Patrick Cornelius - Book Of Secrets

Styles: Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Alto Flute
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:55
Size: 152,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:15) 1. Archetype
(4:37) 2. Legend Has It
(4:49) 3. If You Can
(4:03) 4. Lady Of The Clouds
(5:44) 5. Book Of Secrets
(6:45) 6. Puzzle Box
(4:36) 7. A Wish
(5:21) 8. Ambition
(5:25) 9. The Way
(6:36) 10. Inner Sanctum
(6:43) 11. The Glory
(5:55) 12. Days End

Patrick Cornelius’s new offering, Book of Secrets, is akin to opening a chest of forgotten heirloom seeds. Each composition unfolds like a rare, precious plant, with Cornelius and his skilled band cultivating a lush, fertile musical landscape that yields tidbits for our jazz gastronomic enjoyment.

Cornelius leads his formidable ensemble on Book of Secrets, showcasing his versatility across instruments: the alto saxophone on tracks 1, 5, 6, 8, and 11; the soprano saxophone on tracks 2, 3, and 12; the clarinet on tracks 4 and 9; and the alto flute on tracks 7 and 10. The unique tonality of Behn Gillece’s vibraphone can be savored on all tracks but 4 and 12, while Art Hirahara’s piano, Peter Slavov’s bass, and Vinnie Sperrazza’s drums create a savory rhythmic base for this flavorful musical stew. Diego Rivera’s tenor saxophone adds a spicy note on tracks 6 and 9, complemented by Altin Sencalar’s rich trombone on track 9. All these, masterfully brought together under the deft hands of producer Marc Free and engineered by Nick O’Toole, form a robust ensemble, a musical pot-au-feu simmering with artistry and passion.

Book of Secrets unfolds like a rare heirloom tomato: each track has a unique variety, flourishing under the nurturing care of this skilled ensemble. The opening track, “Archetype,” starts as the first light of dawn, the alto saxophone rippling forth with melodies as vibrant as heirloom tomatoes bursting under the sunrise. The vibraphone lends a sparkling dew-kissed texture, a delicacy as tantalizing as the first bite of the sun-ripened fruit.

“Legend Has It” is akin to an old vine winding through the sonic space with a narrative force. Cornelius’ soprano saxophone weaves intricate tendrils, climbing over the sturdy trellis of the piano and rhythm section, while the vibraphone glistens like morning dew on leaves. This track is an old vine wine, rich with history and depth, leaving the listener with a lingering aftertaste of rhythmic complexity.

“Lady Of The Clouds” presents Cornelius’ talent on the clarinet, a gentle summer rain that quenches the eager earth, the notes pouring down like warm droplets onto a leafy salad, enhancing its organic crunch.

The title track, “Book of Secrets,” is a testimony to the ensemble’s ability to sync as if they were a vibrant musical ecosystem. The alto flute’s haunting melody serves as a will-o’-the-wisp, leading the listener deeper into the album’s secret garden. The song blossoms open like a night-blooming jasmine, its aromatic allure floating over the hushed whispers of the rhythm section.

“Puzzle Box” is the garden’s maze, the pathways crisscrossing, intersecting, and leading to unexpected delights. Cornelius’ alto saxophone, along with the guest tenor saxophone by Diego Rivera, sets up a playful conversation, winding up and down the chromatic scales like ivy.

The tracks “Ambition,” “The Way,” “Inner Sanctum,” and “The Glory” encapsulate the gastronomic journey from entrée to dessert, each representing a season’s harvest at its peak, resplendent with flavor. The album concludes with “Days End,” a final toast to the evening, Cornelius’ soprano sax offering the lingering, sweet note of a dessert wine.

Book of Secrets is a feast for the senses, each musician a chef who knows when to chop, simmer, and serve their notes. Just like in a well-prepared meal, the elements coexist, thrive, and create a gastronomic spectacle of vibrant taste and aroma. Whether you’re a seasoned gourmet of jazz or just starting your journey into this rich cuisine, this album is an enticing exploration into the hidden layers of flavor in the world of jazz.

In conclusion, Book of Secrets is a delicately balanced ecosystem of musical interaction, with each track flowering into a unique auditory experience. Just like in a well-maintained garden, the elements coexist, thrive, and create a unified spectacle of vibrant life. Whether you’re a seasoned connoisseur of jazz or just beginning your journey into the genre, this album will be an enchanting exploration of the hidden nooks and crannies in the garden of jazz.By Nolan DeBuke https://thejazzword.com/2023/08/patrick-cornelius-book-of-secrets-review/

Personnel:

Patrick Cornelius - alto saxophone 1, 5, 6, 8, 11; soprano saxophone 2, 3, 12; clarinet 4 & 9; alto flute 7 & 10

Behn Gillece - vibraphone (not on 4 & 12); Art Hirahara - piano; Peter Slavov - bass; Vinnie Sperrazza - drums; Diego Rivera - tenor saxophone 6 & 9; Altin Sencalar - trombone 9

Book Of Secrets

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Katie Noonan - Joni Mitchell's Blue

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:54
Size: 98,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:55) 1. All I Want
(3:15) 2. My Old Man
(3:36) 3. Little Green
(3:14) 4. Carey
(3:23) 5. Blue
(4:02) 6. California
(2:47) 7. This Flight Tonight
(4:16) 8. River
(4:44) 9. A Case of You
(4:14) 10. The Last Time I Saw Richard
(5:25) 11. Circle Game (Bonus Track)

When Joni Mitchell’s revered 1971 album Blue neared its 50th anniversary, it was inevitable some brave souls would attempt to cover it. For lovers of Blue, there was an equally inevitable shudder at the thought of one of music’s sacred cows being massacred!

However it was a different matter when one of Australia’s national treasures, Katie Noonan announced a national tour to play the album in its entirety. As each state and dates were released, the venues quickly sold out and in WA’s case the initial single-date show became three performances.

The WA leg of the tour kicked off at Freo.Social, and although the 500 capacity venue was sold out, the arrangement of chairs worked well to provide an intimate setting fitting for such a show.

Jack Carty was first to the stage. Originally hailing from New South Wales, he was the perfect artist to set the tone for a memorable evening. Performing solo with just an acoustic guitar and harmonica, Carty commanded the audience’s attention especially when he described the background of his well-written, beautifully played songs.

These included the story about travelling with a mate in Summer in New Zealand, which had the audience in stitches, while at other times he was poignant and tender, like when he spoke of the people he loved in Autumn Leaves. Other standout songs were Why the Universe Expands (written for his children), and the closer Fleeting. With four albums under his belt, it’s a mystery he isn’t more widely known.

Katie Noonan took to a stripped-back, minimalist stage with low lighting, two chairs, a keyboard and the wonderful Ben Hauptman on guitar. From the beginning, Noonan was warm, funny, and very knowledgeable about Joni Mitchell and Blue itself. But she also humbly owned up to times she might forget a word, while never seeming daunted by the potential weight of audience expectation.

Giving background to her own journey with Joni Mitchell, Noonan described how she came to her music, specifically Blue, through a friend who gifted her a CD album. She described it as an incredible record, with incredible lyrics, incredible musicianship and incredible honesty and vulnerability, and was inspired by it as a songwriter.

The album was written during a period of two, maybe three big love affairs; Graham Nash, James Taylor and Leonard Cohen. As Noonan put it: “she had good taste quite the trifecta of bad asses."

Katie's voice and delivery leant themselves sublimely to singing Mitchell's songs because she has the same extraordinary ability to sound warm and earthy on the lower register then effortlessly soar so high, with the note caught and held with her trademark bell-like tone, clear and pure. She was exquisite, mainly performing herself on keyboards along with the phenomenal playing of Ben Hauptmann on guitar, who mostly stayed in the background although Noonan included him with stories of their times on the road and his family.

Finishing the night, Noonan dived back into an earlier album Ladies of the Canyon and played The Circle Game, encouraging the audience to sing along. After which Noonan and Hauptmann were given a richly deserved standing ovation.https://xpressmag.com.au/review-katie-noonan-performs-joni-mitchells-blue-at-freo-social/

Joni Mitchell's Blue

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Steve Wilson - Sit Back, Relax, & Unwind

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:12
Size: 92,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:17) 1. Sit Back, Relax & Unwind
(6:48) 2. 6/74
(7:00) 3. Songly Speaking
(7:41) 4. Jake's Place
(6:21) 5. Rest Of Our Times
(6:02) 6. Space Oddity

Steve Wilson has attained ubiquitous status in the studio and on the stage with the greatest names in jazz. A bandleader in his own right, Jazz Times calls him the consummate saxophonist-composer and one of the finest alto and soprano saxophonists of our time. A musicians musician, Wilson has brought his distinctive sound to more than 100 recordings led by such celebrated and wide-ranging artists as Chick Corea, George Duke, Michael Brecker, Dave Holland, Dianne Reeves, Bill Bruford, Gerald Wilson, Maria Schneider, Joe Henderson, Charlie Byrd, Billy Childs, Karrin Allyson, Don Byron, Bill Stewart, James Williams, and Mulgrew Miller among many others. Wilson has eight recordings under his own name, leading and collaborating with such stellar musicians as Lewis Nash, Carl Allen, Steve Nelson, Cyrus Chestnut, Greg Hutchinson, Dennis Irwin, James Genus, Larry Grenadier, Ray Drummond, Ben Riley, Nicholas Payton, Orrin Evans, Ugonna Okegwo and Bill Stewart.

In 2015 Wilson released his first project as a leader in 12 years, Steve Wilson & Wilsonians Grain: Live in New York: The Vanguard Sessions, on Random Act Records. Recorded live at the famed Village Vanguard in NYC on May 24 & 25, 2014, the recording features Wilsons potent quartet with Orrin Evans, Ugonna Okegwo and Bill Stewart. The CD was conceived to truly capture the live experience and the sound of one of the best listening rooms in the world. The tracking order reflects a Wilsonians Grain set, and includes three Wilson originals, and tunes by Orrin Evans, Joe Chambers, Thelonius Monk and Migiwa Miyajima. WBGO Radio describes Wilsonians Grain as jazz at its finest in conception, execution and spontaneity.

He has recorded another project, Sit Back Relax & Unwind, for JMI Records that features Ray Angry, Ben Williams and Willie Jones, III just recently released. In the vein of the old CTI recordings, it is an analog recording and will be released a vinyl LP only. Produced by Steven Mandel (Music Supervisor the The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, The Roots), he also contributed four tunes that were arranged by Wilson. There are two new tunes by Wilson and an arrangement by Ray Angry of David Bowies Space Oddity.

Starting his formal training on saxophone in his native Hampton, Virginia, Wilson also played oboe and drums in school bands while performing in various R&B/funk bands throughout his teens. After a year-long stint with singer Stephanie Mills he decided to major in music at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, where he performed and/or studied with Jimmy and Percy Heath, Jon Hendricks, Jaki Byard, John Hicks, Frank Foster and Ellis Marsalis. During those years he was also in constant demand for recording studio work, and as backing musician for touring shows such as The Four Tops and Sophisticated Ladies. Landing a chair with O.T.B (Out of the Blue), a sextet of promising young players recording on Blue Note Records, Wilson moved to New York in 1987 and the following year toured the U.S. and Europe with Lionel Hampton. Becoming a first-call choice for veteran and emerging artists alike, Wilson was the subject of a New York Times profile A Sidemans Life, highlighting his work with Ralph Peterson, Jr., Michele Rosewoman, Renee Rosnes, Marvin Smitty Smith, Joanne Brackeen, The American Jazz Orchestra, The Mingus Big Band, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, Leon Parker, and Buster Williams Quintet Something More. In 1996 he joined the acclaimed Dave Holland Quintet, and from 1998-2001 he was a member of Chick Coreas Grammy winning sextet Origin.

Cited by his peers in a New York Times poll as one of the artists most likely to break out as an established leader, Wilson recorded four CDs New York Summit, Step Lively, Blues for Marcus and Four For Time on the Criss Cross label. He then recorded two projects for Chick Coreas Stretch Records label Generations, his multi-generational quartet with Mulgrew Miller, Ray Drummond and Ben Riley and Passages which features his long-time musical partners Bruce Barth, Ed Howard and Adam Cruz, and special guest Nicholas Payton. Containing nine original compositions Passages established Wilson as a leader whose vision reveres the past, creates a soundscape of the present, and reaches toward the future.

In 2003 Wilsons recording Soulful Song was released on MAX JAZZ launching the labels Horn Series. It features special guest vocalists Rene Marie, Carla Cook, and Phillip Manuel and issues forth a powerful and provocative performance from these dynamic and versatile artists. As Wilson explains, Its a tribute Black radio, as it was called then, that was particularly inclusive in its programming and a galvanizing force in the community. On the same station one could hear R&B, jazz, blues, gospel, comedy, local news and affairs, and social commentary. In addition to new original material the program includes arrangements of songs by Stevie Wonder, Chick Corea, Abbey Lincoln, Gil Scott Heron, Earth, Wind & Fire, Patrice Rushen, and The Staple Singers.

Records in 2009. The project culminated in a successful 50-city tour of the U.S., and their recording Mosaic. Also that year Wilson made his orchestral debut performing Heitor Villa Lobos Fantasia for Soprano Saxophone and Chamber Orchestra with the Vermont Mozart Festival Orchestra. By popular demand he returned to the VMF in 2010 performing a commissioned work Sweet For Duke for Saxophone & Chamber Orchestra by Jonathan Ragonese.

In February 2011 Wilson celebrated his 50th birthday with a six-night engagement, leading six different bands at Jazz Standard, NYCs premiere jazz club. The all-star line-up included Mulgrew Miller, Bruce Barth, Karrin Allyson, Lewis Nash, Jeff Tain Watts, Carla Cook, Geoffrey Keezer, Christian McBride, Linda Oh, Ed Howard, Adam Cruz, Diane Monroe, Joyce Hammann, Nardo Poy and Troy Stuart. In a major interview feature preview, the Wall Street Journal proclaimed, The Sideman Becomes the Star. The WSJ article by award-winning journalist Larry Blumenfeld added, Mr. Wilson is essential to this citys jazz landscape. Since the 1990s Wilson has been regularly cited in the Downbeat Magazine Critics and Readers Polls in the soprano and alto saxophone categories. The Jazz Journalists Association nominated him for Best Alto Sax Player in 2008, and for Best Soprano Sax Player in 2010. His work in film has included being artistic consultant to Harvey Keitel for "Lulu On The Bridge as well as being featured on the soundtrack.

Wilsons current projects reflect his multifaceted artistry, versatility, and associations with some of the most highly regarded artists on the scene. His quartet Wilsonians Grain, which consists of Orrin Evans, Ugonna Okegwo, and Bill Stewart or Clarence Penn, has been featured on NPR live from the Kennedy Center and the Village Vanguard in New York City, and headlined at the prestigious Detroit Jazz Festival in 2011. Wilson is one-half of two dynamic duos, Musical Dialogue with renowned drummer Lewis Nash, they released their recording Duologue on MCG Jazz, and in another with pianist Bruce Barth as documented on their recording Home on the We Always Swing label. He co-leads an elegant trio with pianist Renee Rosnes and bassist Peter Washington, and with composer/arranger David ORourke has a repertoire as soloist with strings. Wilson is touring member of the Grammy-winning Maria Schneider Orchestra, the Billy Childs Quartet, Christian McBride & Inside Straight as well as McBrides Grammy-winning Big Band, and the Buster Williams Quartet.

An in-demand and passionate educator Wilson is the Director of Jazz Studies and an Associate Professor of Music at City College of New York. In 2019 he joined the prestigious faculty at Ravinias Steans Music Institute in Chicago, IL.

He has been artist-in-residence and/or guest artist at University of Oregon, University of Michigan, University of Maryland-College Park, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Delaware, Lemoyne College, North Carolina Central University, Bowling Green University, Lafayette College, University of Northern Colorado, SUNY New Paltz, Florida State University, California State University at Stanislaus, University of Manitoba, Hamilton College, Old Dominion University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and for the award winning arts organization CITYFOLK in Dayton, Ohio.

With the support of friend and mentor Dr. Billy Taylor, Wilson has been a frequent guest performer/educator at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. He has been a featured performer, panelist, and clinician at conferences of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters, Chamber Music of America, and International Association of Jazz Educators. Wilson was honored with the Marc Crawford Jazz Educator Award from New York University 2001 and the Virginia Jazz Award 2003 Musician of the Year presented by the Richmond Jazz Society, recognizing his outstanding service in the advancement of jazz and education in their respective communities. He is an active mentor in the nurturing and promotion of his former students emerging careers who have performed with The Count Basie Orchestra, Johnny Mandel, Beyonce Knowles, Roy Hargrove, and many others.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/steve-wilson/

Personnel: Alto Saxophone – Steve Wilson ; Bass – Ben Williams; Drums – Willie Jones III; Keyboards – Ray Angry

Sit Back, Relax, & Unwind

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Benny Benack III - Third Times the Charm

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:52
Size: 149,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:21) 1. Third Time's The Charm
(3:54) 2. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
(5:30) 3. Scootin'
(7:08) 4. Catching Drift
(4:38) 5. Thank You For The Heartbreak
(3:34) 6. Gary, Indiana
(5:41) 7. In A Mellow Tone
(4:29) 8. It's Not Unusual
(4:58) 9. Twilight Blue
(4:41) 10. Roylike
(3:14) 11. Jade
(3:00) 12. American Woman
(4:24) 13. Giselle
(5:14) 14. Pretty Eyed Baby

Though the title of this third album from multihyphenate Benny Benack III might imply misfires with his first two go-rounds, the truth really runs contrary to that line of reasoning. One of a Kind (BB3, 2017), while flying under the radar, introduced some listeners to a talent far too large to be contained; and A Lot of Livin' To Do (La Reserve, 2020) proved to be a strong follow-up statement, earning greater attention and acclaim for a dashing leading man with the world on a string. Now, building on those past successes while capitalizing on his growing experience(s), Benack is in full bloom and truly coming into his own.

Third Time's The Charm is the portrait of a debonair dynamo both strong and wise, able to power along or play with patience, all depending on what the music and the moment require. Tapping pianist Emmet Cohen's trio with bassist Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole, and adding some ace guests when the time is right, Benack brings his many talents as trumpeter, singer, lyricist, composer, arranger and producerto the fore. For starters he offers the title track a snazzy, swinging number that's chock-full of charm and a lovely, loyal take on "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" that leaves no doubt as to the power and poetry of a Bacharach-David tune in the right hands. The first two numbers on an album that presents 14, they bode very well for the balance.

Following those introductory offerings, Benack brings some more good friends into the fold. Guitarist Peter Bernstein, appearing on several numbers spread out across the program, drops by for some boogaloo action on "Scootin,'" plays the perfect chordal accompanist on the intimate and muted "Thank You For The Heartbreak," and proves key to the bossa-based beauty of "Jade." Tenor saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown makes for a well-matched frontline partner on the churning and waltzing "Catching Drift" and noir-ish, swirling "Twilight Blue." Vocalist and trumpeter Bria Skonberg complements and counters Benack in perfect form on an irresistible "In a Mellow Tone." And Michael Stephenson puts his tenor to good use on the funky "Roylike" and shares the vocal spotlight with the leader on scat-friendly closer "Pretty Eyed Baby."

Each of the aforementioned artists add volumes with their appearance(s), and in doing so they also reinforce Benack's elevated position and place in this music. Not that this all-rounder needs any help, of course. Even while sharing the spotlight, Benack is beaming. Whether gleefully singing and blowing the praises of "Gary, Indiana" with his piano pal by his side, delivering mellifluous and magical crooning over a "Poinciana"-influenced groove on "It's Not Unusual," jettisoning his whole crew (save for a mood-setting and song-grounding Hall) on a thrilling take on The Guess Who's "American Woman," or bathing the ears in tender balladry during "Giselle," this leader is always on point. His star power is absolutely undeniable. Benny Benack III is quite simply a force to be reckoned with, and Third Time's The Charm says as much or more. By Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/third-times-the-charm-benny-benack-iii-la-reserve-bandstand-presents

Personnel: Benny Benack III - trumpet; Emmet Cohen - piano; Russell Hall - bass.; Kyle Poole - drums; Ruben Fox - saxophone; Chad Lefkowitz-Brown - saxophone tenor; Peter Bernstein - guitar.

Third Times the Charm

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Ray Vega & Thomas Marriott - East West Trumpet Summit: Coast to Coast

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:44
Size: 112,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:18) 1. One Day At A Time
(4:31) 2. I Told You So
(5:54) 3. You've Changed
(5:14) 4. Broadway
(6:10) 5. Art Deco
(5:36) 6. Girl Talk
(4:14) 7. Quarter Nelson
(5:54) 8. Front Row Family
(5:49) 9. So Long Eric

Coast to Coast is the third East West Trumpet Summit recorded by Ray Vega and Thomas Marriott in a musical partnership that has spanned nearly three decades. The years have been kind, and when it comes to playing persuasive jazz, neither Vega nor Marriott appears to have lost a step. Marriott, a native of Seattle, and Vega, New York-born and bred, first met in 1995, and the mutual admiration and respect was immediate. Their first two albums as co-leaders were exceptional, and Coast to Coast is no less so, with the front-liners in superior form and backed by a blue-chip rhythm section anchored by celebrated drummer Roy McCurdy with the always-dependable Orrin Evans on piano and rock-solid Michael Glynn on bass.

In sum, the quintet plays engaging and listenable music that swings in the finest tradition of such renowned trumpet duos as Fats Navarro and Howard McGhee or Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw. For the listener, that is about as good as it gets. The material is first-class too, with a trio of bright original compositions by Marriott interspersed among as many standards and good-natured themes by George Cables, Don Cherry and Charles Mingus. The standards were penned by Carl Fischer ("You've Changed"), Wilbur Bird ("Broadway") and Neal Hefti ("Girl Talk").

Vega and Marriott give each of them a cheerful ride while Evans, Glynn and McCurdy make sure the rhythmic pulse never wavers. For listening purposes, the notes say that Marriott is heard stereo-left, Vega stereo-right, but that's largely irrelevant, as there is not much to choose between two masters whose approach to the music is by and large synchronous and complementary. No matter who is playing, the sound is luminous and clear, the ad-libs sharp and clever. The trumpets are open most of the way, muted on Marriott's charming, samba-like "Front Row Family."

Marriott's other compositions, "One Day at a Time" and "Quarter Nelson," are old-school swingers whose hustle and bustle brings out the best in everyone, as do the high-spirited "Broadway" and even Charles Mingus' "So Long Eric," which closes the album on a luminous and even-tempered note. The quintet has more fun on Cables' melodious "I Told You So" (nimble solo by Evans), Cherry's frisky "Art Deco" and Hefti's syrupy nod to idle chit-chat, "Girl Talk." "You've Changed," the only true ballad on the menu, is simply more grist for the quintet's efficiently run mill.

From start to finish, the third edition of East West Trumpet Summit is delightful to hear and appreciate, not only for Vega and Marriott's singular artistry but for the splendid choice of music and the indispensable support provided by an astute and responsive rhythm section. Notwithstanding the music's many detours, when placed in the best of hands straight-ahead jazz can be as inventive and pleasing as ever.By Jack Bowers
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/coast-to-coast-ray-vega-and-thomas-marriott-east-west-trumpet-summit-origin-records__19180

Personnel: Trumpet – Ray Vega, Thomas Marriott; Acoustic Bass – Michael Glynn; Drums – Roy McCurdy; Piano – Orrin Evans

East West Trumpet Summit: Coast to Coast

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Denny Zeitlin - Crazy Rhythm: Exploring George Gershwin

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:41
Size: 159,2 MB
Art: Front

( 8:42) 1. Summertime
( 4:33) 2. How Long Has This Been Going On
( 2:46) 3. S’wonderful
( 7:29) 4. Bess You Is My Woman Now
( 7:44) 5. It Ain’t Necessarily So
( 4:09) 6. By Strauss
( 5:49) 7. The Man I Love
(12:46) 8. My Man’s Gone Now
( 6:32) 9. I’ve Got A Crush On You
( 4:14) 10. Fascinating Rhythm
( 3:50) 11. I Was Doing All Right

Denny Zeitlin's jazz career began when he sat in as the featured pianist on flutist Jeremy Steig's Flute Fever (Columbia Records, 1964). He followed this up with his debut as a leader on Columbia Records' 1964 album Cathexis. While maintaining another successful career as a psychiatrist and college professor, he released more than a dozen albums over the next quarter century, most of them acoustic piano sets, plus a few experimental electronic outings, along with a groundbreaking electro/orchestral soundtrack to the 1978 remake of the science fiction film Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

At the turn of the century, Zeitlin had established himself as a top-level, if somewhat underrecognized, jazz talent. Then, in 2001, he found a home at Sunnyside Records, a connection that turned into a late-career profile boost that resulted in some of the pianist's finest recordings. In addition to his Sunnyside home, Zeitlin also found a home at Oakland's Piedmont Piano Company, where he presents yearly solo recitals focusing on individual composers. In 2014 it was saxophonist Wayne Shorter, resulting in the album Early Wayne (Sunnyside, 2016); in 2016 it was Miles Davis, for Remembering Miles (Sunnyside, 2019). And now, for 2023, we have Crazy Rhythm: Exploring George Gershwin.

As he did with the music of Davis and Shorter, Zeitlin reimagines the music of Gershwin. Improvisation on the themes is front and center. One of Gershwin's most famous tunes, "Summertime," is not readily recognizable in the opening minutes, as Zeitlin rambles, circling around what will soon gel into the familiar melody. Then he drifts away again, with great elegance, rolling into finessed, off-the-cuff segments steeped in the mood of the piece. It is worth noting that "Summertime" is one of three tunes chosen from Gershwin's 1935 American-language opera, Porgy And Bess. Inspired by the Miles Davis/Gil Evans 1959 Columbia Records reimagination of the work, he includes, besides "Summertime," "Bess You Is My Woman Now," "The Man I Love," and "My Man's Gone Now" here.

"How Long Has This Been Going On?" is here, too. So is "S'Wonderful, "It Ain't Necessarily So," "Fascinating Rhythm," "By Strauss, "I've Got A Crush On You" and "I Was Doing All Right." A spin through the set bolsters the opinion that nobody could write a popular tune containing a combination of deft grace and uncommon intelligence better than George Gershwin an American treasure if ever there was one. And nobody plays them with more style and celebration of their charm and their simplicity/complexity dynamic adding his own distinctive layers of complexity better than Denny Zeitlin.By Dan McClenaghan
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/crazy-rhythm-exploring-george-gershwin-denny-zeitlin-sunnyside-records

Personnel: Denny Zeitlin - Piano

Crazy Rhythm: Exploring George Gershwin

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Charlie Apicella & Iron City Meet The Griots Speak - Destiny Calling

Styles: Jazz Contemporary
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:01
Size: 99,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:16) 1. As The Sun Rises
(3:44) 2. Titan Vs. Sphinx
(3:56) 3. Juma Speaks/maliki Malesha
(4:30) 4. We're All Here In Spirit
(4:26) 5. It's Alright To Run
(3:40) 6. I Heard In Passing
(8:15) 7. If You Know Where To Look
(5:04) 8. Where Do You Find These People
(7:05) 9. Sparks

Guitarist Charlie Apicella and his organ trio Iron City are solidly based in the hard-bop mainstream. However, some of their releases are flavored with other motifs, partially by virtue of the guest artists. For instance, the tribute to legendary guitarist B.B. King, Payin' the Cost To Be the Boss (CArlo, Music, 2016), with an augmented sextet, was aptly bluesy. Meanwhile Classic Guitar (Zoho, 2020), with tenor saxophonist Stephen Riley, was an intimate interpretation of the Great American Songbook.

On his eighth, and so far most ambitious, project The Griots Speak: Destiny Calling, he is joined by three masters of free improvisation for a single, nine-part, stimulating and boundary-pushing suite. The mostly improvised music incorporates occasional pre-written passages by Apicella, and, in addition to western instruments, utilises Himalayan and West African ones.

Opening with "As the Sun Rises," multi-reed player Daniel Carter, bassist William Parker and Apicella set a meditative mood before the entire band launches into "Titan vs Sphinx." Carter's lines float coolly over organist Brad Whiteley and drummer Austin Walker's percolating groove. The collective extemporization, with Apicella contributing resonant blistering chords, progresses with unfettered energy.

The exciting piece seamlessly dovetails into the mystical "Juma's Song / Maliki Melasha." Percussionist Juma Sultan drives the cadence while Parker contributes his trademark, eloquent and virtuosic basslines. The ambience is one of primal spirituality. Apicella and Carter engage in a sparse conversation over the controlled yet riotous ensemble performance. The result is contemplative and thrilling.

An understated soulfulness permeates the entire album. On the segment called "Where Do You Find These People?," an angular rhythmic structure is at the core of the pensive performance. Carter's saxophone wails while Whiteley contributes simmering refrains. Walker and Sultan drive this meandering track with their poignant beats. Here, as at many instants on this recording, the band flirts with but never quite embraces dissonance.

The Griots Speak: Destiny Calling is not only a delightful melding of styles, it is also vibrant and alive with brilliant spontaneity. Using international folk instruments, similar to his mentor multi-reed player Yusef Lateef, Apicella demonstrates music's pan cultural appeal which is both very individual yet universal. Apicella has succeeded in creating a work which is simultaneously provocative and has wide appeal. By Hrayr Attarian
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-griots-speak-destiny-calling-charlie-apicella-oa2-records

Personnel: Drums, Producer – Charlie Apicella; Bass, Percussion – William Parker; Congas, Percussion – Juma Sultan; Drums – Austin Walker; Organ – Brad Whitely (2); Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet, Trumpet, Piano, Executive Producer – Daniel Carter

Destiny Calling

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Gabriel Espinosa - Bossas And Boleros

Styles: Latin
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:59
Size: 121,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:17) 1. New Year (Feat. Kim Nazarian)
(7:06) 2. Amelia (Feat. Kim Nazarian)
(4:06) 3. Mi Jarana (Feat. Kim Nazarian & Anat Cohen)
(6:06) 4. Aqui Estoy Yo (Feat. Fred Hersch)
(4:31) 5. Sing (Feat. New York Voices)
(5:36) 6. First Responders (Feat. Kim Nazarian)
(6:08) 7. Pa Eugenio (Feat. Kim Nazarian)
(5:51) 8. Nosotros (Feat. Gerardo Flores)
(4:26) 9. 22 (Feat. Kim Nazarian)
(4:47) 10. No Me Platiques Mas

Six of these tunes on Bossas and Boleros are his original compositions. As you might expect from the title, some of these tunes fit in a kind of retro/romantic category whereas others are in a kind of soft Latin jazz vein. Interestingly, Gabriel also found inspiration in current events and translated them into musical interludes.

Gabriel assembled an excellent collection of musicians to bring this album to life and his bass playing is solid and precise but not flashy. His playing compliments the music in a noticeable way but is very balanced in the overall mix. The compositions are intricate and quite lovely with a generous helping of Latin tempos. I especially enjoyed his vocal rendition of “Aqui Estoy Yo” where he sings with just a piano. It is a rare treat to actually hear a bass player’s voice in a tune.

The great thing about this album is it’s universal appeal as it is not all about the bass. Everyone can relate to a collection of beautiful music and it’s excellent execution. This album is perfect to listen to while you enjoy a glass of wine with a loved one as you watch the sunset. Listening made me feel both relaxed and happy and that are feelings we all want to share.
https://bassmusicianmagazine.com/2023/10/album-review-gabriel-espinosa-bossas-and-boleros/

Bossas & Boleros

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Simone Helle - My Starry Eyes

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:47
Size: 101,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:43) 1. Bentheim
(4:07) 2. My Starry Eyes
(2:50) 3. Love Birds
(4:10) 4. My Inner Home
(4:55) 5. Let's Face The Music And Dance
(4:14) 6. Let Us Agree
(7:32) 7. This Fragile Love
(4:43) 8. You Must Believe In Spring
(3:58) 9. God Bless The Child
(2:30) 10. Lullaby For A Little Star

Bad Sassendorf, April 2023, Jazz singer Simone Helle, who grew up in Germany with Persian roots, will release her new album "My Starry Eyes" on June 16, 2023 via Timezone Records. The album combines a Modern Mainstream Jazz with Gospel to World Music influences.

The album features renowned musicians such as Olaf Krüger, Carsten Gronwald, Dimitrij Markitantov, Klaus Bernatzki, Thorsten Heitzmann, Cornelia Wolff, Nic Floer, Martin Scholz, Nils Imhorst, Caspar van Meel, Boris Becker and Daniel Sanleandro. "My Starry Eyes", produced by Simone Helle and Thomas Erkelenz, recorded in various recording studios, was mastered by Hans-Jörg Maucksch, Pauler Acoustics.

Helle's vocals are reminiscent of jazz greats such as Nina Simone, Dianne Reeves and Cassandra Wilson. Klaus Bernatzki's horn arrangements add depth and dynamics to Helle's compositions and enhance her vocal radiance. What makes this album special is the wide range of Hele's vocal expression both stylistically and in terms of vocal range and timbre.
https://jazz-concerts.com/en/publication/Simone-Helle-My-Starry-Eyes-7823

My Starry Eyes

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Johnny Hodges - In Concert

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Swing
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:42
Size: 163,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:56) 1. C Jam Blues
(2:27) 2. The Jeep Is Jumpin'
(3:50) 3. Good Queen Bess
(5:50) 4. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
(4:13) 5. Sophisticated Lady
(1:11) 6. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
(2:38) 7. Don't Get Around Anymore
(2:47) 8. Just Squeeze Me
(2:42) 9. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
(2:48) 10. Rose Of Rio Grande
(2:22) 11. All Of Me
(3:55) 12. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(9:36) 13. Perdido
(2:45) 14. Take The A Train
(2:20) 15. Mood Indigo
(2:28) 16. Solitude
(2:33) 17. Satin Doll
(2:52) 18. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
(4:15) 19. Rocking In Rhythm
(4:04) 20. Autumn Leaves

Well-honed musicians schooled in Ellington texts. There are twenty pieces in the seventy minutes of playing time by this group. Duke Ellington was in Paris, writing the score for the film ‘Paris Blues’. There was free time for the band, so impresario Norman Granz pulled some of them together, under the leadership of Johnny Hodges, and set up a tour. One of the concerts was held at the Sportpalast in Berlin and eventually a 2CD recording was issued by the Pablo label. Another concert took place in Paris and was issued on the Fremaux label. This, the Copenhagen concert, is a new issue.

Ellington devotees shuddered at Ellington concerts when the dreaded medley was signalled. Ellington explained that many in his audience expected to hear some his popular pieces, so he assembled the hits together to get them out of the way before presenting some new work.

This album is like an extended medley: most of the pieces are around three or four minutes, only ‘Perdido’ is longer. The individual musicians go through what they longer. normally played on Ellington concerts. Johnny Hodges graces ‘Things Ain’t What They Used To Be’. Lawrence Brown slides through ’Rose Of The Rio Grande’. Harry Carney brings out ‘Sophisticated Lady’ and finishes with the long note and the circular breathing that he performed on every Ellington concert. Ray Nance, an excellent trumpet player also sings ‘Don’t Get Around Much Anymore’ and ‘Just Squeeze Me’.

Al Williams has the unenviable task of playing the Ellington role. He has the long introduction to ‘Perdido’ and that is his main contribution to the evening.

It is always good to hear these musicians. They all had their own individual sound, the sound as important as the content they played. Hodges was the most important alto player in the pre-Parker era. Strayhorn’s writing brought out his romanticism. Harry Carney’s sound was as mature and satisfying as black tobacco, always worth listening to even when he is on auto pilot. Many in the audience would leave the concert hall with a warm feeling knowing that they had seen legends: Hodges, Nance, Carney, Lawrence Brown, Sam Woodyard.

There are no surprises here and little improvisation. The absence of Ellington means that there is no one to challenge them. The main players are the spine of an Ellington band that was about to embark in the sixties on a journey that would produce the ‘New Orleans Suite’, the ‘Far East Suite’, The Afro Eurasian Eclipse’, ‘The Latin American Suite’, ‘Suite Thursday, the ‘Goutelas Suite,’,’ The Uwis Suite’, ‘The River Suite’, , ‘TheTogo Brava Suite’. Here they are relaxing on a well-paid European holiday playing pieces that they could negotiate in their sleep. You really do have to treasure them. We didn’t realise how lucky we were.

Personnel: Johnny Hodges (saxophone); Ray Nance (trumpet, violin, vocal); Lawrence Brown (trombone); Harry Carney (baritone); Al Williams (piano); Aaron Bell (bass); Sam Woodyard (drums)

In Concert

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Larry Schneider - Blind Date

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 1992

File: MP3@224K/s

Time: 68:27

Size: 109,8 MB

Art: Front

(10:50)  1. Blind Date

( 9:28)  2. Stardust

(12:52)  3. Autumn Leaves

( 8:53)  4. Body and Soul

( 7:55)  5. How My Heart Sings

( 9:34)  6. Eye Care

( 8:53)  7. Peggy's Blue Skylight

Tenor saxophonist Larry Schneider and pianist Andy LaVerne make a great team. Their follow-up date to an earlier duo session for Steeplechase CD (Bill Evans Person We Knew) adds bassist Mike Richmond and drummer Keith Copeland to create a fiery quartet. LaVerne's "Blind Date" has an infectious hook and will invite obvious comparisons to the classic quartet of John Coltrane. But the heart of the CD is a trio of lush ballads, including "Stardust," "Autumn Leaves," and "Body and Soul," beautifully performed with lyrical treatments. Their buoyant setting of "How My Heart Sings," a favorite of Evans, is first rate, while their hip arrangement of Charles Mingus' "Peggy's Blue Skylight" is the perfect close to a rewarding release. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/blind-date-mw0000891911

Personnel: Larry Schneider (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Andy LaVerne (piano); Keith Copeland (drums).

Blind Date

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Gael Rakotondrabe - Shadow

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2024
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:53
Size: 119,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:23) 1. And I love her
(7:48) 2. My funny valentine
(5:41) 3. La chanson d'Hélène
(6:10) 4. I fall in love too easily
(4:03) 5. Shadow
(7:18) 6. In a sentimental mood
(7:22) 7. Smoke gets in your eyes
(4:02) 8. The way you look tonight
(4:01) 9. Because

Gael Rakotondrabe, pianist and composer from Réunion, is distinguished by his eclecticism and virtuosity. He is the only French pianist to have won the Montreux Jazz Festival international solo piano competition, under the honorary presidency of Quincy Jones.

From film music to astonishing artistic encounters, from scholarly orchestrations to urgent improvisations, he multiplies collaborations and connivences. In particular, he was seen alongside artists such as Antony and the Johnsons (Anohni), CocoRosie, David Byrne, Charles Aznavour, Woodkid, Hugh Coltman, Clara Luciani, Ayo. He also composed the film scores presented in Sundance, Tribeca, Venice or Cannes.

Gael Rakotondrabe revealed intense and singular music and unveiled his first album "Shadow".

From a Beatles classic, And I Love Her, to another, Because, he evokes immense legacies (My Funny Valentine, In a Sentimental Mood, I Fall In Love Too Easily...), recalls the sublime song of Hélène by Philippe Sarde, and book Shadow title eponymous title of the album, one of his many compositions.

Eerrated and tightened at the same time, this music unfolds the singular identity of Gael Rakotondrabe, always between two shores and concerned everywhere with emotional clarity.

Find Gael Rakotondrabe on 17 February 2024, at the Duke of the Lombards, on the occasion of his concert in trio. Translate By Google https://caramba-records.com/artistes/gael-rakotondrabe

Shadow

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Cecilie Strange - Beyond

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:06
Size: 103,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:03) 1. The Alice's Of My Life
(9:46) 2. Byssan Lull
(6:43) 3. Where My Heart Lives
(7:22) 4. Midnight Sun Upon Saltværsøya
(7:32) 5. New Life
(6:38) 6. The Great Grand

Cecilie Strange is releasing her fourth album, BEYOND, on April Records. Like previous work it’s calming and filled with lovely melodies. BEYOND is much more personal. Cecilie wanted to make an album about the “circle of life.” She wrote songs about people she loves, and, people she’s loved and lost.

The Alices Of My Life ’is dedicated to her Grandmother who died when Cecilia was eight and to Cecilia’s daughter, Alice. Cecilie and her band speak with the same voice. The piano likes to start a phrase and the saxophone finishes it elegantly. This music sounds simple. It’s like a folk melody.

The bass and drums weave in and out. No one’s showing off. This is how most of the album plays out. There’s a fragile strength to BEYOND.

On ‘Midnight Sun Upon Saltvaersoya ’saxophone and piano slow dance together. Cecilie adds achingly beautiful sax lines while Peter Rosendal’s left hand tentatively adds piano chords. His right picks single notes from the melancholy playbook. Thommy Andersson’s warm sounding bass is just perfect.

Cecilie doesn’t sound like any other sax player. She definitely has developed her own voice. Even though she plays tenor sometimes her tone reminds me of alto player Lee Konitz. She blows so quietly it can sound like the smaller instrument.

Cecilie sings ‘Byssan Lull ’to her children. It’s a Swedish folk song and it’s sung beautifully by Josefine Cronholm. I like Jakob Hoyer’s drumming. He’s quiet but you know he’s there. He always comes in at just the right moment. At almost ten minutes this is the longest tune on the album.

Cronholm sings wordlessly on ‘New Life.’ Even though she’s a great singer I think adding this song may have been a miscalculation. This is Cecilie’s record. For me, there’s too much singing. I’m not comfortable criticizing this album because I know a lot of people are going to get it and love it. Ceclie Strange wanted to make an album for people she’s known and loved. I think she’s succeeded beautifully.By Tim Larsen https://jazzviews.net/cecilie-strange-beyond/

Personnel: Cecilie Strange – Saxophone; Peter Rosendal – Piano; Thommy Andersson – Bass; Jakob Hoyer – Drums; Josefine Cronholm – Vocals (Tracks 1 and 5)

Beyond

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Robert Edwards - Up Swing

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:42
Size: 131,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:58) 1. Edges
(3:38) 2. Baubles, Bangles, And Beads
(5:52) 3. Stand Up!
(4:14) 4. Time To Shine
(6:22) 5. Groundwork
(4:31) 6. Healing The Heart
(3:48) 7. Don't Blame Me
(5:39) 8. The Manhattaners
(3:26) 9. My Way
(6:10) 10. Rocks, Lime
(6:58) 11. Cupbearers

Veteran trombonist, educator and bandleader Robert Edwards is a fixture of New York City jazz scene, performing in many of the jazz venues in the city and, as of this writing, becoming the newest member of the famed Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Edwards fronts a marvelous quintet that has been performing regularly at Smalls Jazz Club for many years now. Up Swing celebrates the post-bop sounds the group is known for and covers many of the ensemble's "greatest hits from over the years."

Joining the leader on his fifth recording to date is a star-studded group of players including trumpeter Joe Magnarelli, pianist Adam Birnbaum, bassist Mike Karn and drummer Aaron Kimmel. Singer Vanessa Perea provides her luscious vocals on the Jimmy McHugh and Dorothy Fields standard "Don't Blame Me," the only vocal tune of the session and one of five covers in an eleven-piece repertoire that features six originals.

Opening up the music is the Edwards original "Edges," a sprawling up-tempo bebop-dominant number quickly establishing the exciting sounds one is in for throughout this album with the trombonist featured prominently. The Robert Wright classic "Baubles, Bangles and Beads," a favorite of the leader, takes off with some splendid solo moments from Magnarelli accompanying the trombonist on a delicious and fresh treatment of an old beautiful standard. The leader's original "Stand Up!" is all Edwards making that trombone sing and dance all over the place, a blues-styled tune and tip of the hat to pianist Horace Silver with pianist Birnbaum weighing in on Silver-like solos of his own.

The leader does some quick work on Cedar Walton's "Groundwork" followed by Magnarelli the pianist and drummer Kimmel all delivering aggressive solos on another outstanding interpretation of a terrific jazz number. The band steps back and plays it warm and mellow on the session's soft spot, "Healing the Heart," featuring bassist Karn on light fingerplay on a beautiful light tune worth repeated spins.

The classic pop tune "My Way," made famous by Frank Sinatra, sounds splendid here with Edwards doing things on the trombone his way, while his last original, "Rocks, Lime," a "shuffle that harkens the sound of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers." The album closes with "Cupbearers," a tune that has served as the band's opening number for many years, a burner for sure whether in the beginning or the end.

There's truly no downside to the remarkable Up Swing, as trombonist Robert Edwards crafts an album that appeals to everyone but, in particular, to jazz audiences that prefer the straight-ahead, bebop-infused style of jazz that remains so popular today. To swing is the thing and this album does it well. By Edward Blanco https://www.allaboutjazz.com/up-swing-robert-edwards-self-produced

Personnel:Robert Edwards – Trombone; Joe Magnarelli – Trumpet; Adam Birnbaum – Piano; Mike Karn – Bass; Aaron Kimmel – Drums; Vanessa Perea – Vocals

Upswing

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Susanne Folk - Love Is Not a Weakness

Styles: Vocal And Piano
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:26
Size: 95,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:37) 1. Queen Of Darkness
(4:45) 2. The End Of Me
(4:00) 3. Antidote
(3:14) 4. In Your Next Life
(3:49) 5. Happiness For A Moment
(4:23) 6. Mr. Bond
(4:08) 7. Pain
(4:02) 8. Beauty Of The Night
(4:11) 9. Everybody Likes You
(4:14) 10. You Say You Love

Love Is Not A Weakness is a debut album, but by no means a first for Berlin-based musician and composer Susanne Folk. The German-American, whose last name is pronounced like the English "Folk", has been present for years in stylistically different formations such as Azolia, the Susanne Folk Trio & Celina Muza, Call Me Cleo, until 2012 also So Weiss, mostly on saxophone or clarinet. In Call Me Cleo she takes the role of the singer. The bands received a lot of positive feedback for their productions, tours led them through North America, China, African and European countries. With Love Is Not A Weakness Susanne Folk now presents herself for the first time as a singer/songwriter alone at the grand piano.

She has been familiar with the piano for a long time, she learned it in her childhood and has always composed pieces on it for her own groups as well as for others. At the same time, one can notice in her songs that Susanne Folk comes from the saxophone. She thinks mainly in melodies and somewhat less in harmonies and chords. For a long time it didn't occur to the studied jazz musician to record a solo album, although the idea had been maturing in her subconscious for a while.

At some point, however, "it seemed to have become an absolute necessity for me to go down this new path," says the singer-songwriter, "suddenly I had the feeling that something needed to be let out and that otherwise I would burst." While she still values the interaction with the musicians in her bands, at the same time Susanne Folk is also happy about her newfound independence. "Of course it was unusual to be alone with myself at first. I missed the direct feedback in the beginning." But then came the first solo performances, at first via stream, then in front of live audiences and they were followed by positive reactions from many directions.

Susanne Folk creates music in the field of advanced pop, with selective references to sources of inspiration such as Amy Lee (Evanescence), Tori Amos and Rufus Wainwright. In some facets Folk reveals a penchant for gothic aesthetics, not a few chords refer to her experiences in jazz music. A certain melancholy pervades many of the tracks, carried by the singer's rather darkly colored vocal lines and expressive phrasing.

At times she dramatically elevates her voice, yet she knows how to dispense the amount of pathos so precisely that it comes across as haunting. "Probably some of the pieces convey a somewhat sad mood, but they are not gloomy, since (Folk finds) they usually carry hope.“ Mixed in with the ballads and mid-tempo pieces are a few faster songs. For example, „In Your Next Life" and "Pain", with rhythmic piano figures and partly accentuated spoken vocal phrasing, as well as a soulful rock character.

The majority of the pieces were written in the last two to three years, some are older, and all have references to events from the past. "I don't write at the moment of the event, but only after I have processed the situation. The composition of the song forms a kind of closure for me. So the feelings captured and described in the lyrics are real, but they happened a good while ago, and when I sing them, I reinterpret them."

Some themes prove to be unwaveringly relevant. "Everybody Likes You" revolves around things she learned at the beginning of her career, says Susanne Folk, namely what marketing strategies are suggested to young women in the music business and how they learn to set boundaries, to free themselves from the demands of others. A critical view of the whole friendship mania in the so-called social networks can also be discovered in this song. „Beauty Of The Night" aims in the same direction: "It's an encouragement to use your voice to take a stand, to express your own opinion. Instead of just being reduced to looks or wanting to be successful at any cost."

A more universal character is shown by "Antidote", which is especially close to Susanne Folk's heart as an appeal for acceptance and compassion. A key line of the song, "Love is not a weakness," advanced to become the album title. "Anger can be okay once in a while, but hate is never the answer," Folk says emphatically. "We are strong when we don't just think about ourselves, but when we help each other and when everyone has the same rights."

Other songs on the album revolve around more private themes. For example, "Happiness For A Moment," which raises questions about giving and receiving. Or "The End Of Me," which was written years ago during a stay in New York. „While the lyrics are about a breakup, I was in fact processing a completely different thing in them...." Thanks to her American father, Susanne Folk knows how to use the English language poetically. "It's important that the emotions are understood, beyond that I don't want to explain everything in detail, but still leave room for the listeners to interpret."

With her first solo album Susanne Folk makes a striking statement. Love Is Not A Weakness builds on the power of a charismatic voice, accompanied by the natural sounds of the grand piano. This combination, along with a resolute omission of electronic sounds, creates a special intimacy, in keeping with Folk's thoughtful lyrics. The result is a collection of timeless songs of great intensity.

Love Is Not a Weakness

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Michelle Nicolle - The Bach Project

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:30
Size: 97,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:21) 1. March In D’ornette (Coleman
(9:16) 2. Bist Du Bei Mir
(4:55) 3. Little Fugue In Gm With ‘round Midnight
(3:51) 4. Kommt, Ihr Angefocht’nen Sünder
(6:06) 5. Komm, Süsser Tod
(5:14) 6. Minuet In G
(5:15) 7. Sarabande (From Partita No.1) With Lonely Woman (Silver)
(4:28) 8. Musette In D Major

The Bach Project is a continuation of Michelle Nicolle’s ongoing passion project which was born in 2014 as part of the Bach Festival at the University of Adelaide.

As well as a great composer J.S. Bach was also one of the great improvisers of his time, a perfect fit for the Quartet’s chamber jazz approach. Also paying homage to other jazz composers, Ornette Coleman, Monk, and Horace Silver, these arrangements showcase the mastery of J.S. Bach’s compositions and add new flavour and energy to the improvisational elements found (and sometimes lost) in these great works.

This is undoubtedly modern music, yet steeped in one of the richest of all musical traditions.

“It’s bats and wonderful and so virtuosic…some amazing ensemble work going on. It’s so startling and wondrous.” Paul Kildea https://www.michellenicolle.com/recordings

The Bach Project

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Sienna Dahlen, Bill Coon - Balladextrous

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:22
Size: 92,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:56) 1. Too Late Now
(6:33) 2. Round Midnight
(6:29) 3. Happy Talk
(3:07) 4. I Get Along Without You Very Well
(4:01) 5. When Lights Are Low
(2:52) 6. Autumn In New York
(4:33) 7. Day Dream
(4:58) 8. All Of You
(2:48) 9. I'm In The Mood For Love

Balladextrous, a collaborative jazz album featuring vocalist Sienna Dahlen and guitarist Bill Coon, is a delightful exploration of the ballad form which allows the artists to make moment-to-moment choices about how they are feeling the rhythm or letting it breathe. This session invites the listener on a soothing and introspective musical journey which showcases the artists' chemistry and individual virtuosity.

Over the course of the nine tracks, Dahlen's warm and resonant voice, combined with Coon's delicate and expressive guitar playing, creates an atmosphere of intimacy and emotional depth. The opener is "Too Late Now" by Burton Lane & Alan Jay Lerner which immediately sets the tone for the collection. Dahlen's voice gently glides over the lyrics, with Coon's supporting guitar capturing the listener's attention. The Thelonious Monk classic "'Round Midnight" was originally created as an instrumental, but lyrics by Bernard Hanighen were subsequently added. Dahlen's phrasing and subtle inflections bring out the lyric's depth while, near the end of the tune, Coon subtly changes the rhythm to something slightly more lively, Dahlen picks this up seamlessly.

Tracks such as "When Light Are Low" and "Autumn In New York" showcase Dahlen's exceptional vocal control and ability to convey a wide range of emotions. Coon's sensitive accompaniment and inventive chord changes provide the perfect backdrop for her storytelling. The Billy Strayhorn compositional gem "Day Dream" is a perfect hand-in-glove moment for the duo as they engage in a musical dialogue which seems to transcend words.

Sienna Dahlen and Bill Coon's musical partnership is a testament to their deep understanding of each other's artistic sensibilities.By Pierre Giroux
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/balladextrous-sienna-dahlen-and-bill-coon-cellar-music-group

Balladextrous

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Ed Wiley Jr - Until Sunrise

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:31
Size: 100,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:47)  1. Until Sunrise
(4:05)  2. Twig's Tune
(4:46)  3. E-Three
(3:03)  4. My Foolish Heart
(6:55)  5. Jug Love
(6:28)  6. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(4:10)  7. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(7:13)  8. Blues Alley

During the 1950s and '60s, Ed Wiley Jr. recorded for such labels as Atlantic and Chess and also worked with such legends as Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Big Joe Turner, and Big Mama Thorton; then, after putting his horn aside for years to raise his children, the Texas tenor returned in the 1990s, recording new albums and performing regularly. Wiley grew up in Houston and found inspiration in such "Texas tenors" as Arnett Cobb and Illinois Jacquet. He performed his first gig at age 13 and scored his first hit record in 1950 with "Cry, Cry Baby." Wiley had moved from Houston to Baltimore just as the song was becoming a hit and subsequently recorded for Mercury, Chess, and Atlantic. 

During the early '50s he performed extensively, including a tour out west with blues singer Piney Brown and pianist Roosevelt Wardell, the latter a mainstay of his bands. In 1953 Wiley added vocalist May Robinson to his band and married her a year later. After years of going back and forth between his home in Baltimore and Robinson's in Philadelphia, the couple finally settled in Philly in 1960. At this point Wiley put down his horn and concentrated on raising his family. He worked as a machinist until his children were raised, and then returned to music. He performed mostly on the East Coast and in the 1990s began recording once again, releasing albums such as Until Sunrise (1994) and In Rememberance (1995) through Swing Records, his son's record label. Bio ~ https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ed-wiley-jr./id137322142#fullText

Until Sunrise

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Dan Balmer - When the Night

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:32
Size: 46,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:33) 1. Wes (For my favorite)
(4:23) 2. Seattle
(6:33) 3. When the Night
(5:25) 4. Round and Round
(5:30) 5. Lifesize Bright (For the Man from Missouri)
(6:23) 6. Love Ballad (Two words say it all)
(4:05) 7. It Felt Like Drowning (My last divorce song)
(5:29) 8. The Wander Years (Ages 1-100)
(7:06) 9. Never Leave (A Song of Worry and Hope for us all)

When the Night is Dan Balmer’s first album in over five years, and it is a highly anticipated release from jazz fans around the Pacific Northwest. The album features a stellar cast of two of the finest musicians from the New York City jazz scene, Gary Versace on Hammond organ and Rudy Royston on drums. In the true spirit of the PJCE Records label, all of the tunes on the album are newly composed pieces by Balmer.

The album’s title track, “When the Night,” is a haunting and beautiful country-pop ballad that showcases Balmer’s lyrical guitar playing and his knack for writing memorable melodies. Two busts on the Mt. Rushmore of jazz guitar are honored in Balmer’s compositions. While “Lifesize Bright” bears a more obvious resemblance to a Metheny-esque tune, “Wes” has an indie rock vibe and liberal use of guitar effects. The tunes on the album are varied in tempo, vibe, and style. They all fit together nicely as a complete statement, but there are stand-out tracks as well. Though it starts with somber solo guitar, “Seattle” turns into a lilting anthemic piece that features dovetailing solos between Balmer and Versace. “It Felt Like Drowning (My last divorce song)” is rife with energy and Balmer’s impressive technique is on full display throughout.

In Balmer’s words:

This album is the latest installment in my effort to create original music that is emotional, interesting, enjoyable, and personal. Both Gary and Rudy immediately understood the music, its goals, and brought their voices to the project. My music covers a wide range of styles and influences and Gary and Rudy proved more than up to the task of bringing each song to its own particular best result.

I’m excited and pleased with the music we made. It justified my trip to New Jersey to record and I feel the end result is everything I was hoping for emotionally, artistically, and technically. Their virtuosity “served” the music and the outcome was even better than I hoped for! https://pjce.org/album/dan-balmer-when-the-night/

Personnel: Dan Balmer, guitar; Gary Versace, organ; Rudy Royston, drums

When the Night

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Doug Beavers - Luna

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:21
Size: 125,6 MB
Art: Front

(0:33) 1. Luna (Intro)
(6:32) 2. Tidal
(6:49) 3. Reflejo Del Sol
(7:00) 4. Las Piedras
(6:08) 5. Multicolores (Feat. Jeremy Bosch)
(5:11) 6. Luna (Feat. Carlos Cascante)
(6:18) 7. Sea (Feat. Joe Locke & Paul Bollenback)
(0:50) 8. Interlude
(6:28) 9. Flor De Lis (Feat. Conrad Herwig, Francisco Torres & Max Seigel)
(0:55) 10. Intro To 'Sands Of Time'
(7:31) 11. Sands Of Time (Feat. Joe Locke & Ada Dyer)

New York, NY - Tuesday, May 9, 2023 GRAMMY® award-winning producer, composer, trombonist and arranger Doug Beavers is thrilled to announce the June 30, 2023 release of Luna, his sixth leader recording, via his own label Circle 9 Records. Esteemed “master of transformative artistry” (Raul da Gama, Latin Jazz Net), Beavers is known widely as a leading trombonist of his time, as well as a member of the multi-GRAMMY® award-winning ensemble Spanish Harlem Orchestra. His critically-received 2020 predecessor Sol explored a dozen original compositions which blended salsa with styles of Afro-Latin, R&B and Soul. Luna continues an expedition across a terrain of similar rhythmic styles, this time infused predominantly with Latin Jazz.

The release of Luna will be celebrated on June 4 at the Jersey Jazz Festival, and on June 22 at Dizzy’s at Jazz at Lincoln Center. More dates to be announced shortly.

In that regard, Luna is both a sonic counterbalance to Sol as well as a conceptual one Luna, the moon, is the celestial opposite to the sun. In 2021, Chamber Music America commissioned the Luna Suite, the first half of the record, through a New Jazz Works grant funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. Beavers composed the suite while taking a residency in Sitges, Spain along the Mediterranean Sea. More.....https://www.dougbeavers.com/

Musicians:

Doug Beavers, trombone; Jeremy Bosch, flute & vocal (5); Ivan Renta, tenor and soprano saxophones; Manuel “Maneco” Ruiz, trumpet & flugelhorn; Max Seigel, bass trombone; Gabriel Chakarji, piano & fender rhodes (4); Jerry Madera, bass; Luisito Quintero, congas, timbales, percussion; Camilo Molina, drums, bongos

With: Carlos Cascante, lead vocal (6); Anthony Almonte, coros (5)

Tracks 7-11: Doug Beavers, trombone; Conrad Herwig, trombone (9); Francisco Torres, trombone (9); Max Seigel, bass trombone (9, 10) & tuba (10); Eric C. Davis, french horns (10); Dave Riekenburg, clarinets & bass clarinets (8); Joe Locke, vibraphone; Paul Bollenback, guitars; Gabriel Chakarji, piano & fender rhodes; Luques Curtis, acoustic bass; Robby Ameen, drums; Luisito Quintero, congas, timbales, percussion; George Delgado, itótele, shekere (4, 11); Camilo Molina, okónkolo, iyá (4, 11); Jeremy Bosch, vocal (11); Ada Dyer, vocal (11)

Luna

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Roni Ben-hur - Love Letters

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:34
Size: 111,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:45) 1. To Dizzy With Love
(5:12) 2. Seul, À Paris
(4:48) 3. Fair Weather
(5:06) 4. Lonely Town
(5:29) 5. Alegria De Viver
(6:06) 6. The House That Yosef Built
(6:25) 7. Faint Memories
(5:20) 8. Waiting For Jh
(3:19) 9. Love Letters

The clue’s kind of in the title: after decades in the business as a respected performer and educator, Ben-Hur pays back in spades the love and gratitude he feels for friends and musical heroes. The tone’s set by the sumptuous swing of ‘To Dizzy with Love’, a song dedicated not to Gillespie (although Jensen’s joyous horn evokes the great man), but pianist Barry Harris.

It was Harris who encouraged the young guitarist when he emigrated from Israel in 1985, mentoring him and then inviting him into his own band.

Ben-Hur embraced the styles of Hall and Burrell, clean-toned, mellifluously melodic, but most importantly swinging, swinging, swinging. Even on his own meditative, slow tempoed ‘Seul a Paris’, the swing seduces, helped by Tieman’s deft brushes. But it’s Jensen’s muted horn, evocative of Miles yearning for Juliet Greco, that steals the show.

Jensen and Ben-Hur are long- time collaborators, and their easeful collaboration is a treat: never over-complex, and never stuck in the same voicings. For example, the Brazilian beats of ‘Alegria de Viver’ brings another feel again. Indeed, it would have been good to get more of Ben-Hur’s love of all things Latin; there are only intimations of Baden Powell, one of his Brazilian heroes. Likewise, tapping further into his own Tunisian-Jewish roots may have brought forth even further sweetness. Either way, Ben-Hur remains a touchstone of classic style and swing; and for that deserves our love.By Andy Robson https://www.jazzwise.com/review/roni-ben-hur-love-letters

Personnel: Roni Ben-Hur - guitar; Ingrid Jensen - trumpet; Ugonna Okegwo - upright bass; Jason Tiemann - drums

Love Letters

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Tatiana Eva-Marie - Two at the Most

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:37
Size: 92,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:57) 1. The End Of A Love Affair
(4:20) 2. Penthouse Serenade
(4:17) 3. Fly Me To The Moon
(4:10) 4. Sophisticated Lady
(3:34) 5. I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good)
(5:21) 6. You Go To My Head
(2:22) 7. They’ll Never Believe Me
(4:31) 8. The Nearness Of You
(3:37) 9. You Are Too Beautiful
(2:24) 10. I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face

One of the great things about jazz, as I’m sure many fans will agree, is that the tunes stand up very well however they are arranged. Most often composed at a piano, this harmonically rich and rhythmically interesting music might later be translated into a small combo or big band format but it still sounds fabulous when played by a lone pianist, as the composer (usually) originally conceived it. If you require any evidence of this, I present for your consideration Two at the Most by Tatiana Eva-Marie, with Jeremy Corren, and guesting on two titles, Mark Buchan.

A minimalist production featuring one voice (plus guest) and one piano, this record takes ten familiar classics from the Great American Songbook and strips them right back to purest melody, harmony and rhythm. Providing the first of these is Eva-Marie, a Swiss-born actress, singer and bandleader who has been since a decade ago, when big band swing was all the rage a passionate advocate for softer, smoother French jazz in the vein of Jean Sablon, Yves Montand, and Henri Salvador.

Eva-Marie fronts the Avalon Jazz Band, a toe-tapping Francophile string outfit which is in much demand amongst the organizers of swing dance events. Her sweet voice sounds effortlessly flawless, with something of Billie Holiday about it a warmth, a faint vibrato, and the way she sometimes graces the end of a note with a little upward flick. And it gets even more air time than usual on this duet album, a tribute to “old New York, piano bars, the American Songbook, alcohol, late nights, friendship” and the late Manhattan-based pianist Rick Unterberg (a friend and a casualty, at 61, of the pandemic).

She is joined by Jeremy Corren, a recent graduate of Columbia University who has already clocked up performances at Blue Notes in New York, Tokyo, Beijing, and Shanghai, as well as playing the Newport, Chicago, North Sea, and Umbria Jazz Festivals. Young Corren displays both the dexterity and deft touch of an old master, with the way in which he releases each thoughtfully approached note saying as much about his skill as the manner in which he attacks them. (I use “attack” in the strictly technical sense, for none of Corren’s key presses could be called anything but a caress.)

I first heard it while sitting outside a café on a warm but overcast day, the drizzle bouncing gently off the awning above my head exactly how this music should be heard, I’d argue. Tracks include “Fly Me to the Moon,” “The Nearness of You,” and “I Got It Bad (and That Ain’t Good),” presented in the simplest possible way, each tune arranged sparsely and without gimmicks. None will get you up and dancing but the result is a soothing balm for the nerves, a bubble bath for the brain, a spa for the senses, hot chocolate for the soul… you get the idea.

Eva-Marie takes a breather on tracks seven (“They’ll Never Believe Me”) and ten (“I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face”), allowing Mark Buchan to take over the vocals. He too has a voice like whipped cream, bright yet smooth, providing another perfect match to Corren’s keyboard caresses. Together these three have created something special, reverse engineering ten wonderful jazz pieces to reveal the essential beauty at the heart of each, without any embellishment. Check it out on Bandcamp, where you can pick up the digital album for whatever you think it’s worth. By Dave Doyle https://syncopatedtimes.com/tatiana-eva-marie-jeremy-corren-two-at-the-most/

Personnel: Tatiana Eva-Marie (vocals); Jeremy Corren (piano) + Mark Buchan (vocal on two tks).

Two at the Most

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Chris Speed Trio - Despite Obstacles

Styles: Saxophone And Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:56
Size: 83,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:37) 1. Advil
(3:57) 2. Wrangled
(3:55) 3. Uncomfortable Truths
(4:18) 4. Despite Obstacles
(5:35) 5. Sunset Park In July
(4:08) 6. In The Wild
(4:33) 7. Lone Satellite
(4:50) 8. Amos

The initial idea for Chris Speed’s current trio - of drummer Dave King, both now joined in the newly-formatted The Bad Plus, and bassist Chris Tordini according to Speed was to stay in a jazz-trio world and play more swing-based music.

That’s an unexpected diversion for the saxophonist, who’s been an integral part of innovative downtown scene alt-jazz bands such as Tim Berne, Jim Black, Human Feel and The Claudia Quintet.

Although Speed is no straight ahead-er, his all-originals on the trio’s third album certainly hint at the giants of the modernist jazz lineage more than any of the aforementioned work. Speed opens with a strong Mr Wierd-ish modal theme on ‘Advil’, and he makes every note count soloing, while the folky Rollins-like ‘Uncomfortable Truths’ is at once direct and exploratory.

Speed’s lithe yet limp, sour-tone on tenor is more exposed in the sax-bass-drums trio setting, the hypnotic Tordini and King complement it superbly with low humming frequencies and churning percussive sonics.

Speed’s ballad ‘Sunset Park in July’ has the flavour of similarly titled standards, echoing ‘Autumn in New York’ in particular, his old-school tenor inflections eschewing anything mawkish, as he journeys unpredictably through a fine set of originals.By Selwyn Harris

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Chris Speed; Acoustic Bass – Chris Tordini; Drums – Dave King

Despite Obstacles

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Akiko Tsuruga - Beyond Nostalgia

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 2024
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:53
Size: 151,5 MB
Art: Front

( 8:47) 1.Tiger
( 6:31) 2.Happy Blues
( 8:35) 3.Middle Somewhere
(10:38) 4.Back Track
( 6:29) 5.I'll Close My Eyes
( 4:54) 6.Beyond Nostalgia
( 6:13) 7.Mack The Knife
( 6:48) 8.Dancing Cats
( 6:54) 9.What A Diff'rence A Day Makes

Another SteepleChase debut album here by Japanese-born B-3 organist Akiko Tsuruga who hails from Osaka, Japan's second largest city brimming with vitality and keen sense of good life. With her working group including husband trumpeter Joe Magnarelli Akiko leaps out with electrifying energy and at the same time displays her knack for elegant phrasing.

"Tsuruga wraps her own personality around our expectations, bringing out signature ideals of her instrument." - Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
https://propermusic.com/products/akikotsuruga-beyondnostalgia

Personnel: Akiko Tsuruga: B3 Hammond organ; Joe Magnarelli: trumpet; Jerry Weldon: tenor saxophone; Byron Landham: drums; Ed Cherry: guitar

Beyond Nostalgia

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