Stanley Jordan - Relaxing Music For Difficult Situations, I

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:51
Size: 146,2 MB
Art: Front

(63:51) 1. Relaxing Music For Difficult Situations, I

Stanley Jordan's discovery in the early '80s rightfully earned a lot of headlines in the jazz world as he came up with a new way of playing guitar. Although he was not the first to use tapping, Jordan's extensive expertise gave him the ability to play two completely independent lines on the guitar (as if it were a keyboard) or, when he wanted, two guitars at a time. He had originally studied piano, although he switched to guitar when he was 11.

After graduating from Princeton in 1981, Jordan played for a time on the streets of New York. Soon he was discovered, had the opportunity to play with Benny Carter and Dizzy Gillespie, and, after recording a solo album for his own Tangent label, signed with Blue Note. Since then, his career has been surprisingly aimless. Stanley Jordan can play amazing jazz, but he often wastes his talent on lesser material, so one has to be picky in deciding which of his recordings to acquire.

Among his many albums are 1985's Magic Touch, 1986's Standards, Vol. 1, 1990's Stolen Moments, 1994's Bolero, 2003's Dreams of Peace, and 2008's State of Nature. In 2011, Jordan was joined by an all-star lineup featuring saxophonist Kenny Garrett, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Kenwood Dennard for the album Friends. In 2015, Jordan paired up with fellow guitarist Kevin Eubanks for the eclectic, laid-back covers album Duets, which also showcased his piano skills.
By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/stanley-jordan-mn0000011910#biography

"Music is neurologically processed on different levels," explains Karen Goodman, director of the nearly 40-year-old music therapy program at Montclair State University.

Because music can be processed by several parts of the brain, it can be used as a therapeutic tool, reaching areas of the brain that speech cannot. ("Music begins where words end," as Goethe also noted, long before brain imaging proved him right.)

But what about everyday applications? If music is effective in clinical settings, might it also help you figure out your next step in a crisis or coax your body into action in the midst of despair?

Guitarist Stanley Jordan is among those who believes it can. Several years ago, Jordan sat down with his guitar and played for more than an hour to deal with his anxiety before undergoing extensive dental work.

The result was "Relaxing Music for Difficult Situations," a CD he produced independently while taking a break from the commercial music scene.

"I did this one recording for myself because I had to relax before going to the dentist," Jordan said during a recent telephone interview from his home in Sedona, Ariz. "I had to go for three days of dental work, so I needed something really powerful."

But rather than hearing nervous anxiety in his music, Jordan heard melancholy. "I realized that I was sad because I was disappointed in myself," he said. "The fact that I was having problems with my teeth made it evident that I wasn't really loving myself and taking care of myself."

His music, he said, helped him see the problem in a different light.

https://www.nj.com/homegarden/entertaining/2008/09/guitarist_stanley_jordan_offer.html

Relaxing Music For Difficult Situations, I

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Anna Margolina - One Endless Night

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:05
Size: 101,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:45) 1. One Endless Night
(5:04) 2. Mirror Of Me
(5:03) 3. Motherless Child (Feat. Lisa Buchholz)
(5:57) 4. Shadows And Light (Feat. Lisa Buchholz)
(5:52) 5. Cold Waters
(4:32) 6. Life As A Lie
(5:56) 7. Hiding
(5:53) 8. Chaos And I

Anna Margolina’s debut album, One Endless Night, was released under the XJAZZ!Music label in June 2023 is an auditory journey that encapsulates the emotions and experiences of her immigration from Minsk to Berlin. As a work of exquisite musical storytelling, it portrays Margolina’s unique life trajectory through a mélange of captivating jazz compositions

Margolina, already an accomplished performer in her own right with the “Andrej Hermlin Swing Dance Orchestra” and the ensemble “Kaminer & Die Antikörper,” channels her remarkable singing into this heartfelt musical narrative. Known for her versatile range and emotive delivery, her performance on this album is no less impressive. Her voice warm, ethereal, and pulsating with a phenomenal sense of rhythm forms the cornerstone of this musical odyssey.

Balancing traditional Western jazz elements with her European sensibilities, Margolina’s album is an unlikely piece of cross-cultural fusion. “Hiding” has a modern jazz aesthetic that would be enjoyed by any Western modern jazz fan. While “Shadows and Light” is accentuated by an uncanny suggestiveness and flows with an evident European sensibility. The album embraces the improvisational freedom characteristic of both jazz hemispheres while still maintaining a contemporary sound that firmly situates it in the present.

The album’s narrative journey is further underscored by the innovative compositions and arrangements by Conor Cantrell, a fellow world wanderer. Margolina’s powerful vocals are supported by an ensemble of talented musicians, including Kenneth Berkel on piano, Lisa Buchholz on the flugelhorn, Hendrik Nehls on bass, and David Guy on drums. Their synergy breathes life into Cantrell’s compositions, effectively carrying the listener through the highs and lows of Margolina’s life story.

From the melancholic introspection of “Motherless Child” to the climactic resolution of “Chaos and I,” each of the eight tracks in One Endless Night is a chapter in Margolina’s immigration story. While the compositions explore various themes like loneliness, identity search, and personal confrontations, they also depict the liberating kindness of strangers and the hopeful resolution of arrival.

Though not without its somber moments, One Endless Night presents a balanced, primarily positive exploration of Margolina’s immigration experience. Its thematic strength, combined with Margolina’s compelling vocal performance and the accompanying musicians’ skilled improvisation, make it an album worth experiencing.

One Endless Night is an engaging confluence of Western and European jazz elements, delivering a contemporary sound that pushes the boundaries of the genre. Its melodies, deeply rooted in the narrative of Margolina’s journey, add an extra layer of depth to the album, making it a compelling listen for fans of both jazz and storytelling.

One Endless Night is an emotive, rhythmically charged debut album that bridges the divide between Western and European jazz with unerring grace and musical aplomb. Margolina’s versatile talent is a shining beacon throughout the project. This album is not solely a source of entertainment—it aspires to enlighten, stir, and reverberate within its audience, drawing them into Margolina’s exquisitely depicted voyage of emigration. The music also presents a narrative that elegantly pushes exploration, providing a profoundly moving sonic experience that traverses new terrains and skillfully weaves together the distinct attributes of European and Western jazz.https://thejazzword.com/2023/06/anna-margolina-one-endless-night-review/

One Endless Night

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Chet Baker - 'Round Midnight (Live In Cologne)

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:21
Size: 106,4 MB
Art: Front

( 7:00) 1. Prayer For The Newborn
( 8:09) 2. My Ideal
( 7:07) 3. Lady Bird
( 9:30) 4. 'Round Midnight
(14:33) 5. Beatrice

On May 21 and 23 of 1981, trumpeter Chet Baker performed at the Salt Peanuts Club in Cologne, Germany. Backing him were Jon Eardley (fhrn), Bob Mover (as), Dennis Luxion (p), Rocky Knauer (b) and Burkhart Ruckert (d, only on the first three tracks). Now Germany's Circle Records has released a streaming remaster of the performance on 'Round Midnight: Chet Baker Live in Cologne, culled from the gigs. Mark Wingfield did an incredible job on the remastering.

Rudolf Kreis, who founded Circle in 1976, recorded the performances in Cologne, where the label was located at the time. He knew the club's owner, Christoph Höver. The recording was first released in 1982 on vinyl.

The album openswith Prayer for the Newborn, a gorgeous composition by Luxion that features Baker, Eardley and Mover playing off each other. The standard My Ideal follows, with a reedy vocal by Baker. Tadd Dameron's Lady Bird is next. The next two songs Thelonious Monk's 'Round Midnight and Sam Rivers's Beatrice were recorded without drums.

What's notable about this album is its gentle, hammock-like quality. Baker and Eardley are gorgeous together and richly laid back, whether playing in unison or when one is playing lead and the other is on harmony. Add Mover on alto saxophone and you can hear the Pacific Coast.

I can't remember the last time I heard an album this beautiful that moved so cat-like. Quite remarkable. The microphones caught the horns clearly, the piano is a bit less pronounced, the bass even less so and the drums could have been across the street. Nonetheless, it's one of the best Baker albums I've heard in some time. The poetic playing is touching and enveloping. Chet Baker died in 1988; Jon Eardley died in 1991. By Marc Myers
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/chet-baker-and-jon-eardley-in-cologne/

Personnel: Trumpet, Vocals – Chet Baker; Alto Saxophone – Bob Mover; Double Bass – Rocky Knauer; Drums – Burkhart Ruckert ; Flugelhorn – Jon Eardley; Piano – Dennis Luxion

'Round Midnight (Live In Cologne)

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