Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Nicki Parrott - Sakura Sakura

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:09
Size: 150,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:18)  1. April In Paris
(4:55)  2. April Showers
(3:34)  3. Cherry Pink And Apple Blossam White
(5:39)  4. It Might As Well Be Spring
(3:24)  5. Sakura Sakura
(5:08)  6. Some Other Spring
(4:52)  7. I Love Paris
(4:53)  8. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
(3:35)  9. Spring Is Here
(3:46) 10. Suddenly It's Spring
(5:24) 11. There'll Be Another Spring
(5:09) 12. They Say It's Spring
(5:53) 13. You Must Believe In Spring
(4:33) 14. I'll Remember April

Nicki Parrott, an internationally acclaimed bassist, arrived in New York in May of 1994, the recipient of a grant from the Australia Council for the Arts allowing her travel to the US and study with her mentor, one of the world’s premiere double bassists, Rufus Reid. In the same year she was also nominated for the “Australian Young Achievers Award.”  Today, Nicki Parrott is a world-class double bassist and an emerging singer/songwriter. In her work with artists from around the globe she has brought a signature sound to every bass part she has played. She performs regularly at the world’s best Jazz Festivals and can be seen Monday’s at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City with the legendary guitarist and inventor, Les Paul. Since June of 2000, this union has been an ideal showcase for her musical abilities, flair for improv, and gift for entertaining a crowd. Born in Newcastle, Australia, Nicki Parrott began her musical training on the piano at the age of four. She also took up the flute and continued to play both instruments throughout her school years. At the age of 15, Nicki switched her focus to the double bass, formed a band with her older sister Lisa (alto sax) and began composing instrumental pieces that they would eventually record for their premier CD release, The Awabakal Suite (2001).

After completing high school, Nicki moved to Sydney and attended the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music, where she graduated with an Associates degree in Jazz Studies. When bassists such as the legendary Ray Brown (Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson) and John Clayton (Diana Krall, Whitney Houston) were playing in town, Nicki would find them, contact them and arrange lessons from them. She was awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Pan Pacific Music Camp, and soon after, took first place in the 1992 Jazz Action Society's Annual Song Competition for her composition, Come and Get It. In 1990, Nicki began touring Australia with Russian musicians Daniel Kramer and Alexander Fischer playing sold out shows across the country. This was followed by successful tours with American trumpeters Bobby Shew and Chuck Findley. When she was off the road, Nicki was consistently playing bass with other world-renowned jazz musicians like New Zealand’s Mike Nock (piano), Australia's Dale Barlow (tenor sax), Paul Grabowsky (piano), Bernie McGann (alto sax) and the explosive Ten Part Invention. In May of 2002, The Nicki and Lisa Parrott Quartet headlined the prestigious Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. The show was broadcast on NPR and was well received by the press. She was also the resident bassist with the Kitchen House Blend, a house band that premiered and performed new music from local New York composers.

They would blend jazz, hip-hop, classical and rock in one evening...“It was a very creative experience”. Nicki expanded her musical repertoire and appeared on the Broadway stage in such shows as: Imaginary Friends, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Summer of '42, and Jekyll and Hyde. She is still active on Broadway today and regularly performs in the comedic musical, Avenue Q. Since coming to the United States Nicki Parrott has performed and/or recorded with such notable musicians as Randy Brecker, Skitch Henderson, Jose Feliciano, Rebecca Paris, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli, Warren Vache Jr., Clark Terry, Michel Legrand, Billy Taylor, Dick Hyman, Patti Labelle & the New York Pops Orchestra, Annie Ross, the Florida Pops Orchestra, Terri Thornton, Holly Hoffman, DIVA, Marlena Shaw, Monica Mancini, Patrice Rushen, Harry Allen, Red Holloway, Kenny Davern, Mike Stern, Bernard Purdie, John Tropea, David Krakauer, Howard Alden, Randy Sandke, Greg Osby, Jack Wilkins, Ken Peplowski, Johnny Frigo, Joe Wilder, Houston Person, Wycliffe Gordon, Rachel Z and Johnny Varro. 

Nicki has also performed at most of the world’s major jazz festivals. In the United States she’s appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival (2005), the Litchfield Jazz festival (2005), the Jazz in July concert series at the 92nd street Y (2003, 2004), the Detroit Jazz Festival (2005) and the Lionel Ha mpton Jazz Festival (2001). Outside the USA Nicki has appeared at the Cully Lavaux Festival (Switzerland - 1995), the Grimsby Jazz Festival (UK - 1996), Berlin Jazz Festival (Germany - 1998), the Ottawa Jazz Festival (2004), the Krakow Music Festival (Poland), JazzAscona (2005, 2006), Bern Jazz Festivals (Switzerland - 2005, 2006), Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival (UK - 2006) and of course, she has played at numerous music festivals across Australia. Nicki Parrott is committed to the continuing musical education women receive in order to further their careers and ultimately remain active as musicians past their teen years. In keeping with her sense of community, Nicki’s desire is to teach underprivileged kids to play instruments and learn to enjoy music. It is her belief t hat teaching music to children helps keep them interested in school and out of trouble.
http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/nickiparrott

Red Rodney - Essential Jazz Quintets

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 131:05
Size: 301,9 MB
Art: Front

( 5:33)  1. You Better Go Now
( 3:49)  2. Daddy-O
( 6:37)  3. Shaw Nuff
( 3:17)  4. Dig This
( 6:02)  5. Stella By Starlight
( 6:14)  6. Jordu
( 5:11)  7. Red Arrow
( 3:14)  8. I Love The Rhythm In A Riff
( 4:22)  9. You And The Night And The Music
( 6:10) 10. I Remember You
( 3:11) 11. Taking A Chance On Love
( 3:42) 12. Hale To Dale
( 4:55) 13. Ubas
( 4:24) 14. 5709
( 2:57) 15. Clap Hands, Hered Comes Charlie
( 4:28) 16. Two By Two
( 3:41) 17. Jeffie
( 5:52) 18. Red Is Blue
( 6:06) 19. Red Hot And Blue
( 3:59) 20. The Song Is You
( 5:32) 21. Shelley
( 4:15) 22. On Mike
( 4:44) 23. Laura
( 6:01) 24. Box 2000
( 5:45) 25. Whirlwind
(10:52) 26. Star Eyes

Red Rodney's comeback in the late '70s was quite inspiring and found the veteran bebop trumpeter playing even better than he had during his legendary period with Charlie Parker. He started his professional career by performing with Jerry Wald's orchestra when he was 15, and he passed through a lot of big bands, including those of Jimmy Dorsey (during which Rodney closely emulated his early idol Harry James), Elliot Lawrence, Georgie Auld, Benny Goodman, and Les Brown. He totally changed his style after hearing Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker, becoming one of the brighter young voices in bebop. Rodney made strong contributions to the bands of Gene Krupa (1946), Claude Thornhill, and Woody Herman's Second Herd (1948-1949).

Off and on during 1949-1951, Rodney was a regular member of the Charlie Parker Quintet, playing brilliantly at Bird's recorded Carnegie Hall concert of 1949. But drugs cut short that association, and Rodney spent most of the 1950s in and out of jail. After he kicked heroin, almost as damaging to his jazz chops was a long period playing for shows in Las Vegas. When he returned to New York in 1972, it took Rodney several years to regain his former form. However, he hooked up with multi-instrumentalist Ira Sullivan in 1980 and the musical partnership benefited both of the veterans; Sullivan's inquisitive style inspired Rodney to play post-bop music (rather than continually stick to bop) and sometimes their quintet (which also featured Garry Dial) sounded like the Ornette Coleman Quartet, amazingly. After Sullivan went back to Florida a few years later, Rodney continued leading his own quintet which in later years featured the talented young saxophonist Chris Potter. Red Rodney, who was portrayed quite sympathetically in the Clint Eastwood film Bird (during which he played his own solos), stands as proof that for the most open-minded veterans there is life beyond bop.By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/red-rodney-mn0000883694/biography

Essential Jazz Quintets

Rolf Ericson & Johnny Griffin - Sincerely Ours

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:36
Size: 89,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:53)  1. Double Digit
(8:02)  2. Fragrance
(6:06)  3. Oblivion
(5:53)  4. Taboo
(4:42)  5. Sweet And Handsome
(7:58)  6. Korn Blues

One of Sweden's finest trumpeters, Rolf Ericson played in the U.S. often enough to gain a strong reputation. He started on trumpet when he was eight and, after hearing Louis Armstrong play in Stockholm in 1933, he switched to jazz. Ericson recorded in Sweden with Alice Babs and others starting in 1945, moved to New York in 1947, and played with Charlie Barnet (1949) and Woody Herman (1950). After returning to Sweden in 1950, he recorded as a leader and with Arne Domnérus and Leonard Feather's Swinging Swedes. He also toured and recorded with Charlie Parker. Back in the U.S. during 1953-1956, Ericson played with the big bands of Charlie Spivak, Harry James, the Dorsey Brothers, and Les Brown and was with the Lighthouse All-Stars. In 1956, he toured Sweden and played with Ernestine Anderson and Lars Gullin. During 1956-1965 in the U.S., Ericson was with Dexter Gordon, Harold Land, Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Maynard Ferguson (1960-1961), Buddy Rich, Benny Goodman, Gerry Mulligan, and Charles Mingus, among others. There were also occasional tours with Duke Ellington during 1963-1971 and plenty of freelance jobs. In 1971, he settled in Germany as a studio musician, but Ericson returned to the U.S. several times over the next couple of decades. His warm tone and creative yet melodic style were always considered an asset. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sincerely-ours/id305133628

Personnel:  Trumpet – Rolf Ericson;  Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Griffin;  Piano – Fritz Pauer;  Bass – Lukas Lindholm;  Drums – Ronnie Stephenson;  Flugelhorn – Rolf Ericson

Sincerely Ours