Laura Fygi - The Latin Touch

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:13
Size: 134,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:35)  1. Historia De Un Amor
(3:28)  2. Quizas, Quizas, Quizas
(3:23)  3. Perfidia
(4:11)  4. Abrazame
(3:04)  5. Como Fue
(2:52)  6. Solamente Una Vez
(3:03)  7. Besame Mucho
(3:38)  8. Noche De Ronda
(3:06)  9. Piel Canela
(3:40) 10. La Puerta
(4:22) 11. Dimelo
(3:52) 12. La Mentira
(3:08) 13. Amor
(3:23) 14. Cuando Vuelva A Tu Lado
(2:51) 15. You Belong To My Heart (Solamente Una Vez)
(3:09) 16. Amor (English Version)
(3:21) 17. What A Difference A Day Makes (Cuando Vuelva A Tu Lado)

''I'm going back to my roots,'' Laura Fygi said about The Latin Touch. A delectable mix of salsa, cha-cha and great boleros is the ingredient for this magnificent album. A nice variation of slow and fast numbers, the album also includes classics such as ''Quizas, Quizas, Quizas'', ''Besame Mucho'', among others. There are three bonus tracks accompanying this album, all of which are the English versions of the other tracks. This seventh album offering from Laura Fygi is simply the best. Universal. 2000. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Latin-Touch-LAURA-FYGI/dp/B00004S5ZG

Personnel: Laura Fygi (background vocals); Leonardo Amuedo (guitar, background vocals); Friederike Darius (alto flute); Joe Rivera , Ruud Breuls (trumpet); David Rothschild (trombone); Hans Vroomans (piano, background vocals); Frits Landesbergen (vibraphone); Liber Torriente (bongos, percussion); Beatriz Aguiar (background vocals).

The Latin Touch

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Jim Rotondi Quintet - Introducing Jim Rotondi

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:20
Size: 132,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:43)  1. Ninny Melina
(8:45)  2. Woodoo
(5:01)  3. Make Believe
(7:36)  4. Little Flower
(6:15)  5. A Peck A Sec
(6:45)  6. Too Soon To Tell
(6:56)  7. Indian Summer
(8:16)  8. On The Que Tee

Trumpeter Jim Rotondi is a solid post-bop musician with a warm tone and an improvisational approach deeply steeped in the tradition of great jazz trumpeters. While the Butte, Montana native began piano lessons with his mother at age eight, it was the trumpet that became his main instrument from age 12 on. After graduating high school in 1980, Rotondi enrolled in the highly regarded jazz studies program at North Texas State University. In 1984, he earned first place in the International Trumpet Guild's jazz trumpet competition. Post-college, Rotondi toured with various ensembles including the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and Charles Earland's quintet. Eventually settling in New York City, Rotondi established himself as a mainstay in the city's vibrant jazz club scene.

In 1997, Rotondi joined forces with saxophonist Eric Alexander and drummer Joe Farnsworth to form the jazz super-group One For All with which he has recorded a large body of work. Also in 1997, he released his debut album, Introducing Jim Rotondi on the Dutch label Criss Cross. Since then he has released a steady stream of albums including Jim's Bop (1998), Excursions (2000), Destination Up (2001), New Vistas (2004), Iron Man (2006), Four of a Kind (2008), 1000 Rainbows (2010), and Hard Hittin' at the Bird's Eye (2013). In the 2000's, Rotondi began spending more time in Europe, eventually relocating to Graz, Austria where he holds a jazz professor position at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts. When not teaching, Rotondi remains an active touring a recording musician as both a solo artist and member of One For All. In 2016, he released Dark Blue on the Smoke Sessions Records. By Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jim-rotondi-mn0000852157/biography

Introducing Jim Rotondi

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Steve Slagle - Dedication

Styles: Saxophone, Flute Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:24
Size: 134,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:36)  1. Sun Song
(6:23)  2. Niner
(7:44)  3. Major in Come
(7:06)  4. Triste Beleza (Beautiful Sadness)
(6:45)  5. Opener
(5:59)  6. Watching Over
(4:19)  7. Corazon
(6:23)  8. Sofi
(7:04)  9. Charcoal Blues

Steve Slagle is one of those players that's often overlooked yet hard to forget. Why this sixty-five-year-old saxophonist who's constantly bringing energy and a spirit of exploration to the fore doesn't get the ink or marquees that come to his musical peers ten years his senior or several decades his junior is something of a head-scratcher. If you've seen him as a sideman, encountered him co-leading a band with guitarist Dave Stryker, checked out his duo work with pianist Bill O'Connell on The Power Of Two (Panorama Records, 2015), or heard any of his fine recent leader dates, like Evensong (Panorama Records, 2012) or Alto Manhattan (Panorama Records, 2016), it's fairly likely that you're wondering the same thing. While there's no firm explanation about Slagle's status, other than the fact that many jazz lovers are polarized and look only toward the "new thing" or focus exclusively on extreme longevity, there's no doubt that his name should be high on the list of stellar alto players plying their trade on the scene. This album, referencing both the man's steadfast study of his craft and the dedicatory nature of these songs, is but one more example of his strengths. With a stellar band by his side, Slagle delivers nine numbers that clearly point toward his influences, preferences, and experiences. "Sun Song," a bright and grooving calypso honoring the great Sonny Rollins, leads off the program. 

Then comes "Niner," a hip and angular tune taking its title from a nickname bestowed upon on Slagle by bassist Steve Swallow; "Major Come In," an up-tempo thriller given unto swing itself that works off of major chords in five different keys and runs on Bill Stewart's spang-a-lang ride work and Scott Colley's driving bass lines; "Triste Beleza (Beautiful Sadness)," a breezy bossa nova dedicated to "the great spirit of music from Brazil"; and "Opener," nodding toward saxophonist Jackie McLean, containing one of pianist Lawrence Fields' most memorable solos on the album, and featuring the leader on alto and flute. In all five cases, one thought rings true: Slagle remains consistently inventive as he uses his imagination and skill to color within, right on, and just outside the lines. The back-end of the album proves to be perfectly in line with what precedes it, presenting songs that are both grounded and intriguing. "Watching Over," for Marc Chagall, is straight-eighths and swirling colors, with the appealing Stryker-Slagle partnership in the spotlight. That duo's chemistry is then further highlighted on Stryker's Joe Zawinul dedication, "Corazon," where melodic directness acts as a cornerstone and bass and nylon strong acoustic create a supportive foundation for the alto's melodic musings. 

To finish things off this band delivers "Sofi," a soprano-fronted song in seven dedicated to Slagle's daughter, and Wayne Shorter's "Charcoal Blues," saluting the piece's composer and providing a welcome dose of earthy blowing. There may be saxophonists who've been in the game longer and/or pushed more boundaries, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a more dependably "on" player than Steve Slagle. By Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dedication-steve-slagle-panorama-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Steve Slagle: alto saxophone, flute (5), soprano saxophone (8); Lawrence FIelds: piano; Scott Colley: bass; Bill Stewart: drums; Roman Diaz: congo, percussion (1, 4, 5, 6, 7); Dave Stryker: electric guitar (2, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9), nylon string acoustic guitar (4, 7).

Dedication

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