Claudia Acuña - Rhythm Of Life

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:11
Size: 126,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:54)  1. My Romance
(7:19)  2. Ay Mariposa
(4:57)  3. A Child Is Born
(5:56)  4. Nature Boy
(6:42)  5. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(6:09)  6. Volver A Los Diecisiete
(7:08)  7. Nowhere To Go
(3:55)  8. Maria Maria
(6:05)  9. More Than You Know

Claudia Acuña dedicates her sophomore effort to her friend and mentor Dianne Reeves, and indeed, there’s a certain Reevesian drama to Rhythm of Life. Whereas Acuña’s debut was driven mainly by pals Jason Lindner and Avishai Cohen, the new record features a broader cast of characters, including the perfect-10 rhythm team of Dave Holland and Jeff "Tain" Watts. Lindner is still quite present, however, playing piano and penning five of the nine arrangements (four of the five collaboratively with Acuña). But Acuña co-produced the disc with pianist/arranger Billy Childs, one of Reeves’s chief musical partners. It is Childs’s piano, and arrangements, that we hear on four cuts, including an ethereal 6/4 reading of "A Child Is Born" and a lush string quartet treatment of "I Fall in Love Too Easily." Avi Leibovich, a major presence on Wind From the South, is less prominent here, but his flute textures fill out "Nature Boy" beautifully. 

(The ending vamp is a tad overblown, with background vocalists repeatedly blurting out "There was a boy!"). Acuña’s voice is strong and versatile, generating excitement and bountiful passion. In addition to her inventive way with standards ("My Romance," a fast and highly irreverent "More Than You Know"), she excels again with Spanish-language material. Violeta Parra, the author of "Gracias a la Vida" from the previous record, is again represented with "Volver a los Diecisiete," which soars, as do Milton Nascimento’s "Maria Maria" and Pedro Luis Ferrer’s "Ay Mariposa." And last but not least, Acuña weighs in with an original bossa-ballad, the beautiful "Nowhere to Go." While the big production serves Acuña’s voice well, it’s always wonderful to hear her interact with a small band live. Her just-announced U.S. tour, which includes a week-long run at New York’s Iridium beginning April 16, will feature Lindner, Reid Anderson on bass, and Clarence Penn on drums. In all likelihood, the bandstand is where this material will really take flight. ~ David Adler   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/rhythm-of-life-claudia-acuna-verve-music-group-review-by-david-adler.php#.U3JSSShnAqY 

Personnel includes: Claudia Acuna (vocals); Sherman Irby (saxophone); Avi Leibovich (trombone, flute); Krista Bennion Feeney, Anca Nicolau (violin); Joanna Hood (viola); Myron Lutzke (cello); Sara Cutler (harp); Billy Childs, Jason Lindner (piano); Romero Lubambo (guitar); Dave Holland (bass); Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums); Luisito Quintero (percussion).

Sylvie Courvoisier, Ned Rothenberg, Julian Sartorius - Lockdown

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:31
Size: 113,7MB
Art: Front

( 8:45) 1. La Cigale
(12:50) 2. Outlander
( 8:44) 3. Requiem d'un Songe.mp3
( 5:33) 4. Deep Rabbit Hole
( 5:18) 5. Quarantina
( 4:53) 6. After Lunch
( 6:13) 7. Popcorn
( 5:57) 8. D'Agala

Recording in the studio in Switzerland, the trio of Sylvie Courvoisier on piano, Ned Rothenberg on alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet & Shakuhachi, and Julian Sartorius on drums & percussion perform a mix of compositions, with 3 from Courvoisier and 1 by Rothenberg, and 4 collective improvisations; a unified and accomplished album of diverse approaches to free improv.

"It's not the first time we can hear Sylvie Courvoisier and Ned Rothenberg playing together. Both of them were included in a trio with Mark Feldman also released by Clean Feed (In Cahoots, 2017). That listening made us hope for more. Here it is with another trio, this time with drummer Julian Sartorius as the third contributor.

Without a leader, and enlisting compositions from all the three members, this music reflects the present pandemic context, as the title, Lockdown, clearly suggests. There's a reflexive and introspective approach all along, with exquisite writing serving the collective improvisations and enabling lots of space for each musician to develop his/her own ideas.

Sometimes it's difficult to identify when the scores give place to spontaneity and vice-versa: the boundaries are always marked where we least expect, or the lines of separation (union, maybe?) aren't clearly defined, everything coming in a very natural flux. The musical situations gain several dimensions, sometimes adopting a narrative, almost cinematographic character, and others choosing more textural, impressionistic, procedures, but mainly combining the emanations of those two polarities in different and surprising ways. Convergence (for instance, the unisons between piano and sax (or bass clarinet, or shakuhachi) and divergence (the meticulous knittings provided by Sartorius are a good exemple) are constantly in equation, opening the possibilities for this endeavour that questions our innerselves and the strangeness of these days."~Clean Feed https://www.squidco.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=S&Product_Code=30299

Personnel: Sylvie Courvoisier Piano; Ned Rothenberg Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Shakuhachi; Julian Sartorius Drums, Percussion

Lockdown

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Gene Harris And The Philip Morris Superband - Live At Town Hall, N.Y.C.

Styles: Piano Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:39
Size: 151,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:41)  1. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
(4:42)  2. Creme De Menthe
(4:25)  3. When It's Sleepy Time Down South
(5:31)  4. Love Is Here To Stay
(6:39)  5. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
(6:41)  6. Serious Grease
(4:14)  7. Like A Lover
(5:05)  8. Old Man River
(5:57)  9. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
(6:26) 10. Porgy And Bess Medley: Strawberry Woman / I Loves You Porgy / It Ain't Necessarily So
(3:18) 11. You're My Everything
(3:48) 12. There Is No Greater Love
(4:06) 13. Things Ain't What They Used To Be

This CD documents one of the first concerts by Gene Harris' star-studded big band, an orchestra heard at the beginning of an 80-day world tour. Unlike his earlier big band Basie tribute album, Harris is not the only musician to get significant solo space on this set although, due to the overflowing lineup, not enough is heard from everyone. The straightforward arrangements (by John Clayton, Frank Wess, Torrie Zito, Bob Pronk and Lex Jasper) balance swingers with ballads. Among the more memorable tracks are Harry "Sweets" Edison's feature (both muted and open) on "Sleepy Time Down South," a pair of fine vocals apiece by Ernie Andrews and Ernestine Anderson, the roaring "Old Man River" and Harris' interpretation of Erroll Garner's ballad "Creme de Menthe." Toss in short solos from the likes of Ralph Moore, James Morrison (on trombone), Frank Wess, Michael Mossman and baritonist Gary Smulyan and the result is a satisfying, swinging and fairly fresh big band date.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-town-hall-nyc-mw0000202851

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone, Flute – Frank Wess, Jerry Dodgion;  Baritone Saxophone – Gary Smulyan;  Bass – Ray Brown;  Bass Trombone – Paul Faulise;  Drums – Jeff Hamilton;  Guitar – Herb Ellis;  Piano – Gene Harris;  Tenor Saxophone – Ralph Moore ;  Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet – James Moody; Trombone – Eddie Bert, James Morrison, Urbie Green;  Trumpet – Harry "Sweets" Edison, Joe Mosello, Johnny Coles, Michael Philip Mossman;  Vocals – Ernestine Anderson, Ernie Andrews .

Live At Town Hall, N.Y.C.

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Alex Sipiagin - Ascent to the Blues

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:12
Size: 156,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:53) 1. Dolphin's View
(5:25) 2. Blues for Wood
(5:27) 3. Doppio
(6:57) 4. Infant Eyes
(4:35) 5. Hindsight
(5:54) 6. No Doubts
(4:38) 7. Rush Hour
(8:39) 8. One More Shot
(9:16) 9. Novgorod Bells
(4:16) 10. Sandrigo Blues
(6:09) 11. Twelve More Bars to Go

Trumpeter Alex Sipiagin is no newcomer to jazz, but he also seems to have really grown as both a player and a leader in recent years deepening his sound sound with a sense of color and timing that we've never heard before, and really making the most of his comrades in a combo especially in a setting like this! The tunes are mostly all originals by Alex, delivered with a strong focus by the quintet a lineup that also features Diego Rivera on tenor, Art Hirihara on piano and Rhodes, Boris Kozlov on bass, and Rudy Royston on drums and percussion a group who work with an innate sort of energy throughout, really packing a heck of a lot into a small space while still allowing for plenty of individual moments of expression! Titles include "Dolphin's View", "Doppio", "Hindsight", "No Doubts", "Rush Hour", "Sandrigo Blues", and "Novorod Bells". © 1996-2022, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/112312

Ascent to the Blues

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