Bill Mays - Mays In Manhattan

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:36
Size: 152,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:46) 1. Manhattan
(5:22) 2. Summer In Central Park
(6:25) 3. U.M.M.G. (Upper Manhattan Medical Group)
(9:34) 4. New York State Of Mind
(6:33) 5. All Accross The City
(6:48) 6. Sunday In New York
(6:19) 7. 317 E. 32nd St.
(9:35) 8. Autumn In New York
(6:12) 9. '39 World's Fair

Bill Mays is a California native, but like many jazz musicians, he was drawn to live in New York City. This session is made up of songs about the Big Apple, though they come from a wide range of composers: Broadway, jazz, and pop. On four of the tracks, Mays expands his trio to a sextet, adding alto saxophonist Jon Gordon, trombonist Ed Neumeister, and trumpeter/flügelhornist Marvin Stamm.

The boisterous take of Richard Rodgers' "Manhattan" makes it seem like a cool, breezy spring day. Stamm switches to flügelhorn for Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind," in which Neumeister adds a mute (for the introduction) to carry on the "ya-ya" tradition begun by Duke Ellington's star trombonist, Tricky Sam Nanton; the piece then shifts gears to suggest a leisurely stroll in the park on a sunny day. The trio selections include a brisk interpretation of Billy Strayhorn's "U.M.M.G." (showcasing bassist Sean Smith extensively) and Lennie Tristano's tricky "317 East 32nd Street." This highly recommended CD has unfortunately been deleted from the Concord catalog.
By Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/mays-in-manhattan-mw0000085036

Personnel: Piano – Bill Mays; Alto Saxophone – Jon Gordon (tracks: 1, 4, 6, 8); Bass – Sean Smith; Cornet – Marvin Stamm (tracks: 6); Drums – Tim Horner; Flugelhorn – Marvin Stamm (tracks: 4, 8); Trombone – Ed Neumeister (tracks: 1, 4, 6, 8); Trumpet – Marvin Stamm (tracks: 1).

Mays In Manhattan

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Martin Wind Quartet, Bill Mays, Scott Robinson, Matt Wilson - My Astorian Queen

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:27
Size: 126,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:35) 1. Mean What You Say
(5:30) 2. Solitude
(6:06) 3. Broadway
(7:35) 4. Peace Waltz
(5:02) 5. E Preciso Perduar
(7:57) 6. Out in P.A.
(5:30) 7. My Astorian Queen
(4:56) 8. There's a Boat That's Leaving Soon for New York
(3:12) 9. New York, New York

Bassist Martin Wind, born in Flensburg, Germany, moved to New York City in 1996 and has called the area home ever since more specifically, suburban New Jersey where he lives with his wife, Maria, two grown sons and one dog. Wind had been in New York for less than forty-eight hours when he was introduced to Maria who lived in an apartment in a predominantly Greek area of Astoria, Queens; soon afterward, she became Wind's Astorian Queen and lifelong companion. When planning his fifteenth album as leader or co-leader of his own groups, to mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of his arrival, Wind turned to some old friends to flesh out his quartet and if it sounds like more than a quartet, that is more than likely because the versatile Scott Robinson plays tenor and bass saxophones, clarinet and trumpet (albeit not simultaneously). And if it sounds considerably better than your average foursome, that is definitely because pianist Bill Mays and drummer Matt Wilson complete the starting line-up.

Wind, who also composes, wrote three of the album's nine selections: "My Astorian Queen," "Solitude" and "Out in P.A.," while Mays wrote the meditative "Peace Waltz." New York is prominently represented with Wilbur Bird's swinging "Broadway" and the last two numbers, George Gershwin's "There's a Boat That's Leaving Soon for New York" (from the folk opera Porgy and Bess) and Fred Ebb & John Kander's iconic salute to the city, "New York, New York." Rounding out the program are Thad Jones' light-hearted "Mean What You Say" and the Latin charmer, "E Preciso Perduar," which was brought to Wind by one of his students, a drummer from Brazil.

Although bassists, even when leading a group, more often than not take on a supporting role, Wind takes the lead on "My Astorian Queen," using his resonant sound and marvelous technique to bring its lovely melody to life. Robinson plays tenor on that theme, as he does on "E Preciso Perduar" and "Out in P.A.," moving to trumpet on "Mean What You Say" and "There's a Boat," clarinet on "Solitude," bass saxophone on "Broadway." Wind also carries the melody on "New York, New York," played by the trio without Robinson, as is "Peace Waltz." Wind plays arco bass there, and on "Out in P.A." As for Mays, he is simply one of the best in the business, whether soloing or comping, and Wilson (who solos smartly on "There's a Boat") fits any milieu like the proverbial glove. With My Astorian Queen, Wind and his colleagues have celebrated his anniversary in grand style. By Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/my-astorian-queen-martin-wind-laika-records

Personnel: Martin Wind: bass, acoustic; Bill Mays: piano; Scott Robinson: saxophone, baritone; Matt Wilson: drums.

My Astorian Queen

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Marvin Stamm Quartet - Alone Together

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:35
Size: 169,1 MB
Art: Front

(13:51)  1. Alone Together
( 9:35)  2. Come Out and Play
(13:30)  3. Invitation
( 7:35)  4. Baubles, Bangles, and Beads
( 7:09)  5. Lagrima Agradecida
( 6:16)  6. Fun House
( 6:49)  7. When She Looks At Me
( 8:48)  8. T's Butter

Alone Together is not only another splendid album by trumpeter Marvin Stamm's quartet (does he ever produce anything less?), it also comes with a bonus a Dvd whose playing sequence duplicates the Cd and allows one to see and hear Stamm, pianist Bill Mays, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Ed Soph as they study one another, alertly interact and carefully work things out in a concert taped on November 2006. The quartet as it now stands has been performing together for more than a dozen years, and the rapport and camaraderie are readily apparent. These gentlemen are longtime friends who obviously take pleasure in playing together. You can hear it on the Cd, and see it in their faces on the Dvd. Stamm underscores the point in his cogent liner notes: "Our sensitivity to one another is the only boundary; and because this is an innate quality within each of us, it allows us complete freedom of expression. This is the joy of our playing together. 

That freedom is immediately visible on "Alone Together, on which Mays "plucks the piano strings to lend a bracing twist to his solo, and surfaces elsewhere throughout the invigorating session. This is especially true on Mays' playful "Fun House, which swings happily along behind gregarious solos by Mays and Stamm. Mays also wrote "Lagrima Agradecida, Stamm the ballad "When She Looks at Me and the mercurial "T's Butter, Reid the lively "Come Out and Play. Completing the program are Bronislau Kaper's haunting "Invitation, Robert Wright and George Forrest's "Baubles, Bangles and Beads (from the Broadway musical Kismet) and the title song by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz. The recording is crystal clear, albeit slanted a bit too heavily toward Mays' piano. No problem during solos, but his comping is at times intrusive. Not his fault, of course. Soph and Reid fare better, balance-wise. Reid has a number of tasteful solos, while Soph unleashes his impressive arsenal on "T's Butter, following the last of Stamm's admirable solos. As both the Cd and Dvd have playing times approaching an hour and a quarter, there's no cause for complaint in that area. Any written appraisal, of course, only scratches the surface. As Stamm observes, "One can talk and write about the music, but in reality, it is all in the listening. The suggestion here is that you take his advice and listen (and see) for yourself. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/alone-together-marvin-stamm-jazzed-media-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Marvin Stamm: trumpet, flugelhorn; Bill Mays: piano; Rufus Reid: bass; Ed Soph: drums.

Alone Together

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Charles Cochran, Bill Mays - Charles Cochran Meets Bill Mays

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:15
Size: 119.6 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[3:43] 1. Wonder Why
[3:59] 2. Oh! But I Do!
[4:30] 3. I Thought About You
[2:26] 4. Miss Johnson Phoned Again Today
[4:33] 5. For You, For Me, For Evermore
[4:05] 6. Ev'rything I Love
[3:24] 7. This Is New
[3:10] 8. After You
[5:37] 9. That Old Feeling
[5:10] 10. My Old Flame
[3:43] 11. Dream Dancing
[3:16] 12. I Wish I Knew
[4:31] 13. Do You Miss New York

Album brings the long overdue return of a singer/pianist who, from the late 1950s through the mid-'80s, delighted saloon audiences with his easy-going voice, his eye for quality songs, and his total lack of pretense. Here, he's joined by fellow pianist/vocalist Bill Mays, plus bassist Phil Flanagan on a selection of jazz & pop standards.

Charles Cochran Meets Bill Mays mc
Charles Cochran Meets Bill Mays zippy

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Morgana King - Simply Eloquent

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:06
Size: 124,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. I Get A Kick Out Of You
(5:21)  2. Every Time We Say Goodbye
(3:22)  3. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
(6:01)  4. Down In The Depths
(5:01)  5. It Never Entered My Mind
(3:52)  6. Will You Still Be Mine
(6:13)  7. Body And Soul
(3:18)  8. Simply Eloquent

None of the more than 30 albums recorded by singer Morgana King since the mid-'50s have been embraced by the size of the audience that bought tickets to see the first two chapters of The Godfather film trilogy, in which King acted in the role of Mama Corleone. But it would be wrong to assume she has had more impact as an actress than as a vocalist. Her acting roles, few and far between, are chosen with care, but do not have the resonance of some of her finest recordings. Millions saw her onscreen in The Godfather films, but her performance was certainly overshadowed by performers such as Robert DeNiro and Al Pacino, not to mention the famous turn by Marlon Brando as her husband. Another role of King's was in the 1997 film A Brooklyn State of Mind; she has also appeared in several television productions. It is possible that there are actors and actresses who have named Morgana King as a great inspiration. Yet, the results of a simple Internet search under her name only yielded dozens of quotes from vocalists and other musicians about the great influence of her recordings and singing style, not her work before the camera. It might not be a surprise when a young female singer gushes about King's albums, but these fans also include deeper thinkers such as classical bass virtuoso Gary Karr. References to her music also show up regularly in fiction as a kind of mood-setting device, such as: "It was a beautiful day in Malibu. He got up, made a coffee and put on a Morgana King record."    

Some record collectors might be surprised to realize that a complete set of King sides might eliminate any elbow room for, say, the discography of one of the prolific blues guitarists with this regal surname. Morgana King sides can be divided into several periods. It took her almost eight years to peak at whatever commercial success she was going to have with the 1964 A Taste of Honey album, thus ending the early years. She then was absorbed into the Atlantic and Reprise corporation and an exemplary series of releases by singers such as Big Joe Turner, Ruth Brown, Lavern Baker, and Ray Charles. The label's greatest producers stared the oncoming rock & roll in the eye, never forgetting their basic R&B orientation. Within a few years, a sub-category developed, seen through paisley glasses. The material became more philosophical, the increasing intellectual depth not surprisingly accompanied by the audience stampeding in the opposite direction. This might make sense, though; while 1965's The Winter of My Discontent is a masterpiece, 1968's Gemini Changes is laughably pretentious. By the early '70s she was anxious to get into films, the music business pushing away any and all veteran talent. Later in the decade she launched the mature period of her career, though, once again recording as more of a jazz-flavored artist for Muse, a label which in itself indicates a disinterest in pop culture. The label was loyal to her, regularly recording her through the following decade. This material was reissued in the late '90s by the 32 Jazz label, whose honcho, Joel Dorn, also presided over the reissue of her Reprise sides. If a special sort of bittersweet feeling pervades her later performances, perhaps it has something to do with this return to her jazz singing roots. Her father had been a performer of folk and popular music on voice and guitar, and she had begun singing in nightclubs such as Basin Street in New York City when she was in her mid-twenties.

Only a few years earlier, she had been immersed in classical studies at the Metropolitan School of Music. Basin Street may have been in the same city, but it must have seemed like a completely different musical world. The formal training undoubtedly filled in aspects of her musical walk where some of her peers might have had to limp. For this reason alone, some listeners find her efforts the most swinging of the '60s generation of pop singers. It meant much critical acclaim during her career, if not great commercial success. At many stages, King seems to have been making other plans. For the 1960 Encyclopedia of Jazz by Leonard Feather, she lists this ambition: "To become a dramatic actress." ~ Eugene Chadbourne https://www.allmusic.com/artist/morgana-king-mn0000501436/biography

Personnel:  Vocals – Bill Mays , Morgana King;  Bass – Steve La Spina;  Drums – Adam Nussbau;  Flute, Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Ted Nash;  Keyboards – Bill Mays

Simply Eloquent

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Jed Levy - One Night At The Kitano

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 71:14
Size: 133,2 MB
Art: Front

( 8:55)  1. A Great Week
(14:00)  2. Fallen Eagle
( 9:57)  3. Reversible You
(10:07)  4. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
(13:16)  5. Limited Means
( 8:32)  6. Match Point
( 6:25)  7. Blues Excerpt

Some live jazz albums transport the listener. If you shut your eyes, you can picture the dim lights of the candles on the tables, the clinking sound of ice cubes falling into glass tumblers... you might even find yourself looking around for someone to take your drink order. One Night at The Kitano makes you feel like you are out at the midtown jazz spot.  Joined by Bill Mays on piano, Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Billy Drummond on drums, saxophonist Jed Levy delivers one of the most enjoyable albums of the year. It's also accessible, straight-ahead music that everyone can enjoy. Novice listeners will say "now, that's jazz I'd pay to see live." That's not to say that it won't appeal to seasoned jazz veterans. Musical complexity and inventiveness abound, especially on the Levy original "Reversible You," which (as the title suggests) applies some structural adjustments to a familiar standard to superb effect. The set consists of six Levy compositions, as well as one standard: a ten-minute rendition of Billy Strayhorn's "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing," with the leader and Mays at their most inspired. The disc's opening number, "A Great Week," pays tribute to an engagement Levy once played with the late John Hicks. The loving homage offers a lively, up-tempo celebration of the pianist's legacy, with excellent support from Mays. The rest of the program features a number of mid-tempo swingers that afford plenty of solo time for the featured players. Levy's tenor doesn't recall the gruff aggressiveness of a Dexter Gordon or a Ben Webster, being more akin to that of Stan Getz. He's able to navigate the high register and achieve a mellow, romantic tone that, at times, makes you think he's switched over to alto.~ George Kanzler https://www.allaboutjazz.com/one-night-at-the-kitano-jed-levy-steeplechase-records-review-by-george-kanzler.php?width=1600
 

Personnel:  Billy Drummond: drums; Jed Levy: tenor sax;  Bill Mays: piano; Ugonna Okegwo: bass.

One Night At The Kitano

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Bill Mays - Mays At The Movies

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:21
Size: 145,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:34)  1. I've Never Been in Love Before
(4:58)  2. The Shadow of Your Smile
(8:47)  3. Pure Imagination
(8:13)  4. Love Theme From Spartacus
(6:35)  5. Judy
(6:51)  6. The Summer Knows
(6:57)  7. There's a Small Hotel
(4:58)  8. You Leave Me Breathless
(8:22)  9. Charade

Bill Mays has spent much of his career as a first-call studio pianist in Hollywood, accompanying singers like Sarah Vaughan and Al Jarreau, and playing on movie soundtracks. Moreover, his most recent CDs have involved his innovative third-stream group, The Inventions Trio, with trumpeter Marvin Stamm and cellist Alisa Horn. As a result, Mays's profile may be a bit lower than some who spend more time in the jazz performance spotlight. But he's also one of the most intelligent, fluent, and interesting players around. Mays never mucks with a tune just for the sake of putting a personal stamp on it there's always the sense that thoughtful creative choices have been made For example, in the opening "I've Never Been in Love Before," Mays changes the chord center four times, which not only adds new dimensions to an overplayed tune, but musically captures the blissful disorientation of the first-time lover. Similarly, on the next warhorse, "The Shadow of Your Smile," Mays's elegant, succinct playing strips years of schmaltz from the song; with the addition of the verse, he helps highlight its original beauty. 

Mays's compositional gifts are also on display here with the spirited "Judy," the tribute to his wife that's been heard in two movies so far. The delightful Willie Wonka anthem, "Pure Imagination," has some temporal twists that bring out its lopsided structure (that nine-bar bridge, for instance), while this band digs deep into {Michel Legrand = 8674}}'s "The Summer Knows" usually played as a ballad and swings it hard. Mays also does his homework, going back to Alex North's version of his "Love Theme from Spartacus" to restore what many other pianists, including Bill Evans, choose to cut from the piece. Given the consistently excellent quality of this music, it's surprising that this group didn't rehearse until you consider the caliber of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Billy Drummond, both busy, classy players who enhance any number of trio recordings. The artful delegation of their splendid solos adds color on tunes like "There's a Small Hotel" and "Charade," the burning closer, as does Mays' playful but subtle quoting. All told, Mays at the Movies is a thoroughly engaging CD, providing more evidence that Mays's position in the top tier of pianists remains secure. ~ Dr Judith Schlesinger https://www.allaboutjazz.com/mays-at-the-movies-bill-mays-steeplechase-records-review-by-dr-judith-schlesinger.php
 

Personnel: Bill Mays: piano, vocal; Peter Washington: bass; Billy Drummond: drums.

Mays At The Movies

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Bud Shank & Bill Mays - Beyond The Red Door

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:50
Size: 165,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:34)  1. Red Door
(9:12)  2. The Wind/The Peacocks
(8:31)  3. Why Not Now?
(6:14)  4. Quietly
(9:20)  5. The Touch Of Your Lips
(8:51)  6. I Loves You Porgy
(7:56)  7. Carousels
(7:59)  8. Everything I Love
(7:09)  9. Where Or When

At its best, jazz is about spontaneity and surprise. It is also, as Bud Shank writes in his cogent liner notes to Beyond the Red Door, wherein his persuasive alto saxophone is seamlessly blended with Bill Mays's decorous piano, about "the expression of emotions... about feeling good, about self-respect, about self-assurance, about happiness and humor." Shank and Mays bring all those qualities, plus a lifetime of experience, to bear in an engaging and varied program of old favorites and newer treasures that encompasses a broad musical and emotional spectrum. Shank, who at eighty-one wears comfortably the mantle of elder statesman, has always had a distinctive sound, readily identifiable, while Mays is arguably more generic but nonetheless proficient and tasteful. In any event, they comprise a single-minded team, partly because, in Shank's words, they were "especially happy to be playing together as a duo." 

The happiness is palpable throughout, as Shank and Mays wend their way through a delightful melange of standards and original compositions that includes a pair of captivating melodies written by Shank and his wife, Linda ("Carousels," "Why Not Now?") and Mays' seductive waltz, "Quietly." The session opens on a suitably improvisational note with Zoot Sims / Gerry Mulligan's "Red Door," whose melody doesn't surface until the 1:30 mark. For a ballad medley, Mays suggested combining Russ Freeman's "The Wind," on which Shank had played alto flute on the original 1954 recording, with Jimmy Rowles' "The Peacocks."  

The duo's choice of standards is impeccable, starting with Ray Noble's sensuous "The Touch of Your Lips" and including the Gershwin brothers / DuBose Heyward's plaintive "I Loves You Porgy," Cole Porter's cheerful "Everything I Love" and Rodgers and Hart's haunting "Where or When." As for the readings, they are invariably warm and perceptive. Playing time is a generous 71:45, while sound is remarkably clear and well-balanced. If there's a downside, it lies in the fact that tempos are slow to medium, and that one's degree of pleasure may rest largely on his or her fondness for alto sax / piano duos in general and Shank / Mays in particular. Here's one emphatic vote in the "thumbs up" column. ~ Jack Bowers  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/beyond-the-red-door-bud-shank-jazzed-media-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel:  Bud Shank: alto saxophone;  Bill Mays: piano.

Beyond The Red Door

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