Showing posts with label Alfred Kramer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alfred Kramer. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Scott Hamilton, Paolo Birro, Alfred Kramer, Aldo Zunino - Cinerama

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2024
Time: 64:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 147,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:44) 1. Three coins in the fountain
(8:53) 2. I will wait for you
(5:35) 3. Love theme from Point Blank
(6:41) 4. Wives and lovers
(7:38) 5. On Green Dolphin street
(7:03) 6. Two for the road
(8:50) 7. Close enuogh for love
(5:25) 8. I love you, Samantha
(7:18) 9. Manha de Carnaval

A swinging tenor saxophonist with a warm tone and supple feel, Scott Hamilton first emerged in the '70s playing a style that hearkened back to the pre-bebop sound of artists like Ben Webster and Zoot Sims. It was a style that helped Hamilton stand out from his contemporaries, especially during the electrified era of fusion jazz. Signed to Concord, he issued a string of celebrated albums for the label, like 1977's Swinging Young Scott, 1979's Tenorshoes, and 1986's The Right Time, all of which showcased his knack for acoustic jazz, blues, and standards. He gained respect from both contemporary players and veterans, famously touring as a member of legendary clarinetist and bandleader Benny Goodman's small group. Along with contemporaries like cornetist Warren Vache, saxophonist Harry Allen, and saxophonist Scott Robinson, he has continued to keep older jazz traditions alive, playing with swing veterans like guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, as he did on 1998's Red Door: Remember Zoot Sims, and issuing elegant sessions from his adopted home of Italy, like 2019's Danish Ballads & More.

Born in 1954 in Providence, Rhode Island, Hamilton first became interested in jazz while listening to his father's record collection. Initially starting out on drums at age five, he also played piano, harmonica, and clarinet before settling on tenor saxophone at around age 16. Influenced by players like Johnny Hodges, Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, and Zoot Sims, he progressed quickly and by the time he graduated high school, was already playing gigs and sitting in at clubs. It was during these early years that he met and sat in with legendary swing trumpeter Roy Eldridge at a club in Boston. Eldridge encouraged the up-and-coming saxophonist to move to New York, which Hamilton did in 1976 at the age of 22. There, he picked up a six-week stint playing at Michael's Pub, and was able to meet and work with other veteran jazz luminaries like Hank Jones, Vic Dickenson, Anita O'Day, and Illinois Jacquet, among others.

In 1977, he made his recorded debut for Concord with Scott Hamilton Is a Good Wind Who Is Blowing Us No Ill, featuring trumpeter Bill Berry, pianist Nat Pierce, bassist Monty Budwig, and drummer Jake Hanna. More albums followed on the label, including Scott II, Scott Hamilton and Warren Vache (With Scott's Band in New York), and 1979's Tenorshoes. Also during this period, he joined Benny Goodman's small group, playing with the legendary bandleader as well as Vache, guitarist Chris Flory, and others throughout the late '70s and early '80s. Hamilton kept the traditional jazz torch burning through the '80s, issuing albums like 1982's Close Up, 1985's First Up with cornetist Ruby Braff, and 1986's Major League with Jake Hanna and Dave McKenna. There were also dates with Flip Phillips, Benny Carter, and the Concord All-Stars. In 1986, he earned a Grammy nomination for his contribution to Gerry Mulligan's album Soft Lights & Sweet Music.

In the '90s, Hamilton moved to England, settling in London and forming a quartet with pianist John Pearce, bassist Dave Green, and drummer Steve Brown. Nonetheless, he remained connected to Concord, releasing albums like 1993's East of the Sun, 1995's My Romance, and 1997's After Hours. He also paired for albums with guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, guitarist Jimmy Bruno, and vocalist Rosemary Clooney. Jazz Signatures arrived in 2001 and featured songs by some of Hamilton's favorite artists like Illinois Jacquet, Benny Carter, and Don Byas. He paired with fellow saxophonist Harry Allen for 2004's Heavy Juice and joined pianist Bill Charlap, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Kenny Washington for 2005's Back in New York.

Sometime in the late 2000s, Hamilton moved to the Tuscany region of Italy where he remained active touring. He also rounded out his long association with Concord by releasing 2006's Nocturnes & Serenades and 2008's Across the Tracks. Following his move to Italy, Hamilton issued a string of albums on smaller labels including 2010's Midnight at NOLA's Penthouse with pianist Rossano Sportiello, 2011's A Splendid Trio with guitarist Howard Alden, and 2012's 'Round Midnight with saxophonist Harry Allen. He also recorded projects with Jan Lundgren, Karin Krog, and Andrea Pozza. He collaborated with pianist/vocalist Champian Fulton for 2017's Things We Did Last Summer, and returned the following year with the quartet date Moon Mist, featuring pianist Dena DeRose, bassist Ignasi Gonzalez, and drummer Jo Krause. Another quartet date, Danish Ballads & More, arrived in 2019. By Matt Collar https://www.amazon.com/Two-for-the-road/dp/B0DJRN1SHW

Personnel: Scott Hamilton (sax), Paolo Birro (piano), Aldo Zunino (double bass) and Alfred Kramer (drums).

Cinerama

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Scott Hamilton, Paolo Birro, Alfred Kramer, Aldo Zunino - Poinciana

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:29
Size: 134,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:51) 1. Birk's Works
(5:55) 2. By Myself
(5:31) 3. You Taught My Heart to Sing
(8:24) 4. Chloe
(5:49) 5. Confirmation
(5:50) 6. I Remember Clifford
(8:56) 7. Poinciana
(6:42) 8. Put on a Happy Face
(6:26) 9. Eu E a Briza

Jazz Saxophone Star Scott Hamilton returns to NativeDSD with Poinciana, his 8th Album in Stereo DSD 64 from Fone Jazz. Poinciana features Hamilton playing in a Jazz Quartet with Paolo Birro, Aldo Zunino and Alfred Kramer. Among the songs on the album are Poinciana by Nat Simon that gives the title to the album plus Birk’s Works by Dizzy Gillespie and Put On A Happy Face by Charles Strouse.

Giulio Cesare Ricci tells us “This album is part of recordings I made during the concerts at the Fonè Music Festival Piaggio in 2021. I recorded this album at the Auditorium Piaggio located inside the famous Museum in Pontedera, the place where Piaggio was born and where it still continues to produce today. It is a state-of-the-art recording with no sound manipulation, no equalization, no reverb, no compression and expansion. With natural sound and true timbre to best enhance the acoustics of the Auditorium of the Piaggio Museum. I used a “field effect” recording technique to bring the listener the live effect as if the listener were present at the performance.”https://www.nativedsd.com/product/sacd238-poinciana/

Personnel: Scott Hamilton, Saxophone; Paolo Birro, Piano;Aldo Zunino, Bass; Alfred Kramer, Drums

Poinciana

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Paolo Birro Trio - Piano Kings

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:02
Size: 132,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:45)  1. Where Or When
(4:58)  2. In The Mood For A Classic
(3:35)  3. Solitude
(5:26)  4. Love Vibrations
(5:02)  5. Voyage
(5:18)  6. September In Rio
(2:18)  7. Tiffany
(6:22)  8. Margot
(3:36)  9. Pastel
(3:55) 10. Bye-Ya
(3:04) 11. King Porter Stomp
(6:38) 12. What Better Fits

Paolo Birro was born in Noventa Vicentina, Vicenza, Italy in 1962.  He completed his classical piano studies at the Vicenza Conservatory with a summa cum laude degree in 1987, afterwhich he devoted himself to the jazz language which had fascinated him from his childhood. In 1992, in trio with Sandro Gibellini e Mauro Negri, he won the first prize for the performing group section at the Barga Jazz International Contest.  In 1996, after the releasing of his first trio album “Fair Play”, he was nominated “Best New Talent” by the critics of  the  magazine “Musica Jazz."  His career has offered him the opportunity to perform with jazz legends such as Lee Konitz, Buddy De Franco, Art Farmer, Johnny Griffin and many other internationally-known artists including Scott Hamilton, Gianni Basso, Ruud Brink, Eliot Zigmund, Bobby Watson, Ronnie Cuber, Harry Allen, Tom Kirkpatrick, Charles Davis, Enrico Rava, Erwin Vann, Aldo Romano, Richard Galliano, Robert Bonisolo, Paolo Fresu, Tiziana Ghiglioni, Chuck Israels, Matt Renzi.  As a sideman he has contributed to the recording of over 50 albums by some of the most important jazzmen working in Italy; in particular the artistic relationship with saxophonists Pietro Tonolo, Emanuele Cisi, Claudio Fasoli and the american trumpet player (living in Italy) J Kyle Gregory has been more continuative, as documented in a series of works published by independent labels, including Egea, Splasc(h), Soulnote and Velut Luna. He is a regular member of the Lydian Sound Orchestra directed by Riccardo Brazzale, one of the most critically acclaimed Italian bands in the recent years. As a leader or co-leader  he has released several albums in solo, duo and trio: his last releases include “Sbàndio” (Almar Records), a solo piano performance based on the cultural traditions of his native region in Italy, and “Passion Flower” (Philology) an homage to the music of Billy Strayhorn recorded together with the saxophonist Lee Konitz and “Radiotrio” (Almar Records) with Federico Malaman (el. bass) and Mauro Beggio (drums).  As an educator he has taught Jazz piano, improvisation and ensemble at the ”Civici Corsi di Jazz” (Milan), International Jazz Master Classes at Siena, Jazz Department of the Bologna Conservatory, “Il Suono Improvviso” (Venice), Perugia Classico, Summer stages at Loano, and the Jazzinty Workshop in Novomesto (Slovenia).  He is currently Head of the Jazz Department at the Conservatory of Vicenza. http://www.lydiansoundorchestra.com/birro.html

Personnel:  Paolo Birro(p); Aldo Zunino(b); Alfred Kramer(ds)

Piano Kings

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Paolo Birro - Castello Nights

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:57
Size: 109,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:41)  1. On a Misty Night
(3:44)  2. Groovin High
(3:31)  3. Coming on the Hudson
(3:08)  4. Boo Boo's Birthday
(6:00)  5. I Can't Get Started
(5:27)  6. Gnid
(3:26)  7. Good Bait
(4:36)  8. Criss Cross
(5:32)  9. 'Round About Midnight
(4:48) 10. Tin Tin Deo

Paolo Birro was born in Noventa Vicentina, Vicenza, Italy in 1962.  He completed his classical piano studies at the Vicenza Conservatory with a summa cum laude degree in 1987, afterwhich he devoted himself to the jazz language which had fascinated him from his childhood. In 1992, in trio with Sandro Gibellini e Mauro Negri, he won the first prize for the performing group section at the Barga Jazz International Contest.  In 1996, after the releasing of his first trio album “Fair Play”, he was nominated “Best New Talent” by the critics of  the  magazine “Musica Jazz."  His career has offered him the opportunity to perform with jazz legends such as Lee Konitz, Buddy De Franco, Art Farmer, Johnny Griffin and many other internationally-known artists including Scott Hamilton, Gianni Basso, Ruud Brink, Eliot Zigmund, Bobby Watson, Ronnie Cuber, Harry Allen, Tom Kirkpatrick, Charles Davis, Enrico Rava, Erwin Vann, Aldo Romano, Richard Galliano, Robert Bonisolo, Paolo Fresu, Tiziana Ghiglioni, Chuck Israels, Matt Renzi.  As a sideman he has contributed to the recording of over 50 albums by some of the most important jazzmen working in Italy; in particular the artistic relationship with saxophonists Pietro Tonolo, Emanuele Cisi, Claudio Fasoli and the american trumpet player (living in Italy) J Kyle Gregory has been more continuative, as documented in a series of works published by independent labels, including Egea, Splasc(h), Soulnote and Velut Luna. He is a regular member of the Lydian Sound Orchestra directed by Riccardo Brazzale, one of the most critically acclaimed Italian bands in the recent years. As a leader or co-leader  he has released several albums in solo, duo and trio: his last releases include “Sbàndio” (Almar Records), a solo piano performance based on the cultural traditions of his native region in Italy, and “Passion Flower” (Philology) an homage to the music of Billy Strayhorn recorded together with the saxophonist Lee Konitz and “Radiotrio” (Almar Records) with Federico Malaman (el. bass) and Mauro Beggio (drums). As an educator he has taught Jazz piano, improvisation and ensemble at the ”Civici Corsi di Jazz” (Milan), International Jazz Master Classes at Siena, Jazz Department of the Bologna Conservatory, “Il Suono Improvviso” (Venice), Perugia Classico, Summer stages at Loano, and the Jazzinty Workshop in Novomesto (Slovenia).  He is currently Head of the Jazz Department at the Conservatory of Vicenza. http://www.lydiansoundorchestra.com/birro.html

Personnel: Paolo Birro (Piano), Aldo Zunino (Bass) and Alfred Kramer (Drums).

Castello Nights

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Scott Hamilton - Ballads for Audiophiles

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:22
Size: 136,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:57)  1. Everything Happens to Me
(7:00)  2. All or Nothing at All
(5:30)  3. The Gypsy
(6:52)  4. Moon River
(7:08)  5. This Is All I Ask
(5:35)  6. Hey There
(5:36)  7. The Shadow of Your Smile
(6:10)  8. Baby All the Time
(4:15)  9. Se Todos Fossem Iguais a Voçê
(5:14) 10. Goodbye

Saxophonist Scott Hamiton, pianist Paolo Birro, bassist Aldo Zunino and Alfred Kramer, drums, combine on an audiophile ballads program that includes such timeless favorites as "Moon River," "The Shadow Of Your Smile," "All or Nothing At All", "This Is All I Ask", "The Gypsy" and more. Recorded at the Hotel II Castello.

Personnel:  Scott Hamiton – Saxophone;  Paolo Birro – Piano;  Aldo Zunino – Bass;  Alfred Kramer – Drums.

Ballads for Audiophiles

Monday, November 2, 2015

Scott Hamilton, Paolo Birro, Alfred Kramer - Bean And The Boys

Size: 130,0 MB
Time: 55:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Full

01. Stumpy (4:59)
02. I Mean You (4:08)
03. 3 Bean Stalkin' (5:21)
04. Leave My Heart Alone (4:48)
05. Bean & The Boys (5:43)
06. Skippy (5:34)
07. Rifftide (5:08)
08. Ladies Lullaby (5:45)
09. Body And Soul (4:48)
10. Sportsman's Hop (4:29)
11. Disorder At The Border (4:48)

Personnel:
Scott Hamilton, saxophone
Paolo Birro, piano
Alfred Kramer, drums

Recorded at Hotel II Castello, Palazzo di Scoto di Semifonte, March 2015

When Scott Hamilton appeared in the mid-'70s fully formed with an appealing swing style on tenor (mixing together Zoot Sims and Ben Webster), he caused a minor sensation, for few other young players during the fusion era were exploring pre-bop jazz at his high level. He began playing when he was 16 and developed quickly, moving to New York in 1976. Hamilton played with Benny Goodman in the late '70s, but he has mostly performed as a leader, sometimes sharing the spotlight with Warren Vache, Ruby Braff, Rosemary Clooney, the Concord Jazz All-Stars, or George Wein's Newport Jazz Festival All-Stars. Other than a few sessions for Famous Door and Progressive, Hamilton has recorded a long string of dates for Concord that are notable for their consistency and solid swing. ~Scott Yanow

Bean And The Boys