Saturday, January 14, 2023

Jan Lundgren Trio - Plays Cole Porter Love Songs

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:52
Size: 158,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:27) 1. I Love Paris
(5:15) 2. When Love Comes Around
(5:52) 3. You´re Be So Nice To Come Home To
(5:46) 4. So In Love
(5:36) 5. At Long Last Love
(7:33) 6. What Is This Thing Called Love
(8:06) 7. Everytime We Say Goodbye
(7:23) 8. Love For Sale
(5:48) 9. Easy To Love
(3:23) 10. True Love
(6:38) 11. I Love You

Lundgren, born in Kristianstad in southern Sweden on March 22nd 1966, and raised in Ronneby, Blekinge, had his first piano lessons at age five. He was soon discovered to have an exceptional musical talent. After a long period of classical training, he discovered jazz more or less by chance in the late 1980’s. He was instantly hooked, rapidly absorbed the jazz piano tradition from Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner to Bud Powell and Bill Evans, and acquired a depth of knowledge of the Great American Songbook like possibly no other European jazz pianist.

While sailing through his studies at the renowned Royal College of Music in Malmö, he also took up a busy schedule as a professional musician that quickly helped to build his reputation in Sweden. Discovered by Swedish bebop legend Arne Domnérus, he frequently played with other Swedish stars like Putte Wickman and Bernt Rosengren.

Lundgren’s debut album “Conclusion” was released in 1994, and propelled his career firmly forward. The following year saw the formation of the Jan Lundgren Trio with long time student associates Mattias Svensson (bass) and Rasmus Kihlberg (drums), who was replaced in the beginning of the year 2000 by the Dane Morten Lund. This steady band recorded seven well-received and commercially very successful albums for the Swedish label “Sittel” in the period up to 2003. The album “Swedish Standards”, released in 1997 even became a bestseller and reached a place in the Swedish pop charts. But the album “Landscapes” (2003) sold comparably and both releases soon became classics due to their linking Swedish folk music and jazz. The band’s intense tour schedule founds a temporary peak in a concert at Carnegie Hall as part of “Swedish Jazz salutes the USA”.

As a sideman, Lundgren has accompanied such greats as Johnny Griffin, Benny Golson, Herb Geller, James Moody, or singer Stacey Kent. He has also shared the stage with ACT-artist Ulf Wakenius a number of times. Jan Lundgren has been awarded a number of prizes since the early 90’s: In 1997 “Swedish Standards” became “best jazz album of the year”. He was nominated for the “Swedish Grammy” in 1995, 1997 and 2008 and the “Swedish Django d’Or Prize” in 1998, 2001 and 2002.

Having visited a long list of European territories and venues, Lundgren has also been on extended tours of Australia and Japan. He has visited the USA about 15 times and recorded some well-received albums for the label “Fresh Sound”. In 2006 Lundgren becomes part of the ACT family: Initially he was featured as a sideman on the Ida Sand album Meet Me Around Midnight (ACT 9716-2). In July 2007 he released his first ACT album Fresu – Galliano – Lundgren: Mare Nostrum (ACT 9466-2), followed by Magnum Mysterium (ACT 9457-2), which will be released in November of 2007.

In 2008 Lundgren could reap the fruits of his labour, and his Mare Nostrum was performed in front of sold out houses on prestigious stages throughout Europe (Salle Gaveau – Paris, Tonhalle – Zurich, Victoria Hall – Geneva, Teatro Dante Aligheri – Ravenna, S. Caecilia – Rome …) as well as at Jazz Baltica, the North Sea Jazz Festival, and the Istanbul Jazz Festival. There are many good reasons why the band has been called “the first European super group”.

In the same year Lundgren was honoured with the Swedish Django d’Or, and began a collaboration with the classical trumpet player H?kan Hardenberger and the Swedish writer Jacques Werup an exiting melange of modern classical and free music, of jazz and compositions of Jan Lundgren.

Lundgren also brought the Jan Lundgren 3io back to life in 2008, albeit with a new drummer, Zoltan Csörsz Jr who proved to be a truly lucky catch for the trio. A new repertoire has resulted in the new ACT album European Standards (ACT 9482-2) which will be released in Mai 2009 together with the re-release of Swedish Standards (ACT 9022-2) from the ACT Jazz Classics series.

Lundgren is part of a remarkable and long tradition of innovative pianists from Sweden like Jan Johansson who passed away early, and in more recent times Bobo Stenson and Esbjörn Svensson. Lundgren has never made life easy for himself, and has always tried to utilize his phenomenal technique to enhance his musicality. His ability to integrate the most disparate musical influences into a fascinating whole is unique in itself. Whether its contemporary classical music, the inexhaustible northern folk tradition or the pulsating groove of jazz, deeply rooted in Afro-American music: Lundgren has a unique way of leading the listener on a voyage of discovery sometimes relaxed, sometimes utterly invigorating through his highly individual soundscapes.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/jan-lundgren

Personnel: Piano – Jan Lundgren; Bass – Jesper Lundgaard; Drums – Alex Riel

Plays Cole Porter Love Songs

Al Haig - Al Haig Meets Master Bop Saxes

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:27
Size: 164,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:36)  1. Light Gray
(2:48)  2. Stoned
(2:45)  3. Matter and Mind
(2:36)  4. The Toup
(3:05)  5. In a Pinch
(3:07)  6. It's the Talk of the Town
(2:51)  7. Five Star
(2:29)  8. Sugar Hill Bop
(3:28)  9. Twisted
(3:21) 10. Southside
(4:38) 11. Easy Living
(4:07) 12. Sweet Lorraine
(2:34) 13. Pardon My Bop
(3:02) 14. As I Live and I Bop
(2:44) 15. Interlude in Bebop
(2:42) 16. Diaper Pin (Pinhead)
(2:26) 17. Skull Buster
(2:43) 18. Ante Room
(2:47) 19. Poop Deck
(3:20) 20. Pennies from Heaven
(2:49) 21. Indian Summer
(2:57) 22. Long Island Sound
(2:42) 23. Mar-cia
(2:39) 24. Crazy Chords

Al Haig was one of the primal bop pianists. He endures in perpetuity with the spirits of George Wallington, Joe Albany, Dodo Marmarosa, Bud Powell and Elmo Hope. In the year 2000, Definitive Classics came up with a beautiful album of Haig's collaborations with tenor saxophonists Wardell Gray and Stan Getz, recorded in 1948 and 1949. Gray's genius is at once refreshing, his logic irresistible. Getz, like Gray, was profoundly influenced by Lester Young, and Haig was in many respects the ideal collaborator for their brand of bop-to-cool progressive jazz. That's why this music feels so pleasant and natural up inside of your head. Putting Getz and Gray together with Haig as the backbone of the collection makes all the sense in the world. This is superlatively hip music, perfect for cooking, booking, commuting, computing, operating heavy machinery or slacking off and cutting loose like there's no tomorrow.
~ arwulf arwulf; http://www.allmusic.com/album/al-haig-meets-master-bop-saxes-mw0000609243

Personnel:  Al Haig (piano), Wardell Gray, Stan Getz (saxophone)

Al Haig Meets Master Bop Saxes

João Gilberto - The Best Hits

Styles: Brazilian Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:49
Size: 81,8 MB
Art: Front

(1:50) 1. A Primeira Vez
(1:15) 2. Bim Bom
(1:17) 3. Bolinha De Papel
(2:03) 4. Brigas Nunca Mais
(1:59) 5. Chega De Saudade
(2:00) 6. Corcovado
(1:55) 7. Desafinado
(1:50) 8. Discussão
(1:27) 9. Doralice
(1:55) 10. É Luxo Só
(2:14) 11. Hó-bá-lá-lá
(1:54) 12. Outra Vez
(1:51) 13. Presente De Natal
(2:03) 14. Rosa Morena
(2:19) 15. Samba Da Minha Terra
(1:37) 16. Samba De Uma Nota Só
(1:46) 17. Se É Tarde Me Perdoa
(1:47) 18. Só Em Teus Braços
(1:36) 19. Um Abraço No Bonfá

Born João Gilberto do Prado Pereira de Oliveira on June 10, 1931, in the town of Juázeiro in the northeastern state of Bahia, Brazil. His father was a wealthy merchant who insisted that all of his seven children receive an education. Gilberto defied his father's wishes however, devoting himself to music after receiving a guitar from his godfather at the age of 14.

By the age of 18, Gilberto had moved to Salvador, the capital of Bahia, where he sought to earn a living as a radio performer. While never finding major success as a solo artist on radio, he gained the attention of a member of the vocal group Garotos da Lua (Boys from the Moon), who performed regularly on Radio Tupi in Rio de Janeiro, and he was invited to join the group. Gilberto moved to Rio to replace the group's vocalist, Jonas Silva, whose subdued style displeased the group's artistic director. Ironically, Gilberto would later popularize a whisper-like vocal method highly reminiscent of Silva. Gilberto lasted only one year with Garotos da Lua. After showing up late or altogether missing several performances, the group fired him.

In 1955, Luis Telles, the leader of the traditional singing group Quitandinha Serenaders, with whom Gilberto had performed for a time, convinced Gilberto to move to Porto Alegre. From there, Gilberto moved to Diamantina, where he lived with his older sister, and her husband. There, Gilberto played music constantly, often practicing in the bathroom where the acoustics were best. It was in this environment that Gilberto developed his signature singing style, a quiet sound absent of vibrato that allowed him to most accurately set the tempo of his vocals to the rhythm of his guitar. In finessing his style, a variation on the traditional Brazilian samba, Gilberto incorporated the influences of several musical genres, both from Brazil and America.

Gilberto returned to Rio in 1956, where he renewed his acquaintance with musician and composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. In 1958, Gilberto recorded Jobim's composition "Chega de Saudade." Although Gilberto's intense demands in the studio significantly prolonged the recording session, the song was released on the Odeon label as a single along with "Bim-Bom" on July 10 of that year. While the record was not an immediate hit, it eventually gained widespread popularity and established bossa nova, which in English means "new wave," as an exciting new musical form. Gilberto released three albums in the bossa nova style over the next three years in his home country: “Chega de Saudade,” “O Amor, o Sorriso e a Flor,” (Love, Smile, and the Flower); and “João Gilberto,” all on Odeon. He exhibited the same exacting standards for his live performances as for his studio recordings, refusing to play in clubs where audiences talked while he was on stage.

American jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd discovered the music of Gilberto, Jobim and other bossa nova artists during a goodwill jazz tour of Latin America sponsored by the U.S. State Department. Byrd introduced the musical form to American jazz saxophonist Stan Getz, and the two recorded a top-selling bossa nova album together, “Jazz Samba.” The album spent 70 weeks on the American pop charts and hit number one. Gilberto moved to the United States in 1962, and in 1964, he and Getz recorded “Getz/Gilberto,” which featured the Jobim-penned bossa nova classic, "The Girl from Ipanema," sung by Gilberto's then-wife Astrud Gilberto. Both the album and the song earned Grammy Awards that year. Gilberto remained in the U.S. until 1980, with the exception of a two-year stay in Mexico. During his time in the U.S. and Mexico, he released only a handful of LPs, including the live album “Getz/Gilberto II,” (1966) “Joao Gilberto en México,” (1970) “João Gilberto,” (1973) “The Best of Two Worlds,” (1976) and “Amoroso.” (1977).

Gilberto returned to Brazil, where he came to be known as O Mito (the legend) and released several more albums, including “João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Olieira,” (1980) “Brasil,” with Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Maria Bethânia (1981) “Live in Montreux,” (1987) “Joao,” (1991) “Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar,” (I Know I'm Going to Love You, 1995) and “Joao Voz e Violao.” (2000).

Gilberto continues to perform, but only on occasion. He appeared at the JVC Jazz Festival at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1998 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first bossa nova single, and embarked on a U.S. tour in 2003.He remains an enigmatic figure, but his introduction, and contribution to Brazilian influenced jazz, cannot be denied. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/joao-gilberto

The Best Hits

Joan Chamorro - Joan Chamorro Presenta's Big Band Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Joan Chamorro Presenta's Big Band Disc 1
Styles: Mainstream Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:39
Size: 93,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:32) 1. There´s A Small Hotel
(5:16) 2. Avó
(5:47) 3. Na Baixa Do Sapateiro
(5:52) 4. Tennessee Waltz
(5:19) 5. Deed I Do
(3:44) 6. B-a-b-y
(5:44) 7. Squatty Roo
(4:22) 8. Lidian Thoughts

Album: Joan Chamorro Presenta's Big Band Disc 2
Time: 36:03
Size: 83,4 MB

(3:37) 1. Put Your Head On My Shoulder
(4:09) 2. I Concentrate On You
(4:26) 3. But Not For Me
(6:03) 4. Long Yellow Road
(4:20) 5. Deixa
(4:56) 6. There Is No Greater Love
(5:12) 7. Sense Pressa
(3:16) 8. Chega De Saudade

In 2021, the Barcelona Jazz Festival dedicated the artist portrait to me and I had 5 concerts. For one of them I had the idea of bringing together all the musicians with whom I had recorded a CD from the “presentas” collection. There were 15 musicians and I could almost form a big band: Andrea Motis, Eva Fernández, Magalí Datzira, Rita Payés, Marc Martín, Joan Mar Sauqué, Èlia Bastida, Joan Codina, Alba Armengou, Carla Motis, Joana Casanova, Jan Domènech, Marçal Perramon, Joan Martí and Alba Esteban.

I completed the sections with two trumpet players, Elsa Armengou and Gerard Peñaranda, a saxophonist, Koldo Munné (with whom I am currently recording his presentation CD), three trombonists (Claudia Rostey, Max Tato and Perot Rigau, and for the rhythm section I had the one who had been the first drummer of the SAJB: Arnau Julià.

Each of the musicians presented chose a theme. In most cases I asked for special arrangements for the occasion and Joan Monné was in charge of writing them. All the recordings I have made are important and make me feel proud and happy, but the one we made for JAZZING 12 VOL. 2, with practically all the musicians who had been members of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, and this one you are holding in your hands are really very special to me.

They are the summary of something important, of something wonderful; they are the summary of a precious dream that has no end. The music on this new CD is marvellous and we can hear the maturity they have all reached over the years. None of the protagonists of this work are now in the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, but I feel that each and every one of them will always be part of our history. A story of unwanted success, the result of constant work and of believing that jazz can be and is a music that young people can fall in love with. This big band was my dream and now, once again, it has become a reality. https://jazztojazz.com/en/product/joan-chamorro-presentas-big-band/

Musicians: Andrea Motis · Alba Esteban · Alba Armengou · Joan Mar Sauqué · Elsa Armengou · Gerard Peñaranda · Joan Martí · Joana Casanova · Eva Fernández · Èlia Bastida · Marçal Perramon · Koldo Munné · Rita Payés · Joan Codina · Max Tato · Perot Rigau · Claudia Rostey · Jan Domènech · Marc Martín · Magalí Datzira · Carla Motis · Arnau Julià · Joan Chamorro

Joan Chamorro Presenta's Big Band Disc 1, Disc 2