Brandon Goldberg - In Good Time

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:46
Size: 153,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:21) 1. Authority
( 5:45) 2. Circles
(10:35) 3. Time
( 3:36) 4. Nefertiti
( 6:03) 5. Monk's Dream
( 5:00) 6. Stella by Starlight
( 8:59) 7. El Procrastinador
( 7:12) 8. Someone to Watch over Me
( 9:08) 9. Ninety-Six
( 3:04) 10. Send in the Clowns

Pianist Brandon Goldberg may not have the seasoned years behind him yet, (In Good Time finds him brewing with ideas most fifteen-year-olds never tackle) but it is no more a beloved veteran than the late Ralph Peterson who, via a wisely archived voice mail, urges the young man "What's up Brandon, gimme a shout man we hook up later this week!" The drummer and cat supreme then wishes him "Peace" and a split second later the barnstorming, deftly pugilistic "Authority" kicks off Goldberg's emergent sophomore release.

It is a no-nonsense, full-on opener which finds Peterson and Goldberg squaring off and bolstering the springy unison lines of trumpeter Josh Evans and saxophonist Stacy Dillard before they too sail off headlong into solo land. The seemingly ever-present bass of Luques Curtis whose balancing tones can be heard on such fine recent releases as Lisa Hilton's Transparent Sky (Ruby Slippers Productions, 2021) and Peterson's affirmative, final recording as a leader, Raise Up Off Me (Onyx Productions, 2021) holds the fort and In Good Time moves blithely on from there.

Though definitely in a quintet state of mind, "Circles" becomes a stately, sepia-tinted meditation between Goldberg (whose ear for lyrical accompaniment again surpasses his age) and Dillard's fluid logistics. Peterson's controlled shadings and Evans' poignant announcement nearly steal "Time" but, vets that they are, the two give way to Goldberg's intuitive comping, before Evans (echoing his mentor Jackie McLean) blows the tune to its conclusion. The ensemble then vigorously take on Wayne Shorter's languid "Nefertiti" and jump particularly high on, what else, Thelonious Monk's heightened "Monk's Dream."

A perhaps too somber "Send In the Clowns" (with guest trumpeter Antoine Drye) closes the record, but it is the preceding two of Goldberg's five originals, the tempo crazy "El Procrastinador" and the snappy, spirited hijinks of "Ninety-Six" that continue Goldberg's evolution. Filled and fired by the pianist's wizened yet youthful enthusiasm, Dillard, Curtis, and Evans run the bop gamut on "Ninety-Six" while Peterson holds "El Procrastinator" to its 7/4 course, but burns the map along the way. That is how you teach the next generation. By Mike Jurkovic https://www.allaboutjazz.com/in-good-time-brandon-goldberg-self-produced

Personnel: Brandon Goldberg: piano; Josh Evans: trumpet; Stacy Dillard: saxophone; Luques Curtis: bass, acoustic; Ralph Peterson: drums; Antione Drye: trumpet.

In Good Time

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Cyrus Chestnut - Geniune Chestnut

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:24
Size: 127,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. The Brown Soldier
(4:14)  2. El Numero Tres
(5:21)  3. If
(4:27)  4. Ellen's Song
(4:42)  5. Mason Dixon Line
(5:03)  6. Baby Girl's Strut
(6:30)  7. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
(5:00)  8. Eyes On The Prize
(6:11)  9. Through The Valley
(5:37) 10. I'm Walkin'
(3:20) 11. Lord I Give Myself To You

One hardly thinks of age six as the start of a career in anything, but that's when pianist Cyrus Chestnut began his. As was the case with many musicians and singers, the church was his first gig. He played at Mount Calvary Baptist in Baltimore, and within three years, he was studying classical music at the Peabody Institute. Over the years, a variety of training and experiences led him to jazz. He worked alongside some modern jazz heavyweights like Terence Blanchard, Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea and Dizzy Gillespie, as well as vocalists Joe Williams and Betty Carter. Chestnut also has won numerous awards, including the Oscar Peterson and Quincy Jones scholarships, and The Basie Award. After years as a sideman, Chestnut became a leader, releasing his first album, There's a Brighter Day Comin', then The Nutman Speaks, The Nutman Speaks Again and Nut. Throughout his career, he's blended some straightforward jazz with covers of pop tunes, all in his own unique style. The foundation holds with his Telarc debut, Genuine Chestnut. The album begins with the delightful "The Brown Soldier. In addition to Chestnut's piano, the song highlights Russell Malone's guitar, with nods to Michael Hawkins on bass and Neal Smith on drums. As Chestnut explains, the song is about being a jazz soldier, playing day to day and putting a smile on someone's face with music. Hawkins' bass makes that seem easy as he sets up Malone's guitar solo. The third track, "If, features Malone and Chestnut in a tranquil cover of the popular hit by Bread. With subtle notes by Hawkins and drummer Neal Smith, the song has a traditional jazz feel. A hint of samba appears in "Ellen's Song, an original ballad. 

Chestnut honors tradition but delves in originality as well. A stop-time beat introduces "Mason Dixon Line, a high-energy piece that highlights Smith's pacing on the cymbals while Chestnut and Hawkins go for a ride. Percussionist Steve Kroon adds a Latin flavor to the playful "Baby Girl's Strut. Smith gets a bit more freedom on this one as he complements the leader. The elegant "Eyes on the Prize is the first of three inspirational pieces. While playing as a group, each musician charts his own course on this expression of freedom. And setting up the closer, "Lord, I Give Myself to You, Chestnut and his sidemen deliver a delightful cover of Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin', which features Malone. When Cyrus Chestnut plays, it's often difficult to tell which genre he's in, which is a good thing. Blending contemporary jazz, traditional jazz and gospel, plus the occasional seasonings of Latin and samba, he gives himself plenty of freedom to explore different emotions, while keeping the music in recognizable form. Add to that his apparent ease on the piano, and you've got a musician who really does know how to put a smile on your face. In listening to Genuine Chestnut, one gets the sense that he's smiling, too. ~ Woodrow Wilkins https://www.allaboutjazz.com/genuine-chestnut-cyrus-chestnut-telarc-records-review-by-woodrow-wilkins.php

Personnel: Cyrus Chestnut: piano; Michael Hawkins: bass; Neal Smith: drums; Steve Kroon: percussion; Russell Malone: guitar.

Geniune Chestnut

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Various - Capitol Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:07
Size: 135.4 MB
Styles: Vocal, Easy Listening
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[2:52] 1. Bobby Darin - Hello, Young Lovers
[3:11] 2. Jo Stafford - Some Enchanted Evening
[3:07] 3. Ray Anthony - The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[3:12] 4. Peggy Lee - Something Wonderful
[2:57] 5. Jeff Alexander Singers - Medley Happy Talk-Honey Bun
[2:56] 6. Helen O'connell - No Other Love
[2:44] 7. Al Martino - If I Loved You
[1:56] 8. Nancy Wilson - People Will Say We're In Love
[3:09] 9. The Andrews Sisters - Younger Than Springtime
[1:59] 10. Bobby Darin - Love Look Away
[2:49] 11. Jo Stafford - The Gentleman Is A Dope
[2:45] 12. The Starlighters - I Whistle A Happy Tune
[2:11] 13. Peggy Lee - I Enjoy Being A Girl
[1:58] 14. Tennessee Ernie Ford - My Favorite Things
[2:46] 15. Margaret Whiting - A Wonderful Guy
[3:06] 16. Dick Haymes - It Might As Well Be Spring
[2:32] 17. Nancy Wilson - Getting To Know You
[3:30] 18. Vic Damone - The Sound Of Music
[4:06] 19. Judy Garland - You'll Never Walk Alone
[5:12] 20. Sinfonia Of London - The Carousel Waltz

For nostalgia buffs and fans of the American popular song hit parade, here's a blast directly out of "this was your life": 20 tracks from the good old days of pop-cum-jazz via the Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein songbook bring you such talented -- but ultimately soft-soap -- singers as Peggy Lee, Al Martino, Vic Damone, and Judy Garland, vocal groups the Andrews Sisters and the Starlighters, a jazzier young Nancy Wilson, and the much hipper Bobby Darin. The funniest number is Jo Stafford's "The Gentleman Is a Dope," the weirdest is Tennessee Ernie Ford doing "My Favorite Things," and the most out-of-context cut is the finale by the Sinfonia of London? Quaintness and reverence for the old days does have an appeal, albeit limited in modern times, so if you wax poetic for this type of show tunes and don't have these artists in your home, this could fill the bill. ~Michael G. Nastos

Capitol Sings Rodgers & Hammerstein

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Eugenie Jones - Players Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Players Disc 1
Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:13
Size: 90,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:39) 1. I Got Rhythm
(5:31) 2. There Are Thorns
(6:40) 3. Multicolored Blue
(4:10) 4. Ultimo Baile En Casa
(5:16) 5. You Can Have Him
(5:19) 6. Skipping Under Starlight
(4:27) 7. The Gift Of Life
(5:08) 8. Ey Brother

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Album: Players Disc 2
Time: 30:33
Size: 70,4 MB

(4:50) 1. Sittin' At The Bar
(3:25) 2. Blue Skies
(4:25) 3. Red Dress
(5:17) 4. But I Do
(4:22) 5. As Long As
(4:26) 6. One More Night To Burn
(3:44) 7. Do I Move You

Youth is an overrated attribute in jazz. The advantages that accrue with a little mileage have been particularly evident in the emergence of several excellent women singers since the turn of the century, including René Marie, Gail Pettis, and Denise Donatelli. Eugenie Jones, a Seattle-area vocalist and songwriter, is a more-than-worthy addition to their ranks. She made a strong impression with her 2013 debut Black Lace Blue Tears and followed up with 2015’s confident and consistently engaging Come Out Swingin’. Her self-produced third album, Players, is more than impressive, pairing Jones with a far-flung, bicoastal, multi-generational cast of, well, players who sound deeply in sync with her aims. It’s a two-disc album focusing on her originals, and if every song isn’t set to a memorable melody, her fine-grained voice and keen attention to her collaborators keeps the ear piqued.

Highlights include Jones’ composition “Sittin’ at the Bar,” a skillfully etched scene of a woman seeking musical succor at the end of a long day. Accompanied by pianist James Weidman, bassist Reggie Workman, drummer Bernard Purdie, trombonists Julian Priester and Jovan Johnson, and tenor saxophonist Asaf Even Zur, Jones sounds right at home among the august company. “Red Dress,” a passionate self-embrace, pairs her lustrous voice with Marquis Hill’s poised and silky trumpet. She’s equally effective on standards, from a funky arrangement of Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies” to a world-weary take on his kiss-off “You Can Have Him.”
By Andrew Gilbert https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/eugenie-jones-players-openmic/

Players Disc 1, Disc 2

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