato miniature, "Introduction," its gentle melody a variation drawn from "The Light"; and, again, bringing Blue from Heaven full circle with a similarly structured take possessing just a tad added strength—are complemented by two covers that could not be more different yet, in these superb hands, cohere completely with the rest of the set.

Taylor sits it out on pianist Brad Mehldau's "Unrequited"—originating on Art of the Trio, Vol. 3: Songs (Warner Bros., 1998) but reprised, with guitarist Pat Metheny, on Metheny Mehldau (Nonesuch, 2006). Balducci draws upon early days as a classical guitarist, providing chordal accompaniment for McCandless' soaring soprano solo while, during his own affecting turn, demonstrating absolute comfort navigating its changes. The Metheny link continues with bassist Charlie Haden's "Our Spanish Love Song," from the pair's Beyond the Missouri Sky (Verve, 1997), another piano-less trio track.

Despite the name-power of those tracks, it's Balducci's writing that both shines and defines Blue from Heaven. The tango-esque "Fin de Siècle" shifts feel throughout its four-and-a-half-minutes, Taylor's increasingly buoyant support and Balducci's firm quarter-notes relaxing when the group turns to half-time, but only briefly. The bassist delivers a brief but compelling solo combining melodic intent and lithe imagination, while Taylor builds on characteristically dense voicings and dexterous linearity. McCandless, on oboe, reiterates the song's theme before taking the last and longest solo, his vertical intervallic leaps as impressive as his note-perfect thematic accuracy on this most difficult of double-reed instruments.

At just under 44 minutes, Blue from Heaven seems to pass by in an instant, but if there's truth in the adage "leave them hungry for more," Balducci succeeds in spades. He may have done so with musicians possessing considerably greater cachet, but throughout Blue from Heaven, this evocative and provocative bassist/composer is never less than a full-on and absolute equal. ~by John Kelman

Personnel: Paul McCandless: oboe, soprano saxophone; John Taylor: piano; Pierluigi Balducci: electric bass; Michele Rabbia: drums, percussion.

Blue From Heaven

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Frank Sinatra - L.A. Is My Lady

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:01
Size: 84.8 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1984
Art: Front

[3:12] 1. L.A. Is My Lady
[2:47] 2. The Best Of Everything
[3:54] 3. How Do You Keep The Music Playing
[3:45] 4. Teach Me Tonight
[2:41] 5. It's All Right With Me
[4:51] 6. Mack The Knife
[3:04] 7. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
[3:40] 8. Stormy Weather
[2:38] 9. If I Should Lose You
[3:07] 10. A Hundred Years From Today
[3:17] 11. After You've Gone

Frank Sinatra's final studio album of the '80s -- arguably the last true original album Sinatra recorded -- was an uneven but surprisingly enjoyable set that tried to adapt the singer's style to contemporary pop standards. Under the direction of arranger/producer Quincy Jones, the album incorporated more synthesizers and slick production techniques than any previous Sinatra album, but the result usually doesn't sound forced, especially on the hit title song. When the album does fail, it is because Jones' overly ambitious and commercial production -- such as the insistent dance beat of "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" -- prevents the song from taking root. Nevertheless, everyone involved, from Sinatra and Jones to the band themselves, sounds like they're having fun, and that sense of joy effortlessly translates to the listener. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

L.A. Is My Lady

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J.J. Johnson - Live At The Village Vanguard: 2 Albums: Quintergy / Standards

Quintergy

Recorded: 1988

Released: 1991

Size: 157,2 MB

Time: 68:16

File: MP3 @ 320K/s

Styles: Bop,Instrumental Jazz,Trombone

Art: Front + Tray

01. When The Saints Go Marching In [4:57]

02. Blue Bossa [6:30]

03. Doc Was Here [4:29]

04. Bud's Blues [6:00]

05. Quintergy [3:29]

06. Lament [5:50]

07. Why Indianapolis-Why Not Indianapolis? [8:00]

08. It's All Right With Me [2:46]

09. Coppin' The Bop [9:22]

10. Nefertiti [5:00]

11. You've Changed [5:49]

12. Commutation [5:59]

This is Vol.1 of a 2 part series recorded at the Village Vanguard in 1988.

Trombonist J.J. Johnson, 64 at the time of Quintergy, is heard in top form on this Live at the Village Vanguard set. His quintet, which includes Ralph Moore on tenor and soprano, pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Victor Lewis, is perfectly suited to interpret the spirited set of advanced bop. Highlights include Johnson's feature on "You've Changed," "Coppin' the Bop," "Lament" and his unaccompanied playing on "It's All Right with Me." Excellent music. Another Antilles CD, Standards, comes from the same sessions.(~~Scott Yanow)

"His clipped style fit the urgency of the music, and hip trombonists have been appropriating it ever since... like a kid who can't wait to play, Johnson is all over the music. Like the mature technician he is, he controls things with a sense of direction and climax." (~~Down Beat Magazine)

Quintergy: Live At The  Village Vanguard

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Standards

Recorded: 1988

Released: 1991

Size: 152,2 MB

Time: 66:21

File: MP3 @ 320K/s

Art: Full

01. See See Rider [6:17]

02. Shortcake [8:51]

03. Sweet Georgia Gillespie [3:22]

04. My Funny Valentine [6:45]

05. Just Friends [6:59]

06. Misterioso [5:53]

07. You Stepped Out Of A Dream [5:49]

08. Misty [5:21]

09. Autumn Leaves (Les Feuilles Mortes) [9:19]

10. What Is This Thing Called Love [7:41]

The second of two CDs coming from the same engagement at the Village Vanguard the first was Quintergy, this set features trombonist J.J. Johnson's quintet with Ralph Moore on tenor and soprano, pianist Stanley Cowell, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Victor Lewis jamming on nine standards, plus the leader's "Shortcake." Johnson is in top form, particularly on "My Funny Valentine," "Just Friends," "Misterioso" and "Autumn Leaves." A good example of the ageless trombonist's talents. (~~Scott Yanow ,AMG)

This is Vol. 2 of a 2 part series recorded at the Village Vanguard in 1988. I love live performances. They often add an emotional excitement that compliments the spontaneity and extemporaneous of the art form itself. The bad news is that many time recordings of live sessions suffer appreciable loss of sound quality. The recording quality of this session is quite good. Every player in group is heard properly and in good balance. I love Rufus Reid's playing. Thad Jones once said he like a bass player who plays bass notes, not cello notes. I do too and Rufus Reid is a master. One the opener "See See Rider", his playing reminds me of Charlie Mingus. The group treatment of this tune has a sort of Mingus-like feel to it also.I like good swing. I particularly enjoyed the renditions of "Just Friends" and "What is This Thing Called Love". I listened to them over and over. "Just Friends", written by John Klenner in 1931, has become a much loved and recorded song by many fine jazz players. The harmonic changes to this tune are fun to play and good for open blowing. JJ takes full advantage.Ralph Moore has long one of my favorite tenor players. His improvisational skills and strong sense of swing are always a joy to hear and are clearly exemplified on "Friends", "What Is this Thing Called" and the other up tempo standards.The Intro of What is This Thing Called Love uses the ostinato or vamp made famous by Clifford Brown in his well know recording of this tune. Rocking good piano solo here. As always, this solo and all others are well supported by Reid on bass and Lewis on drums. This rhythm section's got a groove that don't move.From the Rogers and Hart Songbook, "Funny Valentine" is outstanding.

After food and shelter, one of my basic needs is for a good blues, "Misterioso" satisfies this need and gratifies me plum up one side and down the other. I particularly like the "feel and style" of Moore on tenor on this tune. Man, he is a fine player. His impeccable articulation and phrasing, along with his "fat sound' knock me out. The rhythm section builds up some heat and intensity behind him and it smokes. JJ Johnson was the most outstanding trombonist and the major influence on other trombonist after the mid 1940s. His early style of playing exhibited the fastest technique imaginable for a slide trombone player. In fact, many people thought he played valve trombone when they first heard him. His later style of playing is uses more "space" and a lot of musical sequences (a melodic idea repeated beginning on different note in the chord changes.) This style is displayed in this recording.He worked and recorded with Charlie Parker, Betty Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Clark Terry, Sonny Stitt, Fats Navarro, Benny Carter and others "Pretty good company" says I. JJ passed away on February 4, 2001, but his wonderful music will be with us forever.

Line-Up:

J.J Johnson - Trombone

Ralph Moore - saxophones

Stanley Cowell - Piano

Rufus Reid - Bass

Victor Lewis - Drums

Standards: Live At The Village Vanguard

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Steve Tyrell - Shades Of Ray: The Songs Of Ray Charles

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:08
Size: 129,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:55) 1. Let The Good Times Roll
(3:21) 2. I Got A Woman
(3:32) 3. Georgia On My Mind
(3:18) 4. Hallelujah, I Love Her So
(4:00) 5. Ruby
(5:07) 6. I Can't Stop Loving You
(3:26) 7. You Don't Know Me
(3:29) 8. What'd I Say
(3:05) 9. Hit The Road Jack (feat. Sharlotte Gibson)
(3:31) 10. Am I Blue
(3:17) 11. Born To Lose
(3:46) 12. Big Bad Love (feat. Nita Whitaker)
(3:58) 13. Cry
(3:49) 14. Bye Bye Love
(3:27) 15. Crying Time
(2:00) 16. Curiosity (feat. Ray Charles)

Steve Tyrell is a larger-than-life 76 year old who has practically done it all in the music business. A former R&B band singer from Houston Texas, who chose his professional name while driving through the town of Tyrell, he moved to New York at 19 and became the A&R/Promo man at Scepter Records where he hustled Burt Bacharach/Hal David songs and produced Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head for BJ Thomas, wrote It’s Only Love for Elvis and How Do You Talk To An Angel, the TV theme for The Heights.

By the nineties he was established in Los Angeles producing music for movies, and his well received guide vocals on the songs he was producing for The Father of the Bride soundtrack (including The Way You Look Tonight) were subsequently used in the film and persuaded him to start singing professionally again. He had huge chart success with 1999’s A New Standard which was cleverly marketed through gift and clothes shops and other non traditional outlets, produced the Rod Stewart Songbook albums (all recorded in ‘girls keys’ for Stewart’s high vocal pitch), is a DJ for KJAZZ in Long Beach and continues to make records and tour. He’s now releasing a record celebrating Ray Charles’ 90th birthday (September 23rd), and what makes it work so well are the astute arrangements by album co-producer Bob Mann. He gives this well-known repertoire a shot in the arm, enabling Tyrell to really deliver these songs he obviously knows inside out, coming over like Dr John meets Delbert McClinton at the Café Carlyle. As Tyrell says, “Ray’s versions of these songs are so timeless that there’s no point in trying to copy him. What I tried to do is take the influence he’s had on me over the years and let that inspire performances straight from my heart.”

It’s all killer no filler: Let The Good Times Roll, Hallelujah I Love Her So, What’d I Say, I Can’t Stop Loving You and eleven more performed by a large group of A listers including saxophonists Andy Snitzer, Blue Lou Marini, Brandon Fields and Ricky Woodard, pianists Joe Sample, Chuck Leavell, Randy Kerber, Jim Cox and Andy Ezrin and guitarists Bob Mann and Grant Geissman. The string arrangements for Am I Blue and Ruby were written by Alan Broadbent (who also played piano) and the charts were recorded in Budapest. In fact, the album credits a number of different studio and home recording situations, and some of these tracks must have been on the back burner for some time as they feature long departed musicians such as trumpeter Lew Soloff who plays a wonderful solo on Georgia on my Mind and drummer John Guerin. Engineer and another co-producer John Allen has done well to mix this album so that everything fits together well.

A surprise addition is the bonus track Curiosity, a duet with Ray Charles written by Tyrell especially for Charles as the theme song to the 1989 TV series Snoops. Says Tyrell, “I played Ray the track in the studio and he just said, ‘Beautiful man, beautiful,’ which was the greatest thing I’d ever heard, especially since this was the first time he’d ever agreed to sing a title song for a TV series, and I wrote it. We had to re-write some of the lyrics to match changes that had been made to the show’s title sequence, so Ray had me sing him each re-written line one at a time so he could sing them back to me. I had a smile on my face for months after that. Can you imagine how thrilling it was to sing my words to Ray Charles and have him sing them back to me?” There are two more duets on the album, each with a superb vocalist, a funky Hit the Road Jack with Sharlotte Gibson and a version of Big Bad Love with Nita Whitaker, a song Tyrell wrote for Ray Charles and Diana Ross. There’s a dedication to participating organist Mike Finnegan, ‘a soulful friend’, in the sleeve notes. Tyrell is big on things soulful, he may not be jazz enough for some, but he’s a big hearted entertainer with a great voice who wants you to enjoy the music above all else.~ Adam Sieff https://londonjazznews.com/2021/09/20/steve-tyrell-shades-of-ray-the-songs-of-ray-charles/

Shades Of Ray: The Songs Of Ray Charles

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