Michela Lombardi & Renato Sellani Trio - Still in My Heart (Thinking of Chet, Vol.2)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:50
Size: 135,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:51) 1. I Wish I Knew
(4:35) 2. If You Could See Me Now
(4:48) 3. I Wish I Knew (Duo Version)
(3:42) 4. I Should Care (Alternative Take)
(5:16) 5. Embraceable You (Alternative Take)
(2:00) 6. There's a Small Hotel (Alternative Take)
(4:50) 7. There's a Small Hotel
(3:40) 8. I Should Care
(4:54) 9. I'm Through with Love
(2:48) 10. But Not for Me
(4:52) 11. Embraceable You
(3:49) 12. That Old Feeling
(5:39) 13. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
(4:00) 14. Time After Time

Renato Sellani (8 January 1926 – 31 October 2014) was an Italian jazz pianist and composer. Born in Senigallia, Sellani started his professional career in 1954, when he entered the Basso-Valdambrini Quintet. In 1958 he started a long collaboration with his longtime friend Franco Cerri. He was part of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra directed by Gorni Kramer. As a pianist, he collaborated with Chet Baker, Billie Holiday, Dizzie Gillespie, Lee Konitz, Bill Coleman, Gerry Mulligan, Enrico Rava and Tony Scott, among others.

Sellani was an incidental music composer for stage plays, and his works include several scores for the Piccolo Teatro in Milan and a long collaboration with the stage company of Tino Buazzelli. https://peoplepill.com/people/renato-sellani

Still in My Heart (Thinking of Chet,Vol.2)

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Kenny Shanker - Steppin' Up

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:22
Size: 123,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:19) 1. Winter Rain
(5:31) 2. Fifth And Berry
(2:56) 3. Rhapsody
(6:06) 4. Quirk
(6:51) 5. E.J...
(5:28) 6. Sarah
(4:55) 7. Prowl
(5:53) 8. Saints
(6:34) 9. Home Sweet Home
(4:44) 10. Somewhere

Alto Saxophonist Kenny Shanker is proof that an artist's direction isn't always reflected in their tonal personality. Shanker possesses a sleek-and-sweet tone that has served him well on dates with big name ghost band, like the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, as well as smooth-leaning pianist David Benoit, but his own music operates outside of the "contemporary jazz" orbit.

Shanker occasionally hints at the simpler side of jazz, with an easily appealing, less-is-more melody ("Home Sweet Home") or a heart-wrenching ballad ("Sarah") that showcases his tender side, but he also puts his silky saxophone to good use in more striking fashion. He throws caution to the wind on the urgent "Fifth And Berry," which showcases a bevy of bravura solos from various band members, turns up the heat during his solo on "Quirk," and brings a sense of elation to "E.J."

While Shanker didn't invite any horn players to join him here, guitarist Lage Lund occasionally serves as his front line partner. Both men complement each other when working in tandem, but Lund's greater contributions come with his solos. He pushes at the boundaries of Shanker's songs in pleasurable ways and brings a thoroughly modern slant to this music. Pianist and label mate Art Hirahara also shares Lund's sense of adventure when soloing, and his comping pushes Shanker in some unexpected directions during the saxophonist's solo flights.

While Hirahara mans the keys for the majority of this music, Mike Eckroth takes over on three numbers, and his playing is in-line with Shanker in every way. His soloing on Leonard Bernstein's "Somewhere" is a sparkling example of measured contemplation and musicality, and completely captures the emotional essence of "Sarah."

It took Shanker eight post-college years to step out and record this debut, and the album aged on the shelves for another two-plus years, but it was worth the wait. Steppin' Up signals the arrival of another unique and promising saxophone personality in the ever-impressive Posi-Tone stable.~Dan Bilaswskyhttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/steppin-up-kenny-shanker-posi-tone-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky

Personnel: Kenny Shanker: alto saxophone; Art Hirahara: piano; Lage Lund: guitar; Yoshi Waki: bass; Brian Fishler: drums: Mike Eckroth: piano.

Steppin' Up

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Don Sebesky - I Remember Bill - A Tribute To Bill Evans

Styles: Crossover Jazz, Hard Bop

Year: 1998

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 78:34

Size: 183,6 MB

Art: Front

(4:46)  1. Waltz for Debby

(5:29)  2. I Remember Bill

(8:24)  3. So What

(4:07)  4. Quiet Now

(6:16)  5. All the Things You Are

(6:47)  6. Peace Piece

(5:58)  7. Bill, not Gil

(7:22)  8. Very Early

(4:22)  9. (T.T.T.T.) Twelve Tone Tune Two

(4:52) 10. Autumn Leaves

(5:06) 11. Blue in Green

(7:52) 12. I'm Getting Sentimental over You

(1:18) 13. Epilogue

(5:53) 14. Bill Evans Interview

Veteran arranger Don Sebesky crafts an often-glowing portrait of famed jazz pianist Bill Evans in this quite welcome orchestral jazz tribute. While he is too often derided (and unfairly) as the guy who mucked up Wes Montgomery and other CTI stars with strings and horn sections, Sebesky often presents subtle arrangements that offer keen respect for a soloist's musicianship. When a listener notices Sebesky's work, it's often in the occasional punctuation mark or interesting sound combinations he creates. But it's his respect for the featured musician that sets him apart and probably drew him to this project. Here, Sebesky has gathered a prominent collection of top-shelf jazz musicians, many of whom actually worked with Evans during his career. But one instrumentalist he did not recruit was a pianist. A wise move. This permits appropriate direction from the bassist and drummer and allows reliance on a rhythm player who is not burdened by aping or avoiding Bill Evans' style. Such daunting responsibility falls to the guitarist; in most cases, Larry Coryell, who is outstanding in his eight appearances here and, perhaps, emerges as this session’s real star.

The material is carefully drawn from Evans' originals and standards associated with the pianist. But, in a quest for variety, the result is something of a mixed bag. Standouts include sterling takes of "All the Things You Are" (with Lee Konitz), Sebesky's oddly-titled "Bill, Not Gil" and "T.T.T.T." (both featuring Bob Brookmeyer and Eddie Daniels) and, of course, "Waltz for Debby" (with Joe Lovano and Tom Harrell). But Sebesky achieves greatness with his transformation of Evans' lovely "Peace Piece" into an elegant adagio. Effectively coordinating strings, harp, percussion and Hubert Laws' flute, he has surely crafted one for the ages here. His boisterous take on "So What" (with solid contributions from Joe Lovano, Tom Harrell and Larry Coryell) is also worthwhile, but seems reminiscent of his showy work with Wes Montgemery. The three vocal tunes (separately featuring Chet Baker-like John Pizzarelli, Jeannie Bryson and the intolerable New York Voices), though, all are quite unnecessary and seem to break any mood Sebesky may have been aiming for. Still, it's refreshing to hear high-quality orchestral jazz being made in the late nineties  and one hopes Don Sebesky will be in the forefront of keeping it alive. ~ Douglas Payne https://www.allaboutjazz.com/i-remember-bill-a-tribute-to-bill-evans-don-sebesky-rca-victor-review-by-douglas-payne.php

Personnel: Tom Harrell: flugelhorn; Bob Brookmeyer: valve trombone; Joe Lovano: tenor sax; Lee Konitz: alto sax; Eddie Daniels: clarinet; Hubert Laws: flute; Larry Coryell, Ken Sebesky: guitar; John Pizzarelli: guitar, vocals. Marc Johnson, Eddie Gomez: bass; Joe LaBarbera, Marty Morell, Dennis Mackrel: drums; Toots Thielmans: harmonica; Sue Evans, Joe Passaro: percussion; Dave Samuels: vibraphone; New York Voices (Darmon Meader, Lauren Kinhan, Peter Eldridge, Kim Nazarian), Jeanie Bryson: vocals; with brass, woodwinds and strings.

I Remember Bill - A Tribute To Bill Evans

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Alessandro Galati - Traction Avant Vol .2

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:29
Size: 114,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:42) 1. Red Milk
(6:09) 2. Someday My Prince Will Come
(7:07) 3. Ripple
(6:51) 4. Blues If and as You Please
(1:38) 5. Palle's Solo
(7:06) 6. You Don't Know What Love Is
(4:52) 7. Crinkle
(7:59) 8. Solar

Born in Florence, Italy, in 1966, pianist Alessandro Galati has studied both classical and jazz, under the guiding eye of renowned artist Bruno Tommaso. After playing at numerous clubs and festivals in both Europe and the U.S., Galati began issuing albums on a regular basis, including 1995's Traction Avant, 1997's Jason Salad, and 1999's Europhilia (the latter of which was commissioned by the town council of Sesto Fiorentino, and dedicated to the European United Nations). Since 1988, Galati has been teaching both piano and jazz combo arrangement at the Accademia Musicale di Firenze and the Centro Attivita' Musicali. In addition to his own recordings, Galati has collaborated with numerous other artists, including Steve Lacy, Kenny Wheeler, Lee Konitz, and Bob Sheppard.~Greg Pratohttps://www.allmusic.com/artist/alessandro-galati-mn0001821825/biography

Personnel: Alessandro Galati - piano; Palle Danielsson - bass; Peter Erskine - drums

Traction Avant Vol.2

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