Bob Dorough & Bill Takas - Beginning to See the Light

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:58
Size: 105,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:39) 1. Simon Smith and the Dancing Bear
(5:48) 2. Better Than Anything
(6:58) 3. I'm Beginning to See the Light
(5:25) 4. A Hundred Years from Today
(2:53) 5. I'm Hip
(4:44) 6. Nothing Like You
(3:41) 7. Small Day Tomorrow
(4:52) 8. Norwegian Wood
(3:51) 9. Because We're Kids
(5:01) 10. I've Got Just About Everything

This CD reissue from Bob Dorough's label Laissez-Faire reissues a 1976 appearance at Concerts by the Sea. The pianist-vocalist performs duets with bassist Bill Takas that range from a couple of children's songs ("Simon Smith and the Dancing Bear" and Dr. Seuss' "Because We're Kids") to remakes of such "hits" as "Better than anything," "I'm Hip" and "I've Got Just About Everything." In general this concert gives one a good all-round picture of Dorough's singing and piano talents; an acquired taste that is worth developing. By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/beginning-to-see-the-light-mw0000964246


Personnel: Bass – Bill Takas; Piano, Vocals – Bob Dorough

Beginning to See the Light

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Stacey Kent - Summer Me, Winter Me

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:50
Size: 119,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:05) 1. Summer Me, Winter Me
(4:25) 2. La valse des lilas
(5:09) 3. Thinking About the Rain
(4:21) 4. Under Paris Skies
(4:55) 5. If You Go Away
(3:52) 6. Happy Talk
(3:19) 7. Show Me
(5:02) 8. Postcard Lovers
(5:50) 9. Corcovado
(5:12) 10. A Song That Isn't Finished Yet
(4:35) 11. Ne me quitte pas

With her album sales measured in millions, Stacey Kent is one of the great success stories in modern jazz. Her multi-lingual abilities allow her to record in various languages and she has appeared in over fifty countries. Her appeal is global and it is her vocal ability which has taken her to these heights. Her voice is light but commands attention with her ability to engage and communicate the narratives of love and regret, often in a simple and minimalist manner.

This album came about as a result of the material used in her live sets. Often that material had not been formally recorded. In response to audience requests, those songs have been arranged and recorded on Summer Me, Winter Me.

The album includes two original songs written by Cliff Goldmacher and Kent's husband, Jim Tomlinson. Tomlinson also arranged all the tracks as well as playing tenor saxophone, flutes, clarinet, percussion and keyboards. The rest of the tracks are jazz standards with the exception of one track which has lyrics by Nobel Prize-winning author, Kazuo Ishiguro. The album was recorded over three sessions with different piano, bass and drum trios. There is also a string quartet on one track.

Of the original songs, the stand-out is "Thinking About the Rain." Kent's phrasing and vocal clarity all suit the narrative perfectly. There is consummate support from Tomlinson's flute with neat prompting from drummer Anthony Pinciotti. Another high point comes with the bittersweet ballad "Postcard Lovers" which has lyrics by Ishiguro and previously appeared on the live album, Dreamer In Concert (Blue Note, 2012). Tomlinson effectively revises his original music to enhance the song.

Surprisingly, there are two versions of the same song by Jacques Brel, but with different arrangements and in different languages. The original French version of "Ne me quitte pas" is stark and sad, the English version, "If You Go Away," a little lighter with the string quartet in the background. In contrast and regardless of whether it is familiar from the version by Ella Fitzgerald, Captain Sensible or Bloody Mary, "Happy Talk" is light-hearted, upbeat and fun with a sax solo from Tomlinson. Elsewhere there are songs composed by Michel Legrand, Lerner & Loewe, Rodgers & Hammerstein and others.

There is no unnecessary adornment to these songs yet they create the perfect ambience for Kent to deliver her delicate interpretations. Her voice has effortless swing and finds warmth and compassion in every track. The musicians show restraint and perform to highlight Kent's vocal. The album offers a great deal to enjoy and her success story goes from strength to strength.By Neil Duggan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/summer-me-winter-me-stacey-kent-naive

Summer Me, Winter Me

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Chris Botti - Vol. 1

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:03
Size: 108,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:50) 1. Danny Boy
(5:16) 2. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
(3:52) 3. Two For The Road
(4:17) 4. Paris
(3:25) 5. Blue In Green
(4:42) 6. Someday My Prince Will Come
(6:23) 7. Time On My Hands
(6:11) 8. My Funny Valentine
(4:13) 9. Fix You
(5:50) 10. Old Folks

Chris Botti has a beautiful tone. His trumpet is clear, warm and caring, particularly on slow tunes. He has been recording since 1979, and his first album as a leader, First Wish, was recorded in 1995. Along the way, he has performed and recorded with jazz stars as well as Lady Gaga, Sting, Paul Simon and Joni Mitchell, among others. His new album Vol. 1 (Blue Note) is a cozy collection of ballads.

Produced by David Foster, Vol. 1 features performances by violinist Joshua Bell, pianist Taylor Eigsti, guitarist Gilad Hekselman, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, and others. The tracks are Danny Boy; Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered; Two for the Road, Paris (with John Splithoff on vocal), Blue in Green, Time on My Hands, My Funny Valentine, Coldplay's Fix You and Old Folks.

A few weeks ago, I had a 50-minute Zoom with Chris for my WSJ “House Call" column. Chris lives in Thermal, Calif., at the Thermal Club, a private residential community that sits on a motorsport track. Chris own three sport cars a Porsche GT4 RS, a Porsche GT4 with a DeMan 4.5-liter engine, and a McLaren 720S.

He loves driving fast, without the fear of traffic or police stops. For Chris, though, the cars and track aren't really about speed. As he confessed to me, he simply loves the sound of the engines running hard, which he likened to “an exhilarating symphony."

What you'll love about his new album is the far off, ruminating sound of his horn. It's of the season, when we prepare to spend more time indoors and think back in time, remembering events, friends and family. Growing up, Chris enjoyed being solitary and worked hard at young ago to play the cornet and then the trumpet. Hanging out just wasn't of interest to him.

His early inspirations were Doc Severinsen and then Miles Davis, during the trumpeter's pre-fusion years. As Chris siad, “Unlike other trumpeters, Miles’s sound was tender, dark and nocturnal. There was a human quality about it."

The recording that first hooked Chris on the trumpet was the theme from Brian's Song, a 1971 TV movie, as played by Severinsen on Henry Mancini and Doc Severinsen: Brass on Ivory. Here it is...

Here's two hour of Chris with Ben Butler on guitar, Caroline Campbell on violin, Sy Smith and Jo Lawry on vocals, Abdelrhani Krija on percussion, Richard Goods on bass, Ben Stivers on keyboards, Lee Pearson II on drums, Geoffrey Keezer on piano and Sting on vocals and bass...By Marc Myers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/chris-bottis-new-album-vol-1/

Vol. 1

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