Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas Sound Prints - Other Worlds

Styles: Saxophone And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:58
Size: 161,9 MB
Art: Front

(9:59) 1. Space Exploration
(1:04) 2. Shooting Stars
(7:34) 3. Life On Earth
(5:59) 4. Manitou
(7:45) 5. Antiquity to Outer Space
(8:32) 6. The Flight
(5:42) 7. The Transcendentalists
(7:32) 8. Sky Miles
(8:23) 9. Pythagoras
(7:25) 10. Midnight March

Soundprints is a quintet that saxophonist Joe Lovano and trumpeter Dave Douglas assembled to carry on the spirit and philosophy of Wayne Shorter's music. Both of the band's previous albums featured compositions by Shorter himself but this is their first effort to contain only new material written by either Lovano or Douglas.

As the album and track titles suggest, there is an underlying theme of space exploration here which reflects Shorter's long-time love of science fiction. Pieces like "Space Exploration" and "Antiquity to Outer Space" begin with the trumpet and saxophone gracefully shooting upwards like a rocket soaring into space, as the rhythm section faintly tumbles around them. On "Exploration," that leads to Lovano and Douglas playing strings of long notes separately and together, supported by the busy pattering of Linda May Han Oh's bass and Joey Baron's drums. On "Antiquity" the horns soar in unison and slowly gain speed before they give way to an eloquent rolling solo by pianist Lawrence Fields.

These five musicians play with a unity which really shows on quieter pieces such as the swaying waltz "Manitou" and the serene "The Transcendentalists." where everything flows together led by Douglas' muted trumpet and Lovano's rapturous tenor lines. The entire album sparkles with inspired work from all the players. Baron's jogging beat and Field's bright, searching piano stand out amidst the backdrop of "Life On Earth" while Oh keeps the beat tight and drops in a monster bass solo. The rhythm section maps out a freely pulsing beat on "Sky Miles" which suggests Wayne Shorter's time in the 60's Miles Davis quintet. "The Flight" has Lovano and Douglas jostling each other over a melody with sharp, funky corners while, on "Pythagoras," the horns play with a hip swagger as they spiral and swoop over the push-pull rhythm.

Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas are both involved in a lot of varied projects but this band feels like the simplest and most freewheeling either does right now. The music can sound a bit complex on the surface but it has energy and a contagious spirit of fun. At heart, these are five excellent musicians creating music which combines familiar elements and exploratory freedom. This release shows that Soundprints has become a very formidable unit. By Jerome Wilson
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/other-worlds-joe-lovano-and-dave-douglas-soundprints-greenleaf-music

Personnel: Joe Lovano: saxophone; Dave Douglas: trumpet; Linda May Han Oh: bass; Lawrence Fields: piano; Joey Baron: drums.

Other Worlds

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Lee Konitz - You and Lee

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:37
Size: 77,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:50)  1. Ev'rything I've Got (Belongs to You)
(4:22)  2. You Don't Know What Love Is
(4:14)  3. You're Driving Me Crazy
(4:03)  4. I Didn't Know About You
(4:10)  5. You're Clear Out of This World
(3:42)  6. The More I See You
(4:10)  7. You Are Too Beautiful
(4:02)  8. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You

One of the lesser-known Lee Konitz albums, this LP (which has not been reissued yet on CD) features the altoist joined by six brass and a rhythm section for eight Jimmy Giuffre arrangements. The shouting brass contrasts well with Konitz's cool-toned solos and together they perform eight underplayed standards. Guitarist Jim Hall and pianist Bill Evans (who are on four songs apiece) are major assets behind Konitz on this pleasing set. ~ Scott Yanow

Personnel:   Lee Konitz – alto saxophone; Marky Markowitz – trumpet; Ernie Royal – trumpet;  Phil Sunkel – trumpet;  Eddie Bert – trombone; Billy Byers – trombone; Bob Brookmeyer – valve trombone;  Bill Evans – piano;  Jim Hall – guitar;  Sonny Dallas – bass;  Roy Haynes – drums

You and Lee

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Eddie Harris - Cool Sax, Warm Heart

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 33:10

Size: 76.0 MB

Styles: Jazz-funk

Year: 1964/2002

Art: Front

[2:55] 1. Chicago Serenade

[3:51] 2. Since I Fell For You

[3:00] 3. Stum Stang

[2:20] 4. Django's Castle

[4:20] 5. More Soul, Than Soulful

[2:44] 6. Everthing Happens To Me

[4:23] 7. But Not For Me

[6:59] 8. Brother Ed

[2:33] 9. Hip Hoppin'

Eddie Harris – tenor saxophone; Wynton Kelly – piano (tracks 1, 2, 6 & 7); Warren Stephens – guitar; Melvin Jackson – bass; Bucky Taylor – drums; The Malcom Dodds Singers – vocals.

A really fantastic album that's one of Eddie Harris' most unique albums of the 60s! The record features Eddie blowing in that lean and soulful mode that he used on his best Vee Jay albums – a bit exotic, but never meandering, with impeccable placement in all his solos, and a tone that's probably one of the most revolutionary he ever used. Some tracks have a backing chorus of female voices, singing in a floating mode that's hip and easy – and others are straighter jazz tunes, with a nice little groove.

Cool Sax, Warm Heart  

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Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen - Movies & Stories Like This

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:02
Size: 90,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:25) 1. They Don't Make Movies
(5:00) 2. Look to the Stars
(4:05) 3. Carry Around
(4:38) 4. Miscue
(3:43) 5. We Won't Recall
(4:08) 6. Fashion
(3:45) 7. It's Not Spring
(5:03) 8. Funny How Love
(5:11) 9. Undeceivable

On «Movies & Stories like this» jazz singer and songwriter Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen and pianist Anders Aarum present nine original songs about intangible love. The inspiration from Piaf, Brell and Weill is expressed through the atmosphere of the songs, which range from bolero, tango and French waltz to jazz ballads.

Hilde Louise's lyrics spinn around both the minor and the major love affairs. From everyday relationships, the ones that don’t reach the silver screen, but nevertheless come with great drama, to the big love stories, where everything falls to pieces.

Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen has released 11 albums since 2004, and continues to be an important part of the Norwegian jazz scene. Her latest album «Red Lips, Knuckles and Bones» was released on Ozella Music (DE) to great reviews, and was presented at Jazzahead in 2019. She has also nurtured an extensive career in cabaret and musicals on the side. Her latest show and book, «Stardust», is a tribute to female superstars from century past. Stardust got top reviews, is still touring Norway, and will play at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2023.

Anders Aarum is a graduate of the Conservatory of Music in Agder, the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Gothenburg Academy of Music and the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. He has released 5 albums with his own compositions, the two last ones on Ozella Music, and worked as a pianist, producer and arranger to a number of prominent jazz names like Knut Riisnæs, Ola Kvernberg, Sonny Simmons, Nora Brockstedt, Sigurd Køhn, Julie Dahle Aagård, Randi Tytingvåg. In addition to his own trio, he regularly plays with Knut Riisnæs Quartet and Oslo Jazz Ensemble, and has been Asbjørnsen's pianist, arranger and producer since 2005.

Hilde Louise on Movies & Stories Like This: I have thought a lot about how love governs our lives. It can lie dormant for periods, but then, suddenly, it jumps up like a panther and takes control of everything. It comes in all shapes, and causes the deepest longing, endless sorrow and divine happiness, makes us hate, lie, steal and turns the most introverted dry stick into a generous and empathic lover. Love never ceases to amaze me. This is not a tribute to beauty love, but a celebration of its mysteries https://www.galileomusic.de/artikel/26003/Asbj%C3%B8rnsen_Hilde_Louise_Movies_and_Stories_Like_This

Movies & Stories Like This

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Susan Alcorn, Leila Bordreuil, Ingrid Laubrock - Bird Meets Wire

Styles: Free Improvisation,Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:18
Size: 125,0 MB
Art: Front

(11:29) 1. Area 41
( 5:23) 2. Bird Meets Wire
( 8:23) 3. Is Is Not
(11:32) 4. Topology of Time
( 5:43) 5. Cañones (El pueblo unido)
( 7:36) 6. The Fourth World
( 4:08) 7. Indigo Blue (Wayfarin Stranger)

It may be impossible for anyone to free the pedal steel guitar entirely from its roots in country music but, if anyone can, Susan Alcorn would have to be the leading candidate. She has a phenomenal range on the instrument, capable of everything from folk-drenched Americana to abstract excursions, and she will sometimes combine her variegated tendencies on the same release, as she did on Pedernal (Relative Pitch Records, 2020), using a quintet to embody her atmospheric meditations. Here she teams up with saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and cellist Leila Bordreuil, and the results are just as transfixing.

The majority of the album is freely improvised, and the opener, "Area 41," perfectly encapsulates the air of mystery which prevails in much of Alcorn's music. Bordreuil's deeply resonant cello communes with Alcorn's capacious gestures, and Laubrock joins with breathy flutterings and longer, sustained notes. The track possesses a strange momentum and palpable sense of unease, with a seething subterranean energy, yet the overall effect is to draw the listener into the recording, to see where things may go next. And other pieces open up similar terrain, with "Bird Meets Wire" seeing a more animated Alcorn fueling Laubrock's surging leaps over Bordreuil's drones, and "Topology of Time" providing an elongated, fragmented exploration which never flags despite its eleven-plus minute duration. "The Fourth World" delves into another sinuous world of sound, with Alcorn's arpeggios spurring delicate ruminations from Laubrock which evince a fragile beauty.

But Alcorn's muse can also lead her in less rarefied directions. "Cañones (El Pueblo Unido)" and "Indigo Blue (Wayfarin' Stranger)" make contact with folk and protest music traditions, and although they are hardly straightforward renditions, they reveal the way in which Alcorn's forbidding soundscapes can sometimes give way to a poignant lyricism. Built loosely on the Chilean protest song "El Pueblo Unido," "Cañones" has Alcorn at her most melodic, as her articulation of the simple tune floats alongside Laubrock's repeated staccato rhythms and Bordreuil's gentle dissonance. And there is a similar magic on "Wayfarin' Stranger," with a graceful treatment that avoids falling into sentimentality by leaving room for all three musicians to explore the tune's contours freely.

Somehow inhabiting a place that seems simultaneously recognizable and disorienting, this superb trio of improvisers successfully creates a musical vocabulary all its own on this mesmerizing release. By Troy Dostert https://www.allaboutjazz.com/bird-meets-wire-susan-alcorn-leila-bordreuil-and-ingrid-laubrock-relative-pitch-records

Personnel: Susan Alcorn: guitar, steel; Leila Bordreuil: cello; Ingrid Laubrock: saxophone.

Bird Meets Wire

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Jerry Lee Lewis - Country Class / Country Memories

Styles: Country
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:09
Size: 159,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:20) 1. Let's Put It Back Together Again
(3:05) 2. No One Will Ever Know
(2:54) 3. You Belong To Me
(3:43) 4. I Sure Miss Those Good Old TImes
(2:51) 5. The Old Country Chruch
(2:14) 6. After The Fool You've Made Of Me
(2:50) 7. Jerry Lee's Rock & Roll Revival Show
(2:40) 8. Wedding Bells
(4:28) 9. Only Love Can Get You In My Door
(4:41) 10. The One Rose That's Left In My Heart
(3:16) 11. The Closest Thing To You
(3:56) 12. Middle Age Cracy
(3:05) 13. Let's Say Goodbye Like We Said Hello (In A Friendly Kind Of Way)
(3:45) 14. Who's Sorry Now
(2:19) 15. Jealous Heart
(3:32) 16. Georgia On My Mind
(2:34) 17. Come On In
(2:15) 18. As Long As We Live
(2:43) 19. (You'd Think By Now) I'd Be Over You
(3:04) 20. Country Memories
(3:15) 21. What's So Good About Goodbye
(2:30) 22. Tennessee Saturday Night

Is there an early rock & roller who has a crazier reputation than the Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis? His exploits as a piano-thumping, egocentric wild man with an unquenchable thirst for living have become the fodder for numerous biographies, film documentaries, and a full-length Hollywood movie. Certainly few other artists came to the party with more ego and talent than he and lived to tell the tale. And certainly even fewer could successfully channel that energy into their music and prosper doing it as well as Jerry Lee. When he broke on the national scene in 1957 with his classic "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," he was every parents' worst nightmare perfectly realized: a long, blonde-haired Southerner who played the piano and sang with uncontrolled fury and abandon, while simultaneously reveling in his own sexuality.

He was rock & roll's first great wild man and also rock & roll's first great eclectic. Ignoring all manner of musical boundaries is something that has not only allowed his music to have wide variety, but to survive the fads and fashions as well. Whether singing a melancholy country ballad, a lowdown blues, or a blazing rocker, Lewis' wholesale commitment to the moment brings forth performances that are totally grounded in his personality and all singularly of one piece. Like the recordings of Hank Williams, Louis Armstrong, and few others, Jerry Lee's early recorded work is one of the most amazing collections of American music in existence.

He was born to Elmo and Mamie Lewis on September 29, 1935. Though the family was dirt poor, there was enough money to be had to purchase a third-hand upright piano for the family's country shack in Ferriday, LA. Sharing piano lessons with his two cousins, Mickey Gilley and Jimmy Lee Swaggart, a ten-year old Jerry Lee Lewis showed remarkable aptitude toward the instrument. A visit from piano-playing older cousin Carl McVoy unlocked the secrets to the boogie-woogie styles he was hearing on the radio and across the tracks at Haney's Big House, owned by his uncle, Lee Calhoun, and catering to Blacks exclusively.

With box sets and compilations, documentaries, a bio flick, a memoir, and his induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame all celebrating his legacy, Lewis continued to record and tour, delivering work that vacillated from tepid to absolutely inspired. While his influence will continue to loom large until there's no one left to play rock & roll piano anymore, the plain truth is that there's only one Jerry Lee Lewis, and America...Follow the link to read full Bio.. By Cub Koda https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jerry-lee-lewis-mn0000332141/biography

R.I.P.

Born: September 29, 1935 in Ferriday, LA

Died: October 28, 2022, DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States

Country Class / Country Memories

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Kristiana Roemer - House of Mirrors

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:51
Size: 84,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:02) 1. House of Mirrors
(4:14) 2. Beauty is a wound
(4:46) 3. Virgin soil
(2:01) 4. Deine Hände
(4:57) 5. Dark night of the soul
(3:03) 6. Manchmal
(3:56) 7. Lullaby for N.
(5:54) 8. Sugar
(4:53) 9. Duke Ellington's sound of love

Kristiana Roemer is a young German singer whose voice has a lilt and plush texture reminiscent of Annette Peacock. On this, her first album, she uses her intriguing sound in the service of both conventional jazz tunes and floating, airy pieces which border on art songs. Most of the material here is her own writing, though some lyrics derive from others' poetry. In addition, she proves her jazz bona fides by including familiar tunes by Stanley Turrentine and Charles Mingus.

The suppleness of Roemer's jazz singing shows in her easy gliding on "Virgin Soil" and dreamy swoon on "Lullaby For N." Addison Frei' plays rich piano on both tracks. Dayna Stephens' gushing tenor sax highlights the former and Ben Monder adds chiming guitar to the latter. She also does right by the two non-originals, sounding sassy and seductive on Turrentine's "Sugar" and bringing a deep yearning feel to Mingus' "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love."

The other pieces are where Roemer's writing and voice stretch out. She sails over groaning bass and piano and jittery percussion on "Beauty Is A Wound," and sings simply and endearingly on "House Of Mirrors" over Frei's tinkling piano and Gilad Hekselman's bent guitar notes. On "Manchmal," taken from a Herman Hesse poem, she delicately sings in German as Frei and Monder quietly murmur under her. The guitarist is also a presence on "Dark Night of the Soul," accenting the surging piano repetitions which back Roemer's melodic flow. Drummer Adam Arruda and bassist Alexander Claffy are strong throughout the CD but their work here is really exceptional as they keep the song's tense pulse going.

Kristiana Roemer's voice has a combination of softness and firmness which conveys both strength and sensitivity. Her songs have a haunting, wistful feel which perfectly matches her sound. Her band here is fine at being either ethereal or swinging as the songs dictate . This is an excellent debut for her. By Jerome Wilson https://www.allaboutjazz.com/house-of-mirrors-kristiana-roemer-sunnyside-records

Personnel: Kristiana Roemer: voice / vocals; Addison Frei: piano; Alex Claffey: bass; Adam Arruda: drums; Ben Monder: guitar; Dayna Stephens: saxophone; Rogerio Boccato: percussion.

Additional Instrumentation: Gilad Hekselman (1); Ben Monder (5,6,7); Dayna Stephens (3,8); Rogerio Boccato (2).

House of mirrors

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Aaron Parks, Matt Brewer, Eric Harland - Volume One

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:53
Size: 112,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:31) 1. Greetings
(7:18) 2. All The Things You Are
(9:13) 3. Aspiring To Normalcy
(3:51) 4. Centering
(9:13) 5. Maiden
(7:02) 6. Eleftheria
(5:42) 7. Of Our Time

Pianist Aaron Parks has released a couple of sizzling-yet-cool recordings in recent years with a band called Little Big. It is a quartet in which Parks composes and arranges for a band that includes guitarist Greg Tuohey and, in melodic and rhythmic inclination, connects us back to his unforgettable Blue Note debut recording, Invisible Cinema. Parks’ identity in that mode is strong: he finds ways to mold structures for improvisation that sonically evoke indie-rock and hip-hop alongside the tradition that threads back through Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, and Nat Cole.

But Parks has another side in which he is the consummate sideman or cooperative leader, a pianist who works well outside his particular “sound” which is to say “in the tradition” but with his musical personality intact. His new recording, Volume One, features a trio co-led with bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Eric Harland. It seems at first blush – like a more traditional jazz trio date because the band often sounds loose rather than like it is building some kind of New Jazz for the future. But Volume One generates a highly distinctive sound. It just does it on the sly.

The trio’s loose approach to the super-standard “All the Things You Are” is telling. Coming to this late-Covid session without rehearsal or planning, you would expect them to sound free-wheeling here. Parks fills his solo with craggy, open left-hand chords that engage in a bouncing dialogue with his always-melodic right hand two voices playing tag with each other and then bringing Harland’s popping snare and Brewer’s full-toned acoustic bass into the play as well. It has a jam-session scamper in its bones like it was not excessively thought-through. But the arc of the performance is artful. It creeps to life out of a sensitive opening, moves into a vintage bass solo, climaxes on the “piano solo”, but then comes back down again with Parks playing the harmonic wash of the tune very quietly over Brewer’s gentlest accompaniment and Harland’s barely-there brushes. By its conclusion, it has earned the weight and care of Keith Jarrett’s “Standards Trio”. In short, this is not just a jam session.

The trio also seems utterly at home in the tradition of “Centering” by the late Frank Kimbrough, a mid-tempo tune with walking bass and wire-brush swing. The pocket is light and deep at once as Park floats the melody with gentle ease. Again, the suggestion is that this is a casual affair with an off-the-cuff vibe. Your ears might feel the same way about Parks’s opener, “Greetings”, with its percolating Afro-Brazilian groove with impressionistic harmonies that would have been ideal at home on a mid-1960s date. Until that is, you hear some of them with improvised piano lines spooling upward in abstract loops of melody that sound suspiciously more 21st century. It’s a taste of what’s to come because the session really isn’t the throwback it might seem, initially, to be.

For example, Eric Harland’s tune “Maiden” is a stately ballad that invites the trio to step forward. The simpler folk/gospel harmonies refer to the graceful, heart-tugging sound of some of the pianists of the 1970s. Then Brewer’s featured solo refocuses your ear on how this style also had a champion in Charlie Haden. “Eleftheria” (a Greek word and name meaning “freedom”), another Parks tune, also uses Harland’s clattering polyrhythms beneath a charming post-bop set of searching harmonies. Both Brewer and Parks play dancing solos that frame the piece a bit in the tradition of Chick Corea/Stanley Clarke.

Several of the performances on Volume One feel more urgent at the moment. The two compositions by Matt Brewer, while still harmonically in the jazz tradition, are closer to the New Jazz framework where the written material and the improvising feel more seamless and harmonic structure is bendable. “Aspiring to Normalcy” uses a composed left-hand piano arpeggio as a structural element for a length. As the trio drops that line for a period, the sense that they are “playing the chord changes” also disappears in favor of a more open structure. Intriguingly, Brewer’s second offering, “Of Our Time”, also uses piano arpeggiation as a central part of its written element, which stretches across a long structure that defies the basic form of a “jazz standard”. Harland improvises over (under? around?) the thrum of arpeggiated harmonies, continuing to be in the spotlight as Parks plays and embellishes the melody. Rather than return to the theme after “solos”, the performance ends with Harland’s improvisation melding with the theme, which never really went away.

So the real parlor trick of this Aaron Parks/Matt Brewer/Eric Harland trio is the way the band cloaks so much dazzle by avoiding flash, avoiding show-offery. Every jazz musician learns to play “All the Things You Are”, right? But as you listen more carefully to that performance on Volume One and certainly the original tunes, you hear the quiet authority of the band’s creativity. You may listen to Brewer’s solo on “Things” ten times and still discover new moments of thrill within it. If that’s the case, and it should be, listen to how Brewer accompanies Parks on the improvisation that immediately follows. He finds a funky pocket that has him spinning an exceptional melody on the bottom that sounds like a daring counterpoint to Parks and polyrhythmically in conversation with Harland. Or, three minutes into “Normalcy”, as the written arpeggio melts away, luxuriate in Parks’s restraint as he leaves space in his melodic lines, allowing the harmonies to ooze and bleed, making the trio sound orchestral and moody rather than busy, making the band have a distinct sound that is much more than its pure collection of notes.

I have no doubt that, despite the modernism and order that emerges as you listen more deeply to Volume One, the session really was largely unplanned. The familiarity and brilliance of Brewer, Harland, and Parks mean that the program would develop structure and weight over time, naturally. That makes the recording all the more magical.

second volume from this session, as its title implies, is supposed to be coming in a few months. It isn’t typical for a band to have two gems in quick succession. But as you listen to this first collection for a third or fourth time, ask yourself where the weak moments are. It is unassuming, perhaps, but quietly, consistently, utterly wonderful. https://www.popmatters.com/aaron-parks-matt-brewer-volume-one

Personnel: Aaron Parks, piano; Matt Brewer, bass; Eric Harland, drums

Volume One

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John Hiatt with the Jerry Douglas Band - Leftover Feelings

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:31
Size: 95,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:26) 1. Long Black Electric Cadillac
(3:06) 2. Mississippi Phone Booth
(3:46) 3. The Music Is Hot
(3:29) 4. All the Lilacs in Ohio
(3:26) 5. I’m in Asheville
(4:38) 6. Light of the Burning Sun
(4:43) 7. Little Goodnight
(3:26) 8. Buddy Boy
(3:34) 9. Changes in My Mind
(3:25) 10. Keen Rambler
(4:28) 11. Sweet Dream

Leftover Feelings is not the first such group collaboration in John Hiatt's varied and lengthy career North Mississippi Allstars were integral to Master of Disaster (New West Records, 2005). But there's an even more unusual kinship in play here between this gifted songwriter and The Jerry Douglas, if only because this LP is even more deeply steeped in bluegrass style(s) than the comparably acoustic-based Crossing Muddy Waters (Vanguard, 2000).

Perhaps due to his early experience working as a staff songwriter, John Hiatt has often been somewhat self-conscious as a tunesmith. Nevertheless, this resident of Nashville invariably manages to record new material so that the musicianship is fully on par with the songs. On "Keen Rambler," for instance, Douglas exudes the same joy making his dobro sing so effortlessly as Hiatt does nonchalantly tossing off the vocal. As relaxed as is the gait of the whole ensemble on "Music Is Hot" which almost but not quite belies its title it is nevertheless as unified in its collective effort as on the two upbeat tracks that precede it, "Long Black Electric Cadillac" and "Mississippi Phone Booth."

Of course, the lighthearted, infectious tone of those two tunes lends itself to exposition of natural camaraderie. Still, such potential requires the participants to ignite it, which is exactly what Hiatt, Douglas and company manage to do in realizing the fundamental challenge of expert recording conducted in RCA's famed Studio B: capturing those evanescent moments when superior material inspires comparable playing and vice versa. Such is the sense with "All The Lilacs In Ohio," where the performance seems to have a life of its own, and producer Douglas, along with recording/mixing engineer Sean William Sullivan, manage to capture the room as well as the music playing in it.

With most of these eleven cuts hovering between the three or four and a half minute mark, Leftover Feelings plays like a quick succession of lightning flashes captured in the proverbial bottle. And yet that dynamic doesn't preclude the contemplative effects of a song like "I'm In Asheville." On the contrary, that very brevity sustains the initial impact and deepens the subsequent impression of such material, thus nurturing the inclination to listen repeatedly and bask in the charms of its lyrics as well as its arrangement. There's nothing casual about the meeting John Hiatt's and the Jerry Douglas Band's musical minds, but neither is there any sense those involved fussed too much over the details.

On the contrary, everything seems to come naturally to these practiced collaborators for the duration of the LP. Even in a somewhat melancholy moment such as "Light of the Burning Sun," the 'less is more' premise prevails, in this case, with dobro and pedal steel fleshing out the fragile emotion(s) the front man infuses into the words he chose. Likewise, during "Little Goodnight," some brusque electric guitar from Mike Seal intertwines with violin to replicate the conflicting feelings that arise from the mini-drama sketched in the lyrics.

And it's all of a piece, as are the best moments throughout Leftover Feelings. Like the knowing air in Hiatt's vocal on "Buddy Boy," echoed by the comping of strings (arranged by Christian Sedelmeyer) behind him, his voice gives way to one of the few solos on the album: it's all worth becoming engrossed in the sequence of sounds, replete with surprise as is invariably the case.

"Changes In My Mind" may be one of the few songs of pure personal expression from John Hiatt here, but the Jerry Douglas Band is just as fully invested in playing it as the author is in singing it, that reciprocal dynamic ultimately the key to the success of this track and, indeed, this whole outing.By Doug Collette https://www.allaboutjazz.com/leftover-feelings__23183

Personnel: John Hiatt: guitar; Jerry Douglas: multi-instrumentalist; Daniel Kimbro: bass; Mike Seal: guitar; Christian Sedelmeyer: violin; Carmela Ramsey: voice / vocals.

Additional Instrumentation: John Hiatt: guitar; Jerry Douglas: background vocals; Daniel Kimbro: tic-tac bass, string arrangements; Mike Seal: acoustic and electric guitars; Christian Sedelmyer: string arrangements.

Leftover Feelings

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Grant Green - Funk in France - Paris to Antibes

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 118:06
Size: 271,2 MB
Art: Front

( 4:33)  1. I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing
( 4:21)  2. Oleo (Live): Oleo
( 7:18)  3. Insensatez (How Insensitive)
( 8:07)  4. Untitled Blues
( 7:01)  5. Sonnymoon for Two
( 7:05)  6. I Wish You Love
(18:00)  7. Upshot
(14:34)  8. Hurt So Bad
(19:46)  9. Upshot
(27:17) 10. Hi-Heel Sneakers

Resonance's Funk in France: From Paris to Antibes (1969-1970) is two archival recordings in one package. Most of the first disc is devoted to an October 26, 1969 concert given at La Maison de la Radio's Studio 104, where Grant Green was supported by bassist Larry Ridley, drummer Don Lamond, and, on "I Wish You Love," guitarist Barney Kessel, while the second part of Funk in France combines four highlights from two July 1970 appearances at the Antibes Jazz Festival. While the two performances were separated by a matter of months, they're quite different in execution. The Paris concert finds Green pushing toward the funky pop-jazz hybrid he'd make his specialty in the early '70s but not quite committing to it just yet. Green doesn't hide his allegiance to funk by opening the proceedings with a percolating version of James Brown's "I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothin' (Open Up the Door and I'll Get It Myself)," a version that doesn't serve as a keynote as much as a harbinger to what came later. Apart from a loosely lyrical "Untitled Blues," Green and company are in relatively straightforward bop territory, playing two Sonny Rollins tunes and the standard "I Wish You Love" along with Antonio Carlos Jobim's "How Insensitive." It's a lively set, but understated when compared to the cooking selections from Antibes.

Working with an organist and saxophonist lets Green lean into R&B, and the quartet digs in hard, spending nearly 20 minutes grooving on the original "Upshot," then extending Tommy Tucker's dance hit "Hi-Heel Sneakers" to nearly half an hour. Here, Green is woodshedding the hard jazz-funk he'd debut on Alive!, the landmark Blue Note LP he'd record just a month later, and while the performances on Funk in France are neither as pop-oriented nor hard-charging as the material there, that's also their appeal. Green has his style in place and he has the freedom to jam as long as he desires. The results aren't just mesmerizing, they're danceable. ~ Stephen Tomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/funk-in-france-from-paris-to-antibes-1969-1970-mw0003168826

Personnel: Grant Green – guitar; Larry Ridley – bass; Don Lamond – drums; Barney Kessel – guitar; Claude Bartee – tenor saxophone; Clarence Palmer – organ; Billy Wilson – drums

Funk in France - Paris to Antibes

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Helle Brunvoll - How Am I to Know?

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:36
Size: 129,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:26) 1. Day by Day
(5:35) 2. Forget Me
(9:07) 3. Too Late Now
(8:15) 4. Wild is the Wind
(4:39) 5. How Am I to Know
(2:32) 6. This Hotel
(4:53) 7. The Riverman
(6:02) 8. A Time for Love
(9:03) 9. You Won't Forget Me

Helle Brunvoll has been exhibiting professionally for over 20 years. She uses several artistic tools - with an emphasis on painting. Her greatest artistic inspiration is nature, and in her own words: "You can discover a whole universe in your own back garden! All you need is to be sensitive enough to spot it."

Helle's 2009 debut as a jazz vocalist took everyone by surprise with the critically acclaimed album "In Your House". The album featured original compositions by guitarist / composer Halvard Kausland. The music is based in the classic jazz tradition and jazz vocal legends such as Blossom Dearie, Shirley Horn, Monica Zetterlund and Karin Krog. On the next album, "Your Song", Helle also made her debut as a composer. Go to the discography and check out the song "The Apple Tree". "Why do I share my time between music and the visual arts? Simply because these art forms complement each other. It's all about creating images both visually and musically." http://www.hellebrunvoll.no/en/index.html

How Am I to Know?

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Ruben Blades (with Roberto Delgado & Orquesta) - Salswing!

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:52
Size: 104,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:36) 1. Paula C.
(3:39) 2. Pennies from Heaven
(3:12) 3. Mambo Gil
(4:32) 4. Ya No Me Duele
(2:12) 5. Watch What Happens
(3:50) 6. Cobarde
(3:42) 7. Do I Hear Four?
(4:32) 8. Canto Niche
(3:37) 9. The Way You Look Tonight
(5:42) 10. Contrabando
(4:13) 11. Tambó

In the liner notes to this recording, veteran Latin pop singer Rubén Blades explains that Salswing! is meant as a demonstrative statement: About his own ability to grow beyond being a Panamanian singer, to show that musicians can speak to an audience beyond their own nationality, and to celebrate the stellar chops of the Roberto Delgado Orquesta backing him.

Regardless of the purpose behind these sessions, the reality is that this is one of the best big band swing albums in recent memory. Blades and Delgado have found a sweet spot between the rock-infused retro-swing of recent vintage (think Brian Setzer, Cherry Poppin' Daddies) and the passive concert environment of most jazz-oriented big bands (Gordon Goodwin, Toshiko Akiyoshi). Instead, we get a full album of hard-charging, dance-ready big band jazz and salsa.

And Delgado's outfit is solid they play with the kind of relaxed confidence that only comes from playing night after night together. Not since Doc Severinson was backing Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show" have we heard a swing band with this combination of cockiness and chops. Matt Catingub's Waikiki combo Big Kahuna and the Copa Cat Pack was about the closest, but that project too often veered into Polynesian cocktail-hour shtick.

Of course, neither of those bands had a singer of the caliber of Blades (although the Copa Cat Pack did back Rosemary Clooney on her final recording, in 2001). And if Blades' background is more in salsa, in the 1990s he did participate in several of Kip Hanrahan's jazz and Latin projects he was one of Hanrahan's go-to vocalists, along with Sting and Jack Bruce.

While Blades contributes five compositions to "Salswing," the three tracks that will inevitably be used as a measuring stick are the interpretations of Swing Era standards: "Pennies From Heaven," "Watch What Happens" and "The Way You Look Tonight."

On all three, Blades, Delgado and company just kill it. Delgado's arrangement of "Watch What Happens" doesn't stray too far from the arrangement on Count Basie's album On the Road (Pablo, 1981). But Blades' vocal approach is far different from the jazz-infused one Dennis Rowland brought to the Basie recording, with Blades sounding more like Buddy Greco or a late-in-life James Darren, during his crooner period. Blades is in full Vegas showroom mode here hiding just half-a-beat off the song's meter, and singing in a near-conversational tone.

"The Way You Look Tonight" is approached along the lines of Nelson Riddle's classic arrangement for Frank Sinatra. While Blades hews faithfully to the arrangement in his vocals, his phrasing and tonality are nothing like Sinatra's which presents new sides to the song, and the arrangement, giving it a fresh appeal.

Where those two songs borrow heavily from well-known renditions, "Pennies From Heaven" comes out of the gate in a wholly original vein far more up-tempo than most arrangements, with Blades in a finger-snapping Vegas crooner mode.

A lesser-known cover, "Mambo Gil," by Gili Lopez, could have come out of a time machine—it's arrangement and execution perfectly capturing the feeling of 1950s' Latin big bands. Paula C," penned by Blades, starts the album in a strong Latin vein: to American ears, maybe not too far from what Tito Gomez or Desi Arnaz were doing in Cuba in the 1940s and 1950s. But with its vibes and strings in its opening measures, it also hearkens to post-war cocktail music before Blades' vocal centers the performance. Co-written with Jeremy Bosch, "Ya No Me Duele" is a gorgeous ballad, with Blades softening his vocal and coupling it to Juan Berna's lovely piano. "Contrabando," another Blades original, was first recorded by Blades on his 1988 release, "Antecedente." The arrangement here is slowed down a touch, and of course, room for a few instrumental solos is carved out.

Blades' final contribution, "Tambo," the closing song, was originally recorded by Pete Rodriguez in 1978, appearing as the B side of a single. It gets full salsa big band treatment here, and is perhaps the most purely dance track on the album.

With its seamless blending of jazz, Panamanian and other Latin threads, Salswing recalls the heady days of the Big Band Era when not just American bands adopted 12-16 piece combos, but similarly sized and configured outfits were playing ballrooms, dance halls and nightclubs in cities across the globe: Big bands were playing chanson for dancing couples in Paris, tango in Montevideo and Buenos Aires, boleros and guarachas in Havana. The Big Band Era was more than swing it was the sound of a global generation. And on Salswing! Blades and Delgada capture about as broad a swath of Big Band Era music as any band yet assembled. By Jim Trageser https://www.allaboutjazz.com/salswing-ruben-blades-self-produced__10976

Personnel: Rubén Blades: voice / vocals; Roberto Delgado: composer/conductor; Ademir Berrocal: congas; Juan Berna: piano; Raul Rivera: bongos; Carlos Perez Bido: drums; Juan Carlos Lopez: trumpet; Alejandro Castillo: trumpet; Francisco Del Vecchio: trombone; Avenicio Nunez: trombone; Carlos Ubarte: flute; Carlos Agrazal: saxophone, alto; Ivan Navarro: saxophone, tenor; Luis Carlos Perez: saxophone, tenor.

Salswing!

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The Duke Pearson Big Band - Baltimore 1969

Styles: Piano Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:23
Size: 182,4 MB
Art: Front

(12:41)  1. Hi-Fly
( 8:18)  2. New Girl
( 7:10)  3. Eldorado
( 9:17)  4. In the Still of the Night
( 9:57)  5. Tones for Joan's Bones
(13:08)  6. Straight up and Down
( 7:17)  7. Ready When You Are C.B.
(11:35)  8. Night Song (Theme from Golden Boy)

The Duke Pearson Big Band of the late 1960s featured great soloists Donald Byrd, Burt Collins, Lew Tabackin, Frank Foster and Pepper Adams. Drummer Mickey Roker propelled the 16 piece band with fire. All this is on display at the April 1969 Baltimore concert issued for the first time on this CD. 

Where the studio recordings featured relatively short pieces, this concert presents the band stretching out in full force. Even 44 years later, this is big band jazz at its finest and a clear demonstration of Duke Pearson's great talents as a leader, pianist, composer and arranger.~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Baltimore-1969-Duke-Pearson-Band/dp/B00EKJRYNS

Personnel: Duke Pearson (piano); Jerry Dodgion, Al Gibbons (flute, alto saxophone); Frank Foster , Lew Tabackin (tenor saxophone); Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone); Jim Bossy, Donald Byrd, Joe Shepley, Burt Collins (trumpet, flugelhorn); Eddie Bert, Julian Priester, Joe Forst (trombone); Kenny Rupp (bass trombone); Bob Cranshaw (acoustic bass, electric bass); Mickey Roker (drums).

Baltimore 1969

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Charlie Rouse & Red Rodney - Social Call

Styles: Saxophone and Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1984
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:09
Size: 135,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:23)  1. Little Chico
(5:48)  2. Social Call
(6:31)  3. Half Nelson
(4:46)  4. Greenhouse
(9:35)  5. Darn That Dream (take 1)
(6:16)  6. Casbah
(6:32)  7. Social Call
(7:12)  8. Darn That Dream (take 2)
(6:01)  9. Half Nelson

Tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, 59 at the time, is in top form for this bop-oriented set. Teamed up with trumpeter Red Rodney, pianist Albert Dailey, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Kenny Washington, Rouse performs Don Sickler arrangements of four jazz standards (including "Half Nelson" and Tadd Dameron's "Casbah"), plus an obscurity ("Greenhouse") and his own "Little Chico." Old friends Rouse and Rodney work off each other very well, and the results are swinging and enjoyable.
~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/social-call-mw0000038083

Personnel: Charlie Rouse (tenor saxophone); Red Rodney (trumpet, flugelhorn); Albert Dailey (piano); Kenny Washington (drums).

Social Call

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John Sheridan's Dream Band - Get Rhythm In Your Feet

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 69:42
Size: 159.6 MB
Styles: Swing
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[6:07] 1. Stop Look And Listen
[3:56] 2. All The Cats Join In
[3:55] 3. Indian Summer
[6:42] 4. I Love My Baby
[4:04] 5. I Was Doing All Right
[6:42] 6. A Gal In Calico
[3:02] 7. Humpty Dumpty Heart
[3:16] 8. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
[3:24] 9. People Like You And Me
[4:14] 10. I'm In The Mood For Love
[2:52] 11. Get Rhythm In Your Feet
[4:35] 12. A Handful Of Stars
[3:18] 13. You Can't Pull The Wool Over My Eyes
[4:05] 14. My Extraodinary Gal
[3:57] 15. Walkin' By The River
[5:27] 16. The Dixieland Band

"The Dream Band´s third release, Get Rhythm In Your Feet, is on the same high level as the first two, and in some ways is the best of the trio...John Sheridan´s Dream Band looks back towards The Swing Era and the classic groups of that era without directly copying any of them. Mixing together written and jammed ensembles with concise solos and Becky Kilgore´s joyful vocals, the Sheridan Dream Band is carving out its own legacy within the current classic jazz scene." ~ Scott Yanow

John Sheridan - leader, arranger, piano Randy Reinhart - cornet Russ Phillips - trombone Brian Ogilvie - tenor saxophone Ron Hockett - clarinet Reuben Ristrom - guitar Phil Flanigan - bass Ed Metz Jr. - drums Becky Kilgore - vocals

Get Rhythm In Your Feet

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Mary Halvorson Quintet - Bending Bridges

Styles: Jazz, Avant-Garde
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:34
Size: 157,4 MB
Art: Front

( 7:48)  1. Sinks When She Rounds The Bend (No. 22)
( 7:58)  2. Hemorrhaging Smiles (No. 25)
( 8:03)  3. Forgotten Men In Silver (No. 24)
(10:14)  4. Love In Eight Colors (No. 21)
( 7:50)  5. The Periphery Of Scandal (No. 23)
( 4:49)  6. That Old Sound (No. 27)
( 6:52)  7. Sea Cut Like Snow (No. 26)
( 7:08)  8. Deformed Weight Of Hands (No. 28)
( 7:48)  9. All The Clocks (No. 29)

For the sophomore effort from her quintet, guitarist Mary Halvorson reprises the winning formula of Saturn Sings (Firehouse 12, 2010). Again, there is a mix of pieces for the full ensemble and for Halvorson in trio; and, again, the end result defies classification, touching on spidery improv, jazz tradition and avant rock in a cleverly idiosyncratic brew. Only this time out, she is even more successful. Her writing has developed, unveiling appealing tunes enlivened by arrangements which extract the best from the resources at her disposal.

In spite of the presence of illustrious saxophonist Jon Irabagon, Halvorson proves the star soloist, sounding like no one else. Her crisp, single line picking, alternately springy and spiky, remains readily identifiable after just a few notes, notwithstanding her diversity of pitch flexing effects and attacks. Bassist John Hébert and drummer Ches Smith create a synergetic response to the leader's discursive approach. Hébert anchors through a fleet-ingered, muscular tone, while the drummer ably accompanies Halvorson wherever she goes, whether needing rocky energy or nervy clatter. Irabagon and trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson appear on five of the nine selections. Neither is flashy. Finlayson's lean statements and fanfares provide a cooling balm while the reedman's trajectory is never straightforward. He sets challenges for himself which he meets with fluent ease, spinning keening Ornette-ish melodies one moment and abrasive distortion the next.

Halvorson's knotty charts, with their countless unpredictable twists and varied backdrops, breed responsive and involved interplay. The pick of the quintet tracks is the opener, "Sinks When She Rounds The Bend." Typical of the relentless switchbacks, the nagging bittersweet theme first gives way to a short triumphal passage from the guitarist, and then a rippling, unaccompanied spot for Hébert, before building to a firestorm of skronk, the fervor dissipating to nothing in an unexpectedly understated finish. The turbulent "Love In Eight Colors" features Irabagon's most compelling statement: he starts with clipped plosive tones (which sound as if they are played backwards) before extending into an undulating legato which disintegrates into a litany of distorted blurts.

Of the trio outings, "Forgotten Men In Silver" is particularly fine. A deceptively simple air emerges from a scratchy bass/drum interlude before being subjected to characteristic deconstruction, while on "That Old Sound," the languor is spiked by an insistent, questioning jangle which sets the mood for the ensuing interaction. But really, each cut repays close attention. How could Bending Bridges be improved? Perhaps only by featuring the full quintet throughout.
By John Sharpe http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=41983#.Ui0TTD-wVw8

Personnel: Mary Halvorson: guitar; Jonathan Finlayson: trumpet; Jon Irabagon: alto saxophone; John Hébert: bass; Ches Smith: drums.

Bending Bridges

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Steve Smith and Buddy's Buddies - Steve Smith and Buddy's Buddies

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:41
Size: 134,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:08)  1. Nutville
(7:37)  2. Norwegian Wood
(6:39)  3. New Blues
(6:45)  4. Airegin
(7:02)  5. How Do You Keep The Music Playing
(5:03)  6. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
(6:36)  7. Moments Notice
(6:41)  8. Cool
(5:06)  9. Ya Gotta Try

When thinking of drummer Buddy Rich, the first thing that comes to mind is a screaming big band propelled by the master. However, Rich also recorded in small group settings, and it's this facet of the drum legend's musical personality that Steve Smith and his friends explore on this CD. Teaming up with four alumni of the Buddy Rich band from the 1970s and '80s, Smith takes on the difficult task of filling Rich's drum chair for this impressive set. It's great to hear saxophonist Steve Marcus cooking again. He and alto saxophonist Andy Fusco provide the perfect frontline, blending seamlessly on the ensemble passages, then taking off in their distinctive solo styles. Marcus gets out there on his soprano and tenor while Fusco locks in closer, only to rise on "Airegin." Pianist Lee Musiker shows talent that deserves wider recognition, providing a fat chordal underpinning one moment and soaring through an inventive solo the next. Bassist Anthony Jackson brings impressive credentials to the gig and delivers a solid bottom throughout. Steve Smith shines in each setting, never aping Rich directly, yet still conjuring images of Rich (and the great Billy Cobham as well) with his facile, polyrhythmic yet swinging approach. His brushwork will surprise those who think of Smith only as a high-energy rock and fusion drummer. 

The choice of material is good, with a number of mostly familiar pieces mingled among a couple of lesser-known chestnuts. This was one of the best small group jazz recordings of 1999, overlooked perhaps as a mere "tribute" recording. This album actually offers a smoking set of great music by a quintet that sounds like they've been playing together for years. ~ Jim Newsom https://www.allmusic.com/album/steve-smith-buddys-buddies-mw0000246930

Personnel: Steve Smith (drums); Steve Marcus (soprano & tenor saxophones); Andy Fusco (alto saxophone); Lee Musiker (piano); Anthony Jackson (bass).

Steve Smith and Buddy's Buddies

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Cécile McLorin Salvant - The Window

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:22
Size: 162,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:11)  1. Visions
(2:09)  2. One Step Ahead
(2:34)  3. By Myself
(4:55)  4. The Sweetest Sounds
(5:53)  5. Ever Since The One I Love's Been Gone
(2:05)  6. A Clef
(3:10)  7. Obsession
(3:21)  8. Wild Is Love
(3:00)  9. J'ai L'Cafard
(7:10) 10. Somewhere
(4:29) 11. The Gentleman Is A Dope
(3:47) 12. Trouble Is A Man
(3:20) 13. Were Thine That Special Face
(5:00) 14. I've Got Your Number
(3:28) 15. Tell Me Why
(1:10) 16. Everything I've Got Belongs To You
(9:34) 17. The Peacocks

Cécile McLorin Salvant has one of the most powerful voices in jazz. Which doesn't make her always easy to listen to. Sometimes she instills new meaning to an old lyric, other times she tries too hard and goes over the top. Still, at least she tries. She comes from Miami, daughter of a Haitian father and a French mother. Aware of the power of her voice from an early age, she trained in classical music, but then fell in love with the voice of Sarah Vaughan when she was 14. "I just wanted to sound as much like her as I possibly could," she recalls. She went on to win an assortment of awards, including, in 2010, the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocals Competition, and attracted rave reviews. Wynton Marsalis says of her, "You get a singer like this once in a generation or two." That's a maybe. Singers that impress you are not necessarily those you'll want to hear again and again. Especially when they go into diva screech mode. But McLorin Salvant says: "I never wanted to sound clean and pretty. In jazz, I felt I could sing these deep, husky lows if I want, and then these really tiny, laser highs if I want, as well." On The Window, her fifth album, she is accompanied on nearly all tracks by pianist Sullivan Fortner. On only one, "The Peacocks," is anyone else present, this being Melissa Albana playing wispy tenor saxophone. The sparse setting grows tiresome. Highlights? There are plenty: "Ever Since The One I Love's Been Gone," singing to a live audience; "Wild Is Love," "The Gentleman Is A Dope," "Trouble Is A Man" and "I've Got Your Number" and "Everything I've Got Belongs To You." On Richard Rodgers' "The Sweetest Sounds," she is upstaged by a magnificent solo by Fortner. She sings in French on two numbers, her own "A Clef" and "J'ai L'Cafard," on which Fortner plays organ. Leonard Bernstein's "Somewhere," from West Side Story, suffers from being given the big treatment and "Were Thine That Special Face" is Cole Porter at his most precious and should have been left in the dusty vault from which it was taken. ~ Chris Mosey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-window-cecile-mclorin-salvant-mack-avenue-records-review-by-chris-mosey.php

Personnel: Cecile McLorin Salvant: vocals; Sullivan Fortner: piano; Melissa Aldana: tenor saxophone.

The Window

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Ragan Whiteside - Thrill Ride

Styles: Flute Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:57
Size: 79,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:12) 1. Thrill Ride
(4:06) 2. Off the Cuff
(4:14) 3. A Toast at Sunset
(4:01) 4. Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing
(4:20) 5. Lucky Drawz
(4:06) 6. Around the Corner
(4:18) 7. Full Court Press
(4:39) 8. Natural High

Flute-playing soul-jazz phenomenon Ragan Whiteside releases a brand-new single, “Thrill Ride,” the title track from her forthcoming album, on her label, Randis Music. Written and produced by Dennis Johnson, Bob Baldwin, and Whiteside, the single will be available on May 6, 2022, on all digital download and streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer, and more.

Going for radio adds the week of May 9th, “Thrill Ride” features an ensemble of today’s top musicians including guitarist Phil Hamilton and drummer Richard Harrison, also known as the artist RAH.

“Thrill Ride” takes the listener on an exciting musical journey, with unexpected twists and turns fueled by occasional deviations from the standard four-on-the-floor. The driving flute melody places the typically quiet instrument in a different light, matching the energy of the drums throughout the song.

The music video, slated for release in May, follows Whiteside as she experiences various thrill rides on the way to her show. As a fan of sketch comedy, she wanted to do something completely goofy.

“We wanted to create a song that was atypical for flute and show how exciting this instrument can be,” says Whiteside. “As for the video, music can be so serious at times. I wanted to have fun with it. I grew up watching Saturday Night Live and that inspired the silly, lighthearted vibe of the video.”

Through two challenging years of the global pandemic, 2021 still proved to be a banner year for Whiteside, who released her hit single, “Off The Cuff,” where it spent 17 weeks on the charts and peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Airplay chart, making it her seventh consecutive Billboard Top 10 hit. The single also reached No. 5 on RadioWave, No. 3 on Media Base, and No.5 on Smooth Jazz Network. “Off The Cuff” will also be featured on Thrill Ride.

As she continued to impact the music charts, the native New Yorker also charted at No. 1 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz Airplay chart for her collaboration with Kim Scott and Althea René of Ashford and Simpson’s classic anthem, “I’m Every Woman.” She also co-wrote Bob Baldwin’s top-charting hit “B Positive” with production partners Dennis Johnson and Baldwin. Whiteside is also featured on “This Time Around” with contemporary jazz artist Jarez, from his latest project, J Funk City.

In the summer and fall, the classically trained flutist has a series of upcoming concert dates including Mother’s Day Wine and Jazz at the Hayti Heritage Center in Durham, NC (May 7); Marcus Anderson’s Jazz and Coffee Escape in Asheville, NC (Saturday, August 6); Ferrario Elmira Jazz Festival in Elmira, NY (Saturday, August 13); Jazz in the Park in Hunstville, AL (September 4) with additional dates to be announced in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile, as the host of her four-hour Saturday morning radio show on Atlanta’s NPR affiliate radio station Jazz 91.9 WCLK, Ragan Whiteside’s show is growing exponentially with an increase of listeners and supporters internationally.

With a streak of seven career records on Billboard’s Top 10, which includes “JJ’s Strut,” “Reminiscing,” “Jam It,” “Early Arrival,” “See You At The Get Down,” and “Off The Cuff” and the Billboard No. 1 song, “Corey’s Bop.” Whiteside was also a featured artist on two Billboard No. 1 hits, “I’m Every Woman,” and Willie Bradley’s “It’s On Now.” Whiteside has released five albums to her repertoire including the 2020 five-track EP Five Up Top, 2017’s Treblemaker, 2014’s Quantum Drive, 2012’s Evolve, and 2007’s Class Axe. The instrumentalist, composer, and vocalist was also a finalist for the Smooth Jazz Network’s Artist of the Year, and for two consecutive years, she remained in the Top 5 in Billboard’s Top Smooth Jazz Songs Year-End chart issue the only woman to rise into the year-end Top 5 in the male-dominated world of jazz.

Originally from Mt. Vernon, New York, Whiteside was mentored during high school by members of the National Association of Negro Musicians, participated, and ultimately won Silver at the NAACP’s ACT-SO (Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics) competitions for young people. She continued her education at the Cleveland Institute of Music before transferring to the highly competitive HARID Conservatory in Florida. After graduation, she attended a show at a local jazz club and met keyboardist and producer Bob Baldwin, who encouraged her to pursue a career as a contemporary instrumentalist.

Baldwin became a mentor and introduced her to Dennis Johnson, who owned a recording studio. Johnson and Baldwin have since become Whiteside’s frequent songwriting collaborators. Since then, Whiteside has blazed a trail in contemporary music by fusing inspired flute melodies and breathtaking solos with hip upbeat grooves.
In the fall of 2020, she added yet another highlight to her résumé when she began hosting her own Saturday morning radio show on Atlanta’s WCLK 91.9 FM. https://tntribune.com/contemporary-jazz-flute-phenomenon-ragan-whiteside-releases-new-single-thrill-ride/

Thrill Ride

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Irene Schweizer & Hamid Drake – Celebration

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:56
Size: 101,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:26) 1. A Former Dialogue
(5:44) 2. Hot Sunflowers
(4:29) 3. The Good Life
(5:52) 4. Twister
(5:04) 5. Stringfever
(3:17) 6. Blues for Crelier
(2:59) 7. Nickelsdorf Glow
(4:39) 8. Celebration
(5:22) 9. Song for Johnny: In Memory of Johnny Dyani

If John Coltrane was the dominant figure behind the rise of Impulse Records in the 1960s, and Wayne Shorter played a similar role for Blue Note in the same decade, one could argue that pianist Irene Schweizer has placed her stamp upon Intakt Records. Certainly the Swiss avant-garde label has embraced that relationship, as aside from a handful of releases on FMP, Intakt has been Schweizer's exclusive home since the 1980s, with dozens of releases over the years documenting her technically demanding yet engaging style that is rooted equally in European free music and the jazz/blues tradition. She has had a particular fondness for the format on display in Celebration: a piano-drums duo, this time with Hamid Drake, allowing Schweizer to tap into a myriad of piano modes that suit the indefatigable pianist especially nicely.

Schweizer has worked with a number of the legends of free jazz drumming, a list that includes Pierre Favre, Günter 'Baby' Sommer, Louis Moholo-Moholo, Andrew Cyrille, and Han Bennink. And she's also worked with Drake before she first encountered the drummer with Douglas Ewart at a FMP festival in Chicago in 1995, and then later in the 1990s she worked with Drake and Fred Anderson in performances that were finally documented on Willisau and Taktlos (Intakt, 2007). But this is her first duo recording with Drake, and it's a live outing from 2019, at the Nickelsdorf Konfrontationen festival in Austria. It's a more- than-worthy addition to Schweizer's formidable series of matchups with top-shelf drummers.

Possessing fierce power and an exclamatory temperament, Schweizer can bring the goods as well as anyone when it comes to attacking the piano it's not for nothing that she was often compared to Cecil Taylor in her early years. One can hear that legacy here on "Hot Sunflowers," a feisty cut that unleashes Schweizer's aggressive aspect. But Drake's fluid, groove-heavy technique brings out the pianist's other dimensions much more frequently: from the gritty funk found on "The Good Life" to the insistent hard-bop feel of "Blues for Crelier," Schweizer shows that it is more than possible to combine freedom with engaging melody and rhythmic fervor.

There are oblique moments as well. Schweizer's pensive reflections on "Twister" start the track in a deceptively tranquil vein, before she gradually broadens the scope of the track in a much more demonstrative direction. And she delves into the interior of the piano on the suitably titled "Stringfever," the album's most abstract track, with Drake's rhythmic proclivities muted so as to complement Schweizer's abstruse explorations. But for this concert, it's the groove that matters, and the closing cuts, "Celebration" and the Johnny Dyani tribute "Song for Johnny," deliver more of what the grateful Nickelsdorf crowd clearly came for: music that stirs the soul, with all the energy needed to keep heads bobbing and feet tapping. It's a delight to hear these two on stage together, and it's evident that they're enjoying themselves immensely as well.By Troy Dostert https://www.allaboutjazz.com/celebration-irene-schweizer-intakt-records

Personnel: Irene Schweizer: piano; Hamid Drake: drums.

Celebration

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Tony Kofi - Another Kind of Soul (Live)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:26
Size: 84,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:22) 1. A Portrait of Cannonball (Live)
(2:16) 2. Operation Breadbasket (Live)
(4:35) 3. Another Kind of Soul (Live)
(6:01) 4. Stars Fell on Alabama (Live)
(7:25) 5. Things Are Getting Better (Live)
(7:31) 6. Sack O' Woe (Live)
(6:13) 7. Work Song (Live)

There's something extra special about jazz recorded in front of a live audience that a studio album just can't quite replicate. That frisson of excitement and expectation (when the moons are in alignment), between performer and punter gives the music an extra dimension, which is exactly what we get with Another Kind of Soul the new album from Tony Kofi, which was recorded live in glamorous Luton to an appreciative audience.

Born to Ghanaian parents in Nottingham, Kofi spent several years studying at Berklee College of Music before first making his reputation as a member of the UK’s Jazz Warriors in the early nineties. It was here that he first worked alongside bassist Gary Crosby with whom he would subsequently perform in soul-crossover groups Nu-Jazz and Jazz Jamaica, whilst establishing himself as a solo artist in his own right. His international reputation is underlined by some of the names he has appeared with over the years, including Eddie Henderson, Ornette Coleman and Donald Byrd. Favouring alto saxophone, Kofi’s tone is warm and sophisticated, able to leap-frog between different styles with ease and grace. That Julian ‘Cannonball’ Adderley is one of Kofi’s formative influences is abundantly clear through their similarly good-humoured playing styles, and this led to the Portrait of Cannonball project that Kofi has been touring over the past few years. Another Kind of Soul acts as a musical snapshot of the project (removing the spoken-word parts) and presents Adderley originals alongside new pieces penned by Kofi and fellow band members. Recorded live at The Bear Jazz Club in Luton, the Kofi Quintet constitutes Andy Davies (trumpet), Alex Webb (piano), Andrew Cleyndert (bass), and Alfonso Vitale (drums), a super-tight ensemble completely inside the material.

A Portrait of Cannonball is a canny way to open the set, a short appetizer composed by Webb that presents various facets of Adderley’s music, functioning much like an overture at the start of a musical. After a brisk introductory section in the soul-jazz style that Adderley pioneered, the music slows down for Kofi to demonstrate his svelte alto in a ballad-like section, before zipping back to several up-tempo sequences. Kofi’s Operation Breadbasket follows with tight unison playing between himself and Davies’s trumpet over the Latin-infused bop rhythms to which Adderley was so partial. Nat Adderley’s swaggering Another Kind of Soul (Julian’s younger trumpeter brother and member of the classic quintet, as well as being a jazz composer in his own right), gets a suitably gutsy reading here, with some sporting interplay between Kofi and Davies. The rhythm section impressed me throughout, with Vitale’s drums being especially explosive when called for, and Cleyndert’s walking bass keeps things grounded.

Cannonball Adderley’s compositions and his playing style always conveyed a sense of optimism in the face of adversity; that he didn’t go in for Coltrane-style soul-searching was a factor that helped make their appearances together in the Miles Davis Quintet so compelling. Kofi and his band are true to this spirit, and it’s no surprise that the highlight is the trio of Adderley tunes that take up the second half of the record: Things Are Getting Better, Sack O’ Woe and Work Song, Adderley’s signature piece. Kofi is clearly relishing every bar of these classics, all of which have big memorable themes for him and the band to get their teeth into. It’s a pleasure to hear a hugely talented contemporary saxophonist honouring another with so much soul, helping to keep his music alive and as irresistible today as it was over sixty years ago. by Matt Groom https://www.prestomusic.com/jazz/articles/3251--recording-of-the-week-tony-kofi-another-kind-of-soul

Personnel: Tony Kofi – alto sax, Andy Davies – trumpet, Alex Webb – piano, Andrew Cleyndert – bass, Alfonso Vitale – drums

Another Kind of Soul (Live)

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Randal Clark - Imaginary World

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:09
Size: 122,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:23) 1. Trailblazer
(3:52) 2. New Day
(5:59) 3. Daybreak
(4:07) 4. Living Underground
(4:22) 5. Discovery
(5:00) 6. Boulevard East
(4:17) 7. Tiger Lily
(6:08) 8. Looking Back
(4:20) 9. Turbocharged
(4:20) 10. Time's Arrow
(5:15) 11. Imaginary World

Randal Clark's Imaginary World stretches beyond the conscious boundaries and illuminates the dark corners. It's clear from the onset that it is steeped in jazz tradition with a giant foothold on both rhythmic and melodic foundations. Clark establishes himself early and never lets go. Too often a buoyant blast off can ultimately fade away into the abyss of both the imaginary and conscious recesses of the mind or a once steaming groove can melt into the wallpaper. Even the most established of artists can find pacing to be a challenge. Sequencing is an art form in itself. That said, it matters little without the right chops and strong compositions. Prolific songwriter Jeff Lorber is responsible for well over half of the material on this project. As always, his tunes are bright and melodious. The keyboardist is also among the strong cast of musicians assembled for this recording. That list includes drummers Vinnie Colaiuta and Gary Novak, bassist Jimmy Haslip (who also produced),guitarists Mike Miller and Michael Thompson, as well as several others. There's even a special guest appearance from Randy Brecker.

It is Clark, however, who seizes the opportunities. Starting out as a "Trailblazer" seemed fitting as Clark then evokes a bright "New Day" in a tune that Haslip and Novak present in a rhythmic jewel case. Clark and Thompson utilize the structure to engage in playful improvisation. The "Daybreak" continues with Colaiuta and Haslip forming a soft launch pad for Clark to propel out of with his soprano sax. He meets a spirited Lorber in orbit, as his high-end springs open, entering into an intelligent early morning conversation. The day then really gets going with a snap, clap, and funk in which the ensemble rides a punchy groove. This fourth consecutive Lorber composition, "Living Underground," is highlighted by a Haslip bass solo and ignited by the earthy and soulful playing of Clark. No doubt it became a sunny day as the Clark and Lorber co-write "Discovery" shines brightly with fiery guitar licks from Thompson and equally buzzing sax riffs from Clark. This song gives Clark a lot of room to fly. He soars gracefully dipping his emotional wings in a myriad of directions.

A midway line-up change then works well to add a new wrinkle and subtract any possibility of malaise. Keyboardist David Mann, guitarist Jon Herington, bassist Gerald Albright, and drummer Sonny Emory become Clark's bandmates for the Mann penned "Boulevard East." Herington's distinct tonality and the shuffled rhythm section bring a new flavor to the mix. Clark's sound casts a contrasting shadow as his impressions are made in a new light. The middle of the set is refueled by the return of Lorber and his feisty rock-grooved "Tiger Lily." Clark makes no attempt to hold that tiger, instead invigoratingly capturing the raw energy and powering through the barn burner, alongside the blazing inferno of Thompson's guitar. Having gone the upbeat distance, slowing down to catch your breath with a ballad is logical, if not necessary. "Looking Back" strongly demonstrates at least a couple of footnotes. One is Clark's ability to be convincingly sentimental with gorgeous soprano lines. The other is to be able to write such a piece. "Looking Back" is one of two solo compositions from Clark on the record. With oxygen tanks replenished, it's right back to being "Turbocharged." Yes, another Lorber juggernaut. This one has Miller's guitar edges and Clark's alto benefitting from the unique and swinging gait.

Lorber and Haslip have written many songs together over the years, so it comes as no surprise that they contributed a co-write. Nor is it a surprise that "Time's Arrow" is a composition of significance and creative depth. It never hurts to invite Randy Brecker to the party either. It takes only a New York minute for Brecker to make his presence felt with such nifty pops emanating from his horn. He goes on to trade licks with Clark in this notable song. It's the makings of a stellar record when you have this kind of gas left in the tank near the end. The record finishes with Clark's second solo composition, which also is the title track, "Imaginary World." Fittingly, it's a pondering and meandering piece that straddles the line between imagination and reality. This eleven song offering is an impressive debut album. Randal Clark is on the map, beginning his journey of melding fresh ideas with time honored jazz traditions. By Jim Worsley https://www.allaboutjazz.com/imaginary-world-randal-clark-blue-hour-productions

Personnel: Randal Clark: saxophone, alto; Jeff Lorber: keyboards; Vinnie Colaiuta: drums; Jimmy Haslip: bass; Gary Novak: drums; Mike Miller: guitar; Scott Kinsey: keyboards; Michael Thompson: guitar, electric; Jimmy Branly: drums; Gerald Albright: saxophone; Randy Brecker: trumpet.

Imaginary World

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Eliane Elias - Quietude

Styles: Vocal, Piano, Brazilian Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:35
Size: 96,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:54) 1. Você e Eu (You and I)
(3:37) 2. Marina
(4:17) 3. Bahia Com H (Bahia With H)
(3:02) 4. Só Tinha Que Ser Com Você (This Love That I've Found)
(4:20) 5. Olha (Look)
(5:53) 6. Bahia Medley: Saudade da Bahia / Você Já Foi á Bahia
(3:30) 7. Eu Sambo Mesmo (I Really Samba)
(2:31) 8. Bolinha de Papel (Little Paper Ball)
(2:30) 9. Tim-Tim Por Tim-Tim
(3:26) 10. Brigas Nunca Mais (No More Fighting)
(3:30) 11. Saveiros

With 2022's Quietude, Eliane Elias crafts a sumptuously intimate showcase for her Portuguese vocals and bossa nova jazz balladry. The album follows her Grammy winning 2021 production Mirror Mirror, where she went head-to-head with fellow piano luminaries Chucho Valdes and Chick Corea, the latter of whom died soon after the album was finished. That album put Elias' immense jazz, Latin, and classical keyboard skills on display. While she does play some piano here, Quietude intentionally spotlights her voice, pairing the Brazilian-born performer with several of her closest guitar friends on a handful of her favorite songs from her homeland. Here, Elias is joined by Marcus Teixeira with whom she has worked since her breakthrough 2015 album Made in Brazil.

Also joining her is Lula Galvão, one of the leading masters of the Brazilian acoustic guitar tradition. There are also rhythm section contributions from percussionist Celso de Almeida and Elias' husband, bassist Marc Johnson, the latter of whom also produced the effort with Steve Rodby in São Paulo. Much of the album focuses on duets, including a hushed reading of Dorival Caymmi's "Marina" with Teixeira. Other songs, like her lyrical take on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Só Tinha Que Ser Com Você" benefit from her lush small group sound. We also get a spritely take on Haroldo Barbosa and Geraldo Jacques' bossa nova "Tim-Tim Por Tim-Tim" which Elias recorded with the late Brazilian guitar legend Oscar Castro-Neves prior to his 2013 passing and which she hadn't released until now. Equally compelling is her affectionate album-ending duet with 79-year-old singer Dori Caymmi on his father and Nelson Motta's poetic sailing ballad "Saveiros."By Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/quietude-mw0003806438

Personnel: Eliane Elias – piano, vocals; Marcus Teixeira – guitar; Lula Galvão – guitar; Oscar Castro-Neves – guitar; Celso de Almeida – percussions; Marc Johnson – bass; Steve Rodby – bass

Quietude

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Various Artists - Hallelujah: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen

Styles: Ecletic
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:24
Size: 171,0 MB
Art: Front

1. Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah (6:53)
2. k.d. lang - Bird On A Wire (4:29)
3. Rufus Wainwright - Chelsea Hotel No2 (3:47)
4. Marianne Faithfull - Tower Of Song (4:36)
5. Madeleine Peyroux - Dance Me To The End Of Love (3:56)
6. Dion - Sisters Of Mercy (3:34)
7. Judy Collins - Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye (3:34)
8. Barb Jungr - Everybody Knows (3:56)
9. Ron Sexsmith - Heart With No Companion (3:11)
10. Stina Nordenstam - I Came So Far For Beauty (4:03)
11. Marissa Nadler - Famous Blue Raincoat (4:21)
12. Tom Northcott - True Love Leaves No Traces (3:56)
13. Nina Simone - Suzanne (4:19)
14. Lee Hazlewood - Come Spend The Morning (2:56)
15. David Blue - Lover Lover Lover (2:59)
16. Buffy Sainte-Marie - God Is Alive, Magic Is Afoot (4:53)
17. Joe Cocker - First We Take Manhattan (3:43)
18. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Avalanche (5:11)

Far from the simplistic view of Leonard Cohen as somewhat of a miserablist, his work is full to the brim with warmth, deep sensuality and wry humour. His songs sit with you like companions, so complete are his stories and rounded his subjects. You can smell their cigarettes, react to their pain and laugh at their stories; the sense of having spent time with Suzanne, or Marianne or any of his muses/characters so complete that you half expect to be washing their coffee cup after they leave.

Cohen’s storytelling is as diverse as it is fulsome, taking expansively from life, love, culture and religion, and most successfully when these elements combine. His intoxicating combination of poetry with melody casts spells, creates conversation, paints pictures; and the refrains and the moods he conjures stay with you like the waltz of ‘Famous Blue Raincoat’ or ‘Dance Me To The End Of Love’, swirling round and round until you’re giddy. And somewhat more literally, they can stay with you like the 80-plus hymn-like verses he wrote for ‘Hallelujah’, which he crafted over a five-year period – always perfecting, always lingering.

This 18-track tribute to Cohen features versions of his songs from fans, family and friends alike, and it’s telling that many of these artists have not been content to cover Cohen on just one occasion, but frequently return to his work. In fact Nick Cave covered ‘Avalanche’ twice, 30 years apart, the first (our closing track) a prowling, growling punk beast of a version and the second a tender, string-accompanied rendition at the grand piano. Cohen’s fans it seems are also always perfecting, always lingering.

Initial champions of his work such as folk legend and activist Judy Collins sit alongside Cohen’s fellow Canadian and keepers of the flame k.d. lang, Tom Northcott, Buffy Sainte-Marie and Rufus Wainwright (Rufus is also father to Cohen’s granddaughter Viva). Also included are Jeff Buckley’s prettily embroidered take on ‘Hallelujah’ (the full album version), what can only be described as Nina Simone’s total possession of ‘Suzanne’, and Lee Hazlewood’s ownership of ‘Come Spend The Morning’, a song Cohen himself was never to record.

In Cohen’s final weeks, Marianne Ihlen, his one-time inspiration/lover and lifelong friend, was dying of cancer and he wrote back to her, “Our bodies are falling apart and I think I will follow you very soon. Know that I am so close behind you that if you stretch out your hand, I think that you can reach mine.” His songs are so entirely real to his listeners that this note to the Marianne we know from his lyrics affected millions, who wept with them both. Cohen will never stop reaching others and this is both his talent and his legacy.
https://acerecords.co.uk/hallelujah-the-songs-of-leonard-cohen

Hallelujah: The Songs Of Leonard Cohen

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