Naama Gheber - Dearly Beloved

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:15
Size: 133,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:34) 1. Dearly Beloved
(5:00) 2. So in Love
(2:36) 3. S Wonderful
(4:19) 4. Since I Fell for You
(5:00) 5. I Can't Give You Anything but Love
(4:02) 6. Get out of Town
(4:56) 7. This Time the Dream's on Me
(3:56) 8. You Stepped out of a Dream
(5:01) 9. What's New
(4:18) 10. Just Squeeze Me
(3:48) 11. Sometimes I'm Happy
(4:08) 12. Good Night My Love
(3:22) 13. Exactly Like You
(4:08) 14. Good Night My Love (Layla Tov)

Cabaret singer? Jazz singer? Pop singer?

The splendid debut from Israeli singer Naama Gheber recalls a time when such distinctions were utterly without meaning. "Dearly Beloved" finds her inhabiting the same territory as such classic crossover singers as June Christy, Peggy Lee and Lena Horne. Of course, for that generation, jazz WAS the popular music when they were coming up, and it underpinned and influenced the stage and film soundtracks of the day as well so there was a common musical currency.

For the 28-year-old Gheber, her approach was obviously more intentional than subconsciously ingrained. And yet, whatever her path, the result is remarkably organic: Possessed of a rich, beautiful tone, and relaxed and conversational in delivery, the performance is imbued with a joyful naturalness that makes it seem she's simply telling us a story.

The material certainly doesn't hurt: Gershwin, Porter, Kern, Ellington, Arlen. And she chose wisely: Time-burnished standards like "'S Wonderful" and "This Time The Dream's On Me" are interspersed with equally evocative but lesser-known tunes like the title track by Jerome Kern and Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter's "Get Out of Town," or "Sometimes I'm Happy" by Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar. The backing band is equal to the material and to Gheber's singing.

Pianist Ray Gallon isn't a nationally prominent name but should be. His playing behind Gheber is simultaneously sparkling and complementary, recalling some of the great accompanists: the superb Paul Smith (Ella Fitzgerald), Bill Miller (Frank Sinatra), or Ralph Sharon (Tony Bennett). He'll comp softly behind Gheber or vibraphonist Steve Nelson so on-point that you barely realize he's there, but then his own solos and lead passages are brilliant riffs on the melodic theme that left this listener wondering where HIS debut as leader is? Nelson's vibes lend a supper-club sheen to an outing that is already dripping in elegance.

Bassist David Wong and drummer Aaron Kimmel cue off each other throughout, providing a supple, rippling undercurrent that is a study in understated but unmistakable swing it's the foundation for everything wonderful that happens here. Few singers ever achieve the sense of mastery Gheber exhibits on her first outing: Supremely confident, in control, unafraid to surround herself with the kind of talent that might intimidate a lesser singer. It is an exhilarating experience to listen to this new voice here's hoping this is only the beginning of a lifelong body of work. By Jim Trageser
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dearly-beloved-naama-gheber-cellar-music__13581

Personnel: Naama Gheber: voice / vocals; Steve Nelson, vibraphone (tracks 1, 5, 8, 10, 12); Ray Gallon, piano; David Wong, bass; Aaron Kimmel, drums.

Dearly Beloved

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Tony Bennett - Blue Velvet

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:05
Size: 83,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:03) 1. Blue Velvet
(2:47) 2. I Won't Cry Anymore
(3:10) 3. Have A Good Time
(3:01) 4. Congratulations To Someone
(3:06) 5. Here Comes That Heartache Again
(2:23) 6. While We're Young
(3:20) 7. Solitaire
(3:07) 8. My Heart Won't Say Goodbye
(2:52) 9. Until Yesterday
(3:08) 10. Funny Thing
(3:14) 11. May I Never Love Again
(2:49) 12. It's So Peaceful In The Country

Through Tony Bennett's long, remarkable career, it's possible to trace the evolution and endurance of vocal pop and jazz in the 20th century. Unlike his idol Frank Sinatra, Bennett was too young to be part of the first wave of the Great American Songbook in the years before World War II. He achieved his national breakthrough in 1951, when the charts were dominated by soft-focused orchestral pop and novelties, music that Bennett himself would often sing during his early years.

Occasionally, he was given the opportunity to sing jazz while recording for Columbia in the '50s, but it was a pop song that turned him into a superstar in 1962: "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," a song styled after the classic pop of the pre-war era. "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" turned into an enduring standard of the 20th century but, for a while, its popularity eclipsed that of the singer who popularized the tune. Bennett didn't weather the '60s well, thanks to record companies who attempted to modernize his sound, and while he had an artistically fruitfully '70s on his short-lived independent label Improv, he recorded albums with pianist Bill Evans that established his jazz bona fides he suffered a series of personal problems that left him at rock bottom at the dawn of the '80s.

It was then he achieved one of the greatest comebacks in pop music history. Hiring his son Danny as his manager, he reunited with his music director/pianist Ralph Sharon and began targeting younger audiences without shedding his longtime fans. This strategy paid off in the '90s, when 1992's Perfectly Frank topped Billboard's jazz charts and went Gold. Bennett's crossover to the pop mainstream seemed to culminate with 1994's MTV Unplugged, an unexpected hit that took home the Grammy for Album of the Year, but it turned out his revival was no flash in the pan. Bennett stayed in the spotlight until the '90s, not only maintaining his audience but building it through a series of duets with stars as diverse as Lady Gaga and Diana Krall. His partners may have changed along with the times, but through it all, Bennett remained a skilled, charismatic practitioner and vocal advocate for classic American pop.

The son of a grocer, Tony Bennett was born Anthony Dominick Benedetto on August 3, 1926. Raised in Astoria, Queens by Italian emigrates his father John was a recent arrival from Reggio Calabria, his mother Anna was born to natives of the Calabria region who headed to the States in 1899 Bennett suffered from poverty and ill fortune as a child, yet he also cultivated an interest in art and music. By the time his father died when Tony was ten, he was already singing professionally, notably performing alongside Mayor Fiorello La Guardia at the opening of the Triborough Bridge in 1936. As a teenager, Bennett had several gigs as a singing waiter and he enrolled in New York's School of Industrial Art, studying music and painting. When times got tight in his family, he dropped out of school to support his mother and siblings, making money once again as a singing waiter.

Bennett was drafted into the Army in 1944, during the final year of World War II. Stationed in Europe, he saw combat in France and Germany; he was also part of the liberation of a Nazi concentration camp outside of Landsberg. Staying in Germany as part of the occupying force, he sang in a Special Services band before his discharge in 1946. Upon returning home, he attended the American Theatre Wing under the G.I. Bill, all the while working as a singing waiter.

During 1949, Bennett's career began to take off. While working under the stage name Joe Bari, he recorded a version of George & Ira Gershwin's "Fascinating Rhythm" for Leslie, a single that didn't go anywhere but did coincide with the singer catching the attention of Pearl Bailey. She hired him to open for her at a Greenwich Village concert, which was attended by comedian Bob Hope. Taken by the singer then known as Joe Bari, Hope invited the vocalist on tour on the provision he change his name. Deeming Anthony Bendedetto too long for a marquee, Hope shortened the singer's name to Tony Bennett.

Things began to happen quickly for Bennett after this point. In 1950, he recorded a demo of "The Boulevard of Broken Dreams," on the basis of which Mitch Miller signed him to Columbia Records. The label was steeling itself for the departure of Frank Sinatra, who feuded often with Miller. Bennett eased into his vacancy by singing chart-friendly pop tunes, starting with "Because of You," which was buttressed by an arrangement by Percy Faith. It reached number one in September 1951, followed quickly by a cover of Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart." This single also reached number one, its success often cited as elevating Hank Williams' reputation outside of the South and country music circles. "Cold Cold Heart" also proved Bennett wasn't a one-hit wonder, either.

During 1952, he racked up three hit singles, the biggest of which was "Here in My Heart," which peaked at 15, and he reached the top of the charts again in 1953 with "Rags to Riches," which was followed quickly by the number two single "Stranger in Paradise," a song taken from the Broadway musical Kismet. Bennett charted regularly over the next two years, with a handful of songs breaking into the Top 10 "There'll Be No Teardrops Tonight" and "Cinnamon Sinner," both from 1954 before the pop charts were changed irrevocably in 1956 by the rise of rock & roll. More... By Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-bennett-mn0000006334/biography

Blue Velvet

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Lew Tabackin & Warne Marsh - Tenor Gladness

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:08
Size: 89,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:47) 1. Basic No. 2
(6:03) 2. Easy
(6:23) 3. March Of The Tadpoles
(8:22) 4. Hangin' Loose
(3:59) 5. New-ance
(7:31) 6. Basic 1

A great little session that features some of the best 70s work from these two tenorists a great little record that has Warn Marsh and Lew Tabackin really opening up next to each other! Toshiko Akiyoshi produced the album for the pair and although she plays piano on one track, most of the set is piano-less and opens with this great reed interplay over rhythms from Larry Bunker on drums and John Heard on bass a very cool setting that's kind of an update of older west coast modes, but with more 70s edges overall! Titles include "Basic #2", "Easy", "March Of The Tadpoles", and "Hangin Loose".
© 1996-2022, Dusty Groove, Inc.https://www.dustygroove.com/item/106220/Lew-Tabackin-Warne-Marsh:Tenor-Gladness

Personnel: Lew Tabackin, Warne Marsh – tenor saxophone; Toshiko Akiyoshi – piano; John Heard – bass; Larry Bunker – drums

Tenor Gladness

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Josh Lawrence - Call Time

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:34
Size: 68,5 MB
Art: Front

(0:43) 1. Paradise In Blue
(4:53) 2. Pumpkin Pi
(4:18) 3. Silver's Drag
(3:52) 4. Sam I Am
(5:36) 5. Cornbred
(8:38) 6. Black Bottom's Up
(1:30) 7. Paradise In Blue Reprise

Josh Lawrence is releasing Call Time, his latest Posi-Tone Records project, with seven tracks of a broad palette of qualities and textures. The trumpeter brings a quintet for his fourth album for Posi-Tone, the ever-present Posi-Tone team of bassist Boris Kozlov and pianist Art Hirahara, rounded out with drummer Jason Tiemann and saxophonist Willie Morris. Together the five musicians form a pleasing unit that focuses on group communication and musical expression.

“Paradise In Blue” opens with a rubato melody in which Lawrence’s warm trumpet tone will inspire you to listen to the following selection, “Pumpkin Pi,” a delightful medium swing composition. The two-horn melody is memorable as Lawrence and Morris flow with a relaxed swing. Lawrence’s improvisational style flows from the Miles Davis lineage, where the focus is time feel, melody, and space. His warm tone and clarity of pitch are other highlights of his style. The ensemble swings and Lawrence performs a delightful solo.

Celebrating the hard-bop sound of the 50s is “Black Bottom’s Up.” Lawrence does an excellent job of making the “Oleo” styled approach from the Miles Davis Quintet work very well here. His Harmon mute tone is round and resilient as he mixes blues with bop lines to outline the rhythm changes clearly. Hirahara does not play on this track, and hearing Lawrence and Morris perform with just bass and drums accompaniment lets you hear their harmonic/melodic language.

Call Time is a very musical and stylish set from Lawrence. His tone and melodic approach are modern while still being imbued in the classic 50s and 60s jazz heritage. The ensemble is a strong unit, and everyone plays well with each other and communicates beautifully. Though this is not Lawrence’s regular working ensemble, they still have chemistry, but I do wonder how his regular ensemble would sound performing this set. Lawrence is a beautifully clear trumpet player and one you should have on your radar. By Sylvannia Garutch https://thejazzword.com/2022/09/josh-lawrence-call-time-review/

Personnel: Josh Lawrence – trumpet; Willie Morris – tenor saxophone; Art Hirahara – piano; Boris Kozlov – bass; Jason Tiemann – drums

Call Time

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