Muriel Grossmann - Quiet Earth

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:17
Size: 92,8 MB
Art: Front

(11:05) 1. Wien
( 9:09) 2. African Call
( 8:34) 3. Peaceful River
(11:28) 4. Quiet Earth

Anyone familiar with Tibetan Buddhism will know that once their spiritual leader or Dalai Lama dies, officials set off in search of his reincarnation, interviewing and examining potential postulants. Listening to Quiet Earth by Austrian saxophonist Muriel Grossmann one cannot help but ask if she might be the reincarnation or avatar of the late John Coltrane. Certainly that is one heavy label to place upon Grossmann but, a few minutes into the opener "Wien," and there is little doubt this artist has the proper bona fides.

The composition carries that A Love Supreme (Impulse!, 1965) vibe with a reverence for the ethereal. She is backed by her longtime collaborators, guitarist Radomir Milojkovic, bassist Gina Schwarz, and drummer Uros Stamenkovic, plus organist Llorenc Barcelo who came aboard for the previous release Reverence (2019). Both recordings are available as CDs from Dreamlandrecords or as 200 gram LPs from RR GEMS. "Wien" doesn't parrot that Coltrane masterpiece, it expands upon the concept with Barceló's organ pointing towards the spiritual jazz of Larry Young, and Milojkovic's guitar chewing on some Delta blues.

Like every succession of the Dalai Lama, Grossmann's music carries not just the previous incarnation but also its lineage. "African Call" travels back to the roots of jazz to its motherland, Stamenkovic and Schwarz laying down the rhythms that fuelled the birth of blues, jazz, and rock. If one need more proof of Grossmann's incarnation, "Peaceful River" first finds her on soprano before swapping to tenor saxophone, as its Gospel blues expands into a kind of awakened devotional music where Stamenkovic works his ride cymbal very much in the manner of Elvin Jones. The title track opens with Grossmann drawing first from Ornette Coleman's sound before returning to the Coltrane spirit with her soprano saxophone. Her quartet blossoms with sleek solos by Milojkovic and Barceló before a brief saxophone, bass and drums improvisation acts as a kind of coming attractions preview. By Mark Corroto https://www.allaboutjazz.com/quiet-earth-muriel-grossman-rr-gems-dreamlandrecords

Personnel: Muriel Grossmann: saxophone; Radomir Milojkovic: guitar, electric; Gina Schwarz: bass; Uros Stamenkovic: drums; Llorenc Barcelo: organ, Hammond B3.

Quiet Earth

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Peggy Connelly - Hollywood Sessions

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:56
Size: 108,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:03)  1. You Make Me Feel So Young
(2:42)  2. Trouble Is a Man
(3:08)  3. Where Did the Gentleman Go
(2:26)  4. I Have Said Goodbye to Spring
(2:54)  5. What Is There to Say
(2:30)  6. Trav'lin' Light
(3:18)  7. Ev'rytime We Say Goodbye
(3:17)  8. Alone Together
(2:42)  9. I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'
(2:25) 10. Fools Rush In
(2:10) 11. Ev'rytime
(2:47) 12. Gentleman Friend
(4:27) 13. It Never Entered My Mind
(2:59) 14. Why Shouldn't I
(3:14) 15. That Old Black Magic
(2:45) 16. He Was Too Good to Me

By the time she was 15, Peggy Connelly (1931-2007) had a lovely voice that won her jobs singing with competitive big bands in her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. At 18, she went in search of work as a model and singer, and after a difficult start, she moved to Hollywood. Once there, she landed two significant opportunities. The first involved her appearance in motion pictures and TV shows. The second and more important opportunity was the start of her career as a single recording artist. When she sang, Connelly put to good use her beautiful, round tone and commendable lack of artifice to project the intent of any song with lucidity. She was Frank Sinatra’s girlfriend for over two years, and their relationship opened many doors for her with musicians and the Hollywood studios. Even though Connelly had few significant opportunities in her career to show off her talent as a singer, the times she did resulted in these magnificent recordings. Sinatra, not very fond of praising his colleagues, had no qualms about praising Connelly. When he first heard her sing Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye, he said: “Hi, beautiful lady, you are wonderful.” https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/peggy-connelly/6707-hollywood-sessions.html

Personnel:  Peggy Connelly (vcl), Marty Paich, Russell Garcia (dir), Conte Candoli, Pete Candoli, Stu Williamson (tp), Russ Cheever (ss), Charlie Mariano (as), Bill Holman (ts), Jimmy Giuffre (bs), Al Hendrickson (g), Jimmy Rowles (p), Harry Babasin, Max Bennett (b), Roy Harte, Stan Levey (d), Jack Costanzo, Ramón Rivera, Willy Gallardo (perc)

Hollywood Sessions

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Joey DeFrancesco - Joey DeFrancesco Plays Sinatra His Way

Styles: Hard Bop, Soul Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:25
Size: 122,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:38) 1. I Get a Kick out of You
(5:58) 2. Teach Me Tonight
(5:23) 3. Pennies from Heaven
(6:47) 4. What's New
(6:05) 5. Witchcraft
(5:37) 6. What Now My Love
(6:21) 7. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
(5:22) 8. Falling in Love with Love
(6:09) 9. Angel Eyes

Although he’s been on the Concord label for several years now, it seems that the well spring of material that Joey DeFrancesco cut for Joe Fields’ HighNote imprimatur continues to be harvested with the latest offering being this 1998 session recorded in 24-bit digital splendor by the legendary Rudy Van Gelder. Don’t look for the title on this one to provide much more than a unifying element for the tunes included, which just happen to be numbers that ‘Ol’ Blue Eyes’ recorded at some point during the span of his career. Known to vocalize somewhat himself, DeFrancesco does no singing here either. The emphasis is on the type of hard swinging groove music that has always been this organist’s main form of expression.

In the company of Houston Person (who led DeFrancesco to the Muse label many years ago), guitarist Melvin Sparks, and longtime drummer Byron Landham, our leading man delivers nine selections that all clock in at around the five to six minute length. With its clever opening vamp, “Pennies From Heaven” finds DeFrancesco at his boppish best, with Sparks weighing in with his own juicy chords in support (as well as a solo that includes a clever “shave and a hair cut” quote to boot). At the start of his career I happened to interview Joey and he commented on how much he dug the bass lines of Groove Holmes. That he’s developed his own way with those foot pedals is clear on this performance alone.

There’s really no need to analyze each individual track here, as anyone even remotely familiar with DeFrancesco will be aware of his mastery of the mighty B-3. Van Gelder’s sound job brings Joey and the guys right into your living room. This no frills affair may be short on the revolutionary, but it will surely please fans of DeFrancesco, Person, and Sparks.
By C. Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/plays-sinatra-his-way-joey-defrancesco-review-by-c-andrew-hovan

Personnel: Joey DeFrancesco (organ), Houston Person (tenor sax), Melvin Sparks (guitar), Byron Landham (drums)

Joey DeFrancesco Plays Sinatra His Way

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Judith Owen - Come On & Get It

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:09
Size: 127,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:28) 1. Blossom's Blues
(2:52) 2. Satchel Mouth Baby
(3:37) 3. The Spinach Song
(2:55) 4. Tess's Torch Song
(5:57) 5. He's a Tramp
(3:52) 6. He's a Real Gone Guy
(3:03) 7. Big Long Slidin' Thing
(3:16) 8. Fine Brown Frame
(2:47) 9. Everything I've Got Belongs to You
(4:12) 10. Come on & Get It, Honey
(4:57) 11. Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast
(3:28) 12. Why Don't You Do Right?
(3:03) 13. Snatch & Grab It
(3:36) 14. Long John Blues

Welsh singer-pianist Judith Owen now lives in New Orleans. She’s recorded and toured with Richard Thompson and she supported Bryan Ferry during his UK tour.

Owen became intrigued as a young girl by the risqué lyrics of female vocalists after finding records by Nellie Lutcher and Julia Lee that had been hidden by her father. Come On & Get It (Owen’s 13th album) celebrates these and kindred singers like Dinah Washington and Blossom Dearie who delivered similarly suggestive songs in the 40s and 50s. One of them, Julie London’s Nice Girls Don’t Stay For Breakfast, was actually first recorded in 1967, but no one’s complaining.

In keeping with the spirit of things, just as Julia Lee’s band was called “Her Boyfriends”, Owen refers to hers as “Her Gentlemen Callers”. On cornet is Kevin Louis who’s played with Jimmy Heath, Carmen Lundy and Gary Bartz amongst others. His splendid accompaniments are much in the manner of John Chilton’s trumpet playing with that other salty songster, George Melly. The excellent David Torkanowsky (Cyrille Aimée) is on piano; Lex Warshawsky (Cyrille Aimée and Adonis Rose) is on bass and in-demand Pedro Segundo (Ronnie Scott’s All Stars, Dennis Rollins and Kansas Smitty) is on drums. For a taste, try this: Blossom’s Blues.

Every song on the album is a gem delivered with crystal clear intonation by Owen and superb musicianship from the band. There are guest artists along the way who I understand to include 89-year-old Preservation Hall Jazz Band reedsman Charlie Gabriel, Donald Harrison Jr, Jason Marsalis, Nicholas Payton, Evan Christopher and saxophonist Ricardo Pascal. I think they mostly feature in the recording’s three big-band numbers and there’s great saxophone playing on some of the tracks but unfortunately there’s a lack of detail about any of the artists on the promotional CD that I received. Perhaps more information will be on the commercially available issue. Either way, it’s a smashing album and highly recommended.https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2022/10/04/judith-owen-come-on-get-it/

Come On & Get It

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