Dick Katz - Three Way Play

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1993
Time: 62:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 144,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:14) 1. Three Little Words
(4:29) 2. Solar
(4:43) 3. You're My Thrill
(5:44) 4. Steepleechase
(4:01) 5. The Little Things That Mean So Much
(5:18) 6. Monk's Dream
(5:20) 7. Limehouse Blues
(3:15) 8. Star Crossed Lovers
(7:17) 9. Blues In My Heart
(5:57) 10. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
(6:01) 11. Samburan
(5:02) 12. There Is No Greater Love

Dick Katz had a long career in jazz, though a relatively small discography as a leader. These 1992 sessions for Reservoir represent the next to last CD that he made under his own name, with the pianist joined by two veterans, bassist Steve LaSpina and drummer Ben Riley. While Katz has considerable chops, he is not an overly busy pianist on these selections, giving the music plenty of breathing space and room for the input of his sidemen.

His breezy take of Miles Davis' "Solar" is a playful affair, while the trio is in jaunty spirits throughout Charlie Parker's "Steeplechase," an imaginative reworking of "I Got Rhythm." There are also plenty of standards, including an intricate study of "There Is No Greater Love" that swings like mad, while his creative take of the old warhorse "Limehouse Blues"incorporates a bit of Claude Debussy's impressionism.

It's always great when a leader takes the time to put the spotlight on a contemporary's composition that isn't well-known. His adaptation of pianist/vocalist Daryl Sherman's "Samburan" is a sauntering affair that makes it seem like a perfect soundtrack for a detective show. Sadly, Dick Katz only made one more recording for Reservoir prior to his death in 2009, while this outing is easily one of his best. By Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/3-way-play-mw0000105352#review

Personnel: Piano – Dick Katz; Bass – Steve LaSpina; Drums – Ben Riley

Three Way Play

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Kellye Gray - And, They Call Us Cowboys

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
Time: 42:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 96,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:01) 1. Help Me Make It Through The Night
(4:15) 2. In The Ghetto
(4:03) 3. If I Needed You
(4:36) 4. Dang Me
(5:15) 5. Deep In The West
(5:24) 6. Sailing
(4:09) 7. Only The Lonely
(6:47) 8. Always On My Mind
(3:40) 9. Night's Lullaby

Kellye Gray is a modern day jazz singer who has been active in the recording studio and on the road since the early 1990s. She has a voice that is made for jazz and has carved out a nice little career for herself. Now, she has done what many musicians refuse to do and that is taking a chance with her music and career, which she has done on her latest album, And, They Call Us Cowboys.

Up until this point in her career, her music has never embraced her Texas heritage. She has now issued an album of well-known songs written by Texans or songwriters who have a connection to the state. She has covered compositions by such artists such as Kris Kristofferson, Mac Davis, Roger Miller, Christopher Cross, Roy Orbison, Lyle Lovett, and more. She is not shy about tackling signature songs. “Help Me Make It Through The Night,” “In The Ghetto,” “Dang Me,” “Sailing,” “Only The Lonely,” “Always On My Mind,” and “Night’s Lullaby” are all vehicles for her vocal prowess.

While jazz remains the foundation of her approach, she leaves it behind at times and transforms the songs into gospel, bossa nova, boogaloo, and blues. Her approach moves many of the songs out of their accepted norms and, which allows her to add some new textures to these old war horses.

Given her approach, she wisely kept it simple in the recording studio. Sessions were recorded live and most of the songs have no over-dubbing. What she recorded is what you hear. The sound is full but there is spontaneity, which serves her well.

And, They Call Us Cowboys is an interesting album propelled by Gray’s world-class pipes. If you are a vocal jazz aficionado but are in the mood for something a little different, then this may be a release for you.https://cashboxmusicreviews.wordpress.com/2013/10/04/and-they-call-us-cowboys-cd-by-kellye-gray/

Personnel: Kellye Gray (vocals), Jake Langley (guitar), Pamela York (keys), Kevin Lovejoy (keys), Chris Maresh (bass), Kyle Thompson (drums), John Mills (horns), Red Young (organ), Chris Lovejoy (percussion)

And, They Call Us Cowboys

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Jessica Lalonde - Spinning Daydreams

Styles: Vocal

Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:43
Size: 102,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:46)  1. Taking A Chance On Love
(3:58)  2. Imagine That
(4:34)  3. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
(4:05)  4. Isn't It Romantic
(3:42)  5. On A Slow Boat To China
(5:48)  6. It Might As Well Be Spring
(4:01)  7. Begin The Beguine
(4:21)  8. Whispering Grass
(4:09)  9. I'll Be Seeing You
(2:46) 10. Not A Care In The World
(4:26) 11. You Belong To Me

Jessica Lalonde has gone from singing since early childhood in local music festivals to making her dreams of a music career come true. With such a distinct voice, genuine natural talent and undeniable beauty, she is almost surprisingly down to earth for someone with such abilities. Leading up to the launch of her upcoming debut CD of jazz covers, she has been on a unique musical journey, making her an exceptional and already accomplished artist, who is very hard to label. A native of Midland, Ontario, Lalonde has spent her life following her passion for music, which has often led her in many different directions. She grew up with parents that listened to classic rock, yet she gravitated more towards her grandparent’s taste in music for the big band era. Soon Lalonde discovered Billie Holiday which was a very pivotal moment for her. “I literally became obsessed with her and then my musical voyage went from there,” she says. “Billie was a major influence for sheer emotional power for me.” She then also immersed herself in the music of other dynamic female artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Jo Stafford, Helen Forrest and Nina Simone; and developed a love for opera and classical music along the way. “First and foremost, I just realized that I loved to sing,” she reflects. “Taking in a variety of genres and influences to this day keeps everything fresh for me.” While in high school an invitation from her music teacher to come do a song with the acclaimed Music Maker’s Big Band that he was part of, turned into much more than that, after the 15 year old Lalonde blew away the other skeptical band members to earn herself the permanent vocalist position. Performing with an actual big band was such a thrill and motivated her further into pursuing a life of music. 

Over the years, Lalonde has been a featured soloist at various charity venues, galas and choral concerts. She was part of the world première broadcast of Craig Galbraith’s The Spell of the Rose on CBC Radio Two’s “New Hours” and in 2006, she was the winner of the Laurier Concerto Competition, the Stratford Civic Orchestra’s Concerto Competition and the recipient of the Keith Knights Memorial Award for Performance at Laurier.Lalonde completed her Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance and attained her Opera Diploma at Wilfrid Laurier University where she studied under the direction of mezzo-soprano, Kimberly Barber. In the summer of 2007, she even traveled to Italy and participated in the renowned Centro Studi Lirica opera programme, under the direction of Joan Patenaude-Yarnell. While at Laurier, she held the title role in Puccini’s Suor Angelica and performed La Princesse in Ravel’s L’enfant et les sortilèges, Lady Billows in Albert Herring and Sarah Good in The Crucible.“It occurred to me that by studying opera I could learn to sing better and develop a fuller vocal range,” comments Lalonde. “As well, I was always drawn to artists and songs that really told stories and the world of opera is built around understanding the roles you play and stories you tell. This has definitely made me a stronger performer and more emotionally in touch with the songs I am singing.” While at Laurier, she had the opportunity to create the role of ‘Rebecca Reid’ in the première of a new Canadian opera, To Daniel, by Glenn James. “The experience was so collaborative,” Lalonde enthuses. 

“To actually be able to help develop the character was incredibly liberating. It made me want to have more creative input in what I was doing and brought me back to the jazz and crooner style of music that I always seemed to relate to the most.” In late 2007, when Lalonde made the decision to move to Toronto, she re-connected with life long family friend Rob Brooks and suddenly everything just fell into place. Brooks with over 36 years of music business experience, including 30 with international music giant EMI, was quick to sign her to his company, Bloo&Wite management. Soon after he arranged for her to meet with Bill King, one of Canada’s most respected jazz musicians. The two immediately hit it off and plans to record an album of jazz styled songs with a nostalgic feel began. “Bill King has really created a flourishing environment for many young artists to find their direction and their voice,” says Lalonde. “I feel so privileged to be developing a project I’m so passionate about with people that share a similar vision and know how to make it all happen.” This extends to the musicians that she got to work with on this album, which not only includes King (who is arranging and producing the album), but also some of Canada’s other most sought after players such as: Kevin Breit (Norah Jones, kd lang, Cassandra Wilson), Davide DiRenzo (Jacksoul, Sophie Milman, Tomi Swick), Duncan Hopkins (Diana Krall, Mark Murphy, Rob McConnell and the Boss Brass) and Ann Lindsay (Blue Rodeo, Dionne Warwick, The Chieftans). Never did Lalonde expect her first proper studio and album recording experience to involve such established artists. “It was surreal,” she admits.

The album, currently scheduled for release late summer 2008, is all covers and includes such engaging classics as “Slow Boat To China,” “You Belong To Me,” and “It Might As Well Be Spring.” The approach to deciding the material comes back to great stories again for Lalonde. “These songs take you somewhere. They connect you with such universal themes and emotions of young love and longing for those who aren’t near,” she remarks. “These are stories that take you back to another time, but still very much resonate with the world we live in today.” The chance to take these songs and bring her ‘own flavour’ to them, with the help of her new creative/musical team, has been extremely inspiring. It is especially fitting for her to cover the Stafford classic “You Belong To Me” and make it her own, as Lalonde often garners similar accolades to the beloved American pop singer. She too is often admired for the purity of her voice and for being such a versatile vocalist, the way that Stafford was in her day. The studio experience itself has been an exciting new adventure for Lalonde. “It blew my mind!” she raves. “Being in the studio provides such freedom. To be able to approach things in a gentle and creative manner so that you can fully develop your own feel to a song and story is so powerful to an artist. I’m used to performing live where you’ve got only one shot to get it right.” Although now a fan of the studio, she ultimately can’t wait to take these songs on the road, as the stage is the home she knows and loves best.Lalonde is not one to just rest on her inherent talent. Her deep-rooted love and passion for music motivates her to constantly become better at her craft. Even with the launch of her debut CD still forthcoming, those that know her already can’t wait to see and hear what she will do next. Bio http://music.cbc.ca/#!/artists/Jessica-Lalonde

Spinning Daydreams

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Randy Brecker - Toe to Toe

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:42
Size: 101,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:40)  1. Mr. Skinny
(5:13)  2. Trading Secrets
(4:55)  3. It Creeps Up on You
(6:07)  4. The Glider
(4:55)  5. Toe To Toe
(5:52)  6. It's Up to You
(4:42)  7. What Is The Answer
(6:14)  8. Lost 4 Words

Jazz trumpeter and composer Randy Brecker has helped shape the sound of jazz, R&B and rock for more than four decades. His trumpet and flugelhorn performances have graced hundreds of albums by a wide range of artists from James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen and Parliament/Funkadelic to Frank Sinatra, Steely Dan, Jaco Pastorius and Frank Zappa. Born in 1945 in Philadelphia to a musical family, Randy’s musical talent was nurtured from an early age. He attended Indiana University from 1963-66 studying with Bill Adam, David Baker and Jerry Coker and later moved to New York where he landed gigs with such prominent bands as Clark Terry’s Big Bad Band, the Duke Pearson Big Band and the Thad Jones Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra. In 1967, Randy ventured into jazz-rock with the band Blood, Sweat and Tears, but left to join the Horace Silver Quintet. He recorded his first solo album, ‘Score’, in 1968, featuring a young, then unknown 19 year-old tenor saxophonist named Michael Brecker. After Horace Silver, Randy joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers before teaming up with brother Michael, Barry Rogers, Billy Cobham, and John Abercrombie to form the seminal fusion group ‘Dreams’. The group recorded two adventurous and wildly acclaimed albums: ‘Dreams’ and ‘Imagine My Surprise’now collector’s items for Columbia Records before they disbanded in 1971. In the early 1970s, Randy performed live with many prominent artists including Larry Coryell’s Eleventh House, Stevie Wonder and Billy Cobham. He also recorded several classic albums with his brother under the leadership of the great pianist/composer Hal Galper. By 1975, Randy and Michael were ready to front their own group, the Brecker Brothers Band.  A band of immeasurable impact and influence, they released six albums on Arista and garnered seven Grammy nominations between 1975 and 1981. 

Their eponymous first record, which Randy wrote, arranged and produced, featured his now classic composition “Some Skunk Funk.”In 1992, exactly ten years after they parted ways to pursue solo careers, Randy and Michael reunited for a world tour and the triple-Grammy nominated GRP recording, ‘The Return of the Brecker Brothers’. The follow-up, 1994’s ‘Out of the Loop,’ was a double-Grammy winner.In 1997, ‘Into the Sun’ (Concord), a recording featuring Randy’s impressions of Brazil, garnered Randy his first Grammy as a solo artist.In 2001, Randy released ‘Hangin’ in the City’ (ESC), a solo project which introduced his alter-ego Randroid, a skirt chasing, cab driving ne’er do well, with lyrics and vocals by Randroid himself. This CD was especially well received in Europe, where Randy toured extensively with his own line-up.Randy’s next CD for ESC Records, ’34th n’ Lex,’ won him his third Grammy for ‘Best Contemporary Jazz Album’ in 2003. In May of that year he toured Europe with his Quintet in support of the CD, and in the summer went back to Europe yet again with the Randy Brecker/ Bill Evans Soulbop Band. The summer of 2003 culminated in the special headline appearance in Japan at the Mt. Fuji Jazz Festival of the reunited Brecker Brothers.2004 saw Randy touring Europe extensively as co-leader (with Bill Evans) of the band Soulbop. The WDR Big Band also celebrated Randy and his music that year in a performance at the Leverkusen Jazz Fest. The date was of special significance to Randy as it was the last time he played with his brother, who took ill shortly thereafter with a rare form of leukemia known as MDS. In 2005, with Mike unable to travel to Russia for Brecker Brothers gigs booked there, Randy’s wife Ada sat in for the first time.  Randy’s active schedule continued apace with the Randy Brecker Band performing throughout Eastern Europe and across the globe. In 2007, Randy was awarded his fourth Grammy for “Randy Brecker Live with the WDR Big Band” (Telarc/BHM), the live recording (also available in DVD format) of his performance with Michael at the Leverkusen Jazz Fest in 2004. 

Tragically, Michael passed away that same year on Jan 13th. 2007 also saw the release of a 2 CD set of live recordings of the band ‘Soulbop’ (BHM) featuring Dave Kikoski, Victor Bailey, Steve Smith or Rodney Holmes and the late great Hiram Bullock. Randy returned to his long-time love of Brazilian music in 2008 for the album ‘Randy in Brazil,’ which was recorded in Sao Paulo with a full complement of great Brazilian musicians and released on Summit Records. Chosen one of the top 10 CDs of 2008 by AllAboutJazz.com, the CD won the Grammy for “Best Contemporary Jazz Album,” bringing his Grammy total to five. A “Tribute to the Brecker Brothers” featuring Randy and recorded live at the Hamamatsu Jazz Festival in Japan with Yoichi Murata’s Solid Brass & Big Band was released by JVC Victor in Japan in late 2008. And in 2009, Randy’s roots were celebrated with the release of ‘Jazz Suite Tykocin,’ a project initiated and conceived by the Polish pianist and composer Wlodek Pawlik, featuring Randy as a soloist with members of the Bialystok Philharmonic. Tykocin is the area in Poland where Randy’s ancestors (mother’s maiden name: Tecosky) hail from, a fact that Pawlik discovered while helping to search for a bone marrow donor for Michael. 2011 saw the release of ‘The Jazz Ballad Song Book: Randy Brecker with the Danish Radio Big Band and The Danish National Chamber Orchestra,’ which garnered 4 Grammy nominations and enjoyed enthusiastic critical acclaim.  And in 2012, Sony Legacy recaptured history with the long-awaited boxed set, “The Brecker Brothers – The Complete Arista Albums Collection.” A Brecker Brothers Band Reunion tour of European festivals in the summer of 2013 in support of Randy’s newest project, Randy Brecker’s “Brecker Brothers Band Reunion,” re-introduced the familiar faces of Brecker Brothers Band members from the past and their special brand of music to sell-out crowds.